“I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
Jordan and the Dreadful Golem
By Karen Goldman
244 pages – ages 9+
Published by Penlight Publications on November 1, 2013
Jordan lives in the Israeli town of Kfar Keshet, where the kids get special powers based around nature that start to appear around the time they turn 13, but sometimes younger, sometimes older, and sometimes never. Jordan is behind on the Power Train. When Jordan, his younger brother and two friends go camping by a lake, they witness a man make another man out of clay. The clay man is a golem, and the creator is Lavan, a sly magician who uses dark magic and tries to stop the kids of Kfar Keshet from being unique with their special powers. The golem could be a danger to the inhabitants of Kfar Keshet!
This is a riveting adventure story based on Jewish folklore. It is based in Israel and the reader gains a lot of knowledge about Kabbalah and other Jewish teachings. I learned that in Jewish folklore a golem is a creature made by magic out of rock or clay. I love learning parts of different cultures and am happy now that I know a golem isn’t just a character in Pokémon. 😉 I love the idea of a bunch of super-powered kids and the part of the story where they must learn what their powers are and how to use them. One problem I had with the plot is that it didn’t explain why none of the adults had powers (or maybe they did and they didn’t use them). I like the action and the mystery in the book too. The Amazon rates the book for kids 12+ but I think it is totally fine for kids 9+. The cover is scary, but Ms. Goldman writes a great story that can be enjoyed by all ages. Ms Goldman made Jordan into a great character who the reader can understand. I love how he solves problems and figures out how to use his abilities. This is a great book for boys but girls will also enjoy the adventure!
With Multicultural Children’s Book Day coming up on January 27th, this is a great choice for reading!
To learn more, please visit the publisher’s website by clicking HERE.
I give this book 4 out of 5 bookworms!
Share this:
Categories: Age 9+
I’m interested in anything Israel. Love their history. (Love their future! 😉 )What a cool angle on Jewish folklore. I will definitely look this one up, though it might be summer before I actually read it. Thanks, Erik!
I love books that happen in foreign countries (and in America too, but that’s not the point) because I believe I learn more about the country that way. 🙂
If it gets four bookworms from then I’m gonna get it. All your recommendations are spot on! I want to read anything about Israel. What a beautiful country. What a beautiful God! Thanks Erik. I hope school is treating you good. *wink*
Well, we did get out at noon today, so… Yes! School is treating me very good! 😉
I love stories that immerse me into other cultures without losing the impact of a good plot.
This is one of those stories!
This sounds really interesting, Erik! I also like stories that teach you about other cultures in a way that fits naturally into a good story. And I like the idea of kids getting to discover their powers 🙂
Kids getting super-powers is an awesome story! Now, if only it was in real-life… 😉
Lurv Golem stories! Esp from Bashevis Singer, illustrated by Schulevitz.
I’ll check it out! 😀
It’s storytelling, but Bashevis can do scary!
I don’t think there are a lot of golem stories so this one is very interesting. Thanks for the review 🙂
It’s a great story! 😀
This sounds very interesting. Surprised you didn’t save it for Jan. 27th, it makes a great multicultural book. I had never heard of a golem. Interesting the beliefs of different religions. I would like to read this. I think I would enjoy it. 🙂
I already have books for the 27th. This came individually. Golems are cool! 😀
That IS a scary cover, but if you say it’s okay I believe you. The only golem story I’m familiar with is GOLEM by David Wisniewski, which is a picture book and a Caldecott winner.
I think I need to check out GOLEM! 😀
Interesting that the author woven some Jewish culture into her dystopian novel. Never heard of a Golem, though. Yes, it would have mad a good multicultural share next week.
This is a great book! I think a lot of people could enjoy this book! 😀
Book cover looks really scary. Have you read Wisniewski’s Golem? They seem to be good companion books.
The book is good. I’ll check out Wisniewski’s Golem! 😀