Okay, so first and foremost, this is definitely a kid's book/middle grade fiction/whatever you want to call it. So, my 4-star rating is reflective of that. In terms of great literary works, it wouldn't rank so high.

But I'm a firm believer in rating a book for what it is, and for a middle grade fiction book, this one was very good. It would be an excellent one to read with your children to help them learn more about the Jewish faith and culture. It's obviously a fantasy book, but the culture and traditions in it are very much rooted in fact.

I found the character very likeable and the story to be cohesive and well-told. I highly recommend it to anyone with middle-grade-aged children who might want to learn more about a culture outside their own. (Or to Jewish children who want to learn more about their own culture or who just want to be entertained.)

Faye and her brother Shiloh both have challenges at school. They are biracial and Jewish, and experience varying levels of bigotry and bullying from classmates for their dual identities.

They rely on each other for support, and because Faye prefers to recede from others' notice, Shiloh makes up for this by having a bigger personality. They also have their own jokes, and private language, which they call Effalese, which is Japanese (from their mother) written in Hebrew (from their father).

Their Jewish grandfather, Judah Meisel, sends Shiloh a bar mitzvah gift of a box of clay, which makes their father angry, but no explanations are forthcoming. Which is ok, because their grandfather shows up, and eventually convinces Faye's and Shiloh's parents to let him take them home with him to New York City, where he can teach them about the family secret of golem crafting.

The kids learn to work the clay and create a golem, but more importantly, each night they experience disturbing, sometimes terrifying, dreams/experiences of earlier times where they meet people who are hated, attacked and killed. The common thread is virulent anti-semitism and racism. These scenes were incredibly dark, but necessary, for the siblings, and for the readers, to understand their family's past and their experiences of pogroms and forced flight from country to country.

This was a deeply moving story of generations of a family living through much pain and violence, but not just surviving, but of finding love and hope, too, even while the youngest, current generation again is subject to bigotry and violence.

Faye makes a wonderful narrator, as she learns not only of her family's past, and also about the wonder and power of golemcrafting. Her reactions, thoughts and feelings are also a way for younger readers to process the effects of bigotry she and her brother experience daily for their dual heritage, but also the violence experienced by their ancestors. Author Emi Watanabe Cohen doesn't hide the brutality these ancestors have suffered, but she uses it carefully.

I liked the openness of the ending; nothing is fully resolved, but that's life. There is no magic solution to their daily bullying, she and her brother have learned vital facts about their families and themselves, which have a lasting impact on them.

I really enjoyed this book and audiobook, as I experienced both versions of this story. The author does a wonderful job inhabiting Faye, Shiloh and their grandfather. The humour, fear, devastation, love and curiosity come through beautifully, and the author's words leave one with a lot to think about, and a wish for more kindness in the world.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Levine Querido and RBMedia for these ARCs in exchange for my review.

I was provided a audio and ebook ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

This was a powerful look into both Jewish and Japanese heritage and the importance of connecting with ones ancestors and history. The author uses family connection as well as adventure and a mix of magic and fantasy to take a brother and sister on a fantastic journey onto a world they never knew existed. With the help of their estranged grandfather and the stories of generations past they unlock their own strength and power to confront the very real issues they face in the real world today.

This is marketed as middle grade, however it has some very heavy topics and some very violent scenes. Topics include racism, anti-Semitism, bullying, victim shaming, and it gets graphic at times. If you have a sensitive reader, I would recommend reading this first or reading it with them or waiting until they are ready to tackle these topics and discuss in a healthy way. I'm neither Jewish or Japanese, and I was left feeling very emotional about the brutal history captured within the pages of this book. This isn't a very long book, but it was captivating and hard to put down. It is certainly a worthy read and I'm so happy I picked it up!

