How Mirka Met a Meteorite

Starred review from December 24, 2012
Eleven-year-old Mirka Herschberg is as disheveled, prickly, competitive, and impulsive as ever in this companion to Deutsch's Hereville (2010). She's both a fish out of water (she dreams of being a sword-wielding dragon slayer) and committed to her Orthodox Jewish faith, family, and community. All of this makes her one of the most original and comically endearing heroines to come down the pike in a long time. The meteorite in the title is actually an alien life formâdubbed "Metty"âthat becomes Mirka's reverse doppelganger: a too-good-to-be true twin who's not only neater, defter at dispatching bullies, and better at basketball than Mirka, but also determined to permanently displace her. With unexpectedly effective help from Mirka's family (who are savvier and more accepting than Mirka realizes), her messy personality triumphs over perfection. The drably handsome olive and peach palette provides visual cohesionâan anchor that allows Deutsch's extravagantly chronicled emotions to fly highâwhile simultaneously making the story's extraterrestrial elements and scenes (colored in bold yellows and blues) all the more magical and alien by contrast. Ages 8â12. Agent: Judith Hansen, Hansen Literary Agency.

Starred review from October 1, 2012
Hooray! The charmingly imperfect Mirka returns to battle a miming meteorite (How Mirka Got Her Sword, 2010). Still grounded after her last adventure, Mirka wriggles her way out of her house arrest after an important game of chess with her stepmother, receiving from her a message of things to come: "[W]hen you have to make a decision, imagine the person you want to become someday. Ask yourself, what would that person do?" After another encounter with the witch and the multilimbed troll of the first book, Mirka finds herself stuck with a sapient meteorite that has assumed her appearance. What seems like a great idea (just think: They can split chores!) quickly sours when she finds herself missing meals and time with her family. When Mirka decides she's had enough, she challenges Meteorite Mirka (known as Metty) to an epic battle that will take brains--not brawn--to win. Watching Mirka fight the seemingly perfect version of herself is riveting. Deutsch has created a wonderful world in Mirka's insulated Orthodox village and continues to capture it adroitly--though he has left himself enough room to blast Mirka out to space without readers batting an eye. Mirka is unflinchingly likable because she is so tempestuous and inexact, and really, who can't relate to that? This truly clever series is lots of fun. (Graphic fantasy. 8-13)

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Starred review from November 1, 2012

Gr 4-7- Meteorite picks up right where How Mirka Got Her Sword (Abrams, 2010) leaves off. When Mirka, an 11-year-old Orthodox Jew, goes to retrieve her sword from the troll, he inadvertently summons a meteorite. Fortunately, she is able to prevent the destruction of Hereville with the help of the witch. Unfortunately, the witch turns the meteorite into a clone of Mirka. It isn't long before "Metty" begins to make our heroine's life difficult. When Mirka asks the duplicate to leave, Metty proposes three challenges to decide who will stay in Hereville, and who will be banished. Deutsch seamlessly weaves elements of Orthodox Judaism in with themes of individuality and self-worth. The color illustrations are as crisp and clear as they come. The endlessly creative panel and perspective work adds visual interest and gives experienced graphic-novel readers plenty to savor. A well-crafted addition to a truly distinctive series.-Travis Jonker, Wayland Union Schools, MI

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2012
Grades 4-7 Deutsch continues his delightful and unique series featuring a modern Orthodox Jewish girl who is often bolder and braver than most 11-year-olds (boy or girl) might be. In this follow-up to How Mirka Got Her Sword (2010), she faces a bewitched meteorite-turned-Mirka-doppelgnger, Metty, who makes Mirka's life completely miserable: she co-opts Mirka's place at the dinner table, earns excellent grades, and becomes a basketball star. With the help of Mirka's stepsister Rochel, and a bit of self-reevaluation with the aid of her wise stepmother, Mirka both overcomes Metty's challenges and even provides insight that Metty's motivation for her behavior may stem from longing for her own family. Deutsch is a masterful storyteller with both realistic kid patter and expressive cartoonsnot only of Orthodox life but also of assorted trolls and other mostly benign fantasy creatures. A spunky adventure in kid-accessible truths revealed through the employment of fantasy.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)