Golemcrafters

October 1, 2024
Grades 4-7 When Faye's older brother, Shiloh, is gifted a lump of clay from his estranged grandfather for his bar mitzvah, the siblings have no idea what to make of the present. Even more unexpected is Zeyde's arrival at their door, revealing that it's time for Faye and Shiloh to learn the Jewish art of golemcrafting. To that end, their parents allow them to spend their spring break with Zeyde in New York City, and what they learn there extends far beyond being able to sculpt and animate clay. Cohen saturates her tale with Jewish history, lore, and magic, and Faye and Shiloh must grapple with the gifts and unsettling revelations caused by golemcrafting, including shared lucid dreams that plague the siblings with visions of atrocities suffered by their ancestors. While the story contains some levity, the violence toward and persecution of Jewish people are at the fore of the narrative and weigh particularly heavily on Faye. However, her experiences at Zeyde's teach her that respite and strength can be found in family, memory, and faith.

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September 23, 2024
An unanticipated bar mitzvah gift—“a box of uncured clay” for 11-year-old Faye’s older brother Shiloh—results in a visit from the siblings’ estranged paternal grandfather in this ethereal fantasy novel by Watanabe Cohen (The Lost Ryu). To combat rising antisemitism, including the bullying Shiloh has been experiencing, their grandfather wants them to learn golemcrafting: creating humanoid figures from clay that are “brought to life with the Hebrew alphabet.” Their father disagrees, but their Catholic mother, a second-generation Japanese American, believes this will help them learn more about their Jewish heritage. Faye feels secretly triumphant when she demonstrates a gift for golemcrafting over academically inclined Shiloh. But when, in a shared dream, the siblings are transported to a fantasy realm where Japanese Jewish people are being hunted, Faye’s pride turns to rage. Suddenly saddled with incredible power, Faye’s rage evolves into fear she struggles to overcome alone. Watanabe Cohen explores centuries of antisemitism through the eyes of two characters experiencing it in the present to show the import of personal resilience and reliance on family in the face of adversity. Ages 8–12. Agent: Mary C. Moore, Aevitas Creative.

January 1, 2025
After Shiloh receives a box of clay as a bar mitzvah present, he and his younger sister, Faye, meet their estranged grandfather, who sent it, for the first time. The siblings learn that, on their father's side, they are part of a lineage that can create golems: "human figure[s] formed from clay and brought to life with the Hebrew alphabet." While visiting their grandfather's apartment to practice harnessing this power, they encounter in dreams their ancestors' traumatic stories of antisemitism and oppression at various points in history. (These dreams include strong descriptions of cruelty and death that make this book best suited for readers who can handle realistic violence.) What they learn about their past sheds light on the present day as they grapple with contemporary antisemitism. In addition to the historical Jewish golemcrafters they meet, Shiloh and Faye also face questions of identity that arise from their Japanese ancestors on their mother's side. This memorable story takes a strong stance against victim-blaming in favor of defending oneself and one's beliefs. Caring familial relationships are centered, and while sibling rivalry is a factor in their dynamic (Faye has more golemcrafting power than Shiloh), the two love and support each other above all. Miriam Steinberg-Egeth

(Copyright 2025 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

December 30, 2024

Gr 5 Up-When siblings Faye and Shiloh receive a mysterious gift of clay from their paternal grandfather, their lives take on a new twist. They learn about their family's ability to craft golems, leading them to travel to a parallel past confronting anti-Semitism throughout points in Jewish history and the present. Faye never feels like she fits in-being biracial, she's not Japanese "enough" for her friends and doesn't excel in school like Shiloh. When Faye and Shiloh accompany their grandfather to New York City to learn golem crafting, Faye is the one with the natural aptitude for it. When the two siblings start learning the family craft, they awake each night in what seems like a fantasy land, and the people speak their made-up language, a mash of Hebrew and Japanese. They soon learn that this is no feel-good adventure story, but that they are somehow traveling back to tumultuous times of persecution and war. This is an engaging, multicultural novel that blends themes of identity, religion, and belonging with a touch of magic and Jewish mythology. VERDICT An important and timely book that will make anyone who has been "othered" feel seen. Recommended for most collections.-Marissa Lieberman

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