I happened across Golemcrafters incidentally, and I’m so glad I did! I love seeing the many different Jewish stories that are allowed to exist beyond just the trauma of the Holocaust and WWII. This is such a great story of Faye and Shiloh learning a craft from their heritage, making golems, as well as the power of remembering our ancestors and the people who came before us. I also loved the ways their Japanese ancestry and identity was woven into the story, and the different ways we see Faye and Shiloh experiencing their identities. There’s definitely some intense stuff because remembering Jewish history means remembering persecution and pogroms and violence, but also it is very much a story of hope and resilience because while ancestors were hurt and killed, Faye and Shiloh exist because their family has survived. I really loved so much of this, and Faye was such a fun narrator with so much personality. I also really liked the audiobook experience (narrated by the author).

This Middle Grade fantasy, historical fiction follows siblings Faye and Shiloh after Shiloh receives $18 and lump of clay from his grandfather for Shilo’s bar mitzvah. Having no idea what to do with the lump of clay they go stay with their grandfather over Spring Break and that’s when the magic happens. Learning about their ancestor’s past through magical realism and experiencing what they went through via her own person, Faye learns about Golems and the power they possess.

If you have an advanced upper elementary or middle grade reader who was a lover of the Magic Treehouse Series, they will love this book.

I listened to this book on audio and at just under 6 hours, it’s a great weekend, school break read. The narrator kept me engaged and has a young sounding voice, so it felt appropriate for the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Levine Querido Publishing for an Advanced Listener’s Copy of this adorable, engaging story!

Solid 4.5 stars from me!

Thank you to RB Media for allowing me access to this Advanced Reader Copy!

A warm hug of a book for young people that centres around heritage, belief and family. This book is perfectly written for the middle grade audience who needs it most, about embracing joy in yourself and your roots. At no point does this book undermine the capability and emotional intelligence of its young audience and I imagine will be a really empowering read for them. So many books written for Jewish kids are (understandably) so inescapably linked to generational trauma, whereas this book finds a perfect balance of confrontation, validation and a focus on joy and healing and I think that is so beautiful. A masterpiece of world-building with one of the most enjoyable narrative voices I’ve ever encountered in a middle grade novel.

(4.25 stars)
I’m not quite sure how to write about this fascinating book. I don’t read a ton of middle grade books but this one called to me, with its golem theme. And I loved it. While it is meant for a middle grade audience (8-12?), it’s a bit intense, so I would say it probably would be better for the older portion of “middle grade” readers.

Faye and Shiloh (11 and 13 years old) have a Japanese mother and an Ashkenazi Jewish father (much like the author herself). We never meet them in the story, but they are there in the background. They live in Boston and are estranged from their paternal grandfather so they mostly know their mother’s family members. However, they seem to have been given a solid Jewish education. Both of them have been bullied at school for their mixed heritage as well as their Jewishness. In fact, the book opens with Shiloh coming home with a black eye. A final Bar Mitzvah gift arrives at the house and it’s a big carton of clay, sent by their Jewish grandfather in New York City. Their parents decide it’s time for the kids to get to know their Zeyde, so they are sent off to NYC for spring break, with the big box of clay. Faye narrates the story.

It turns out that Faye and Shiloh are descended from golemcrafters. Note: For anyone who doesn’t know what a golem is - it’s an animated, anthropomorphic being in Jewish folklore, which is created entirely from inanimate matter, usually clay or mud. (Thank you to Wikipedia for this brief definition.) Its purpose is to protect the Jewish people. It doesn’t have free will but will do whatever its master/mistress tells it to do. (A mixed blessing, as you may imagine.)

Their grandfather tries to teach them about golemcraft, and shows them how to model the clay. He also teaches them life lessons - the stories he told at the fairytale-themed amusement park disturbed me, even while I could see the truth in what he was explaining to the kids. Faye and Shiloh dream in their sleep and find themselves in other places and times; gradually they understand that they are not in a fantasy world but are witnessing some very traumatic moments in the history of the Jewish people.

I don’t want to say much more but this book will have me thinking about it for quite some time. The author has provided an extensive bibliography at the end, which shows how much research she did. I just may try to find some of those sources to read more about some aspects brought to life in this story.

I bounced between the audiobook and the ebook for this title, which was very convenient, and allowed me to continue with the story even when I could not sit down and read - or when I could not listen. The audiobook was well-narrated by the author herself.

Thank you to Levine Querido and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a review copy of this book and to Recorded Books for the opportunity to listen to a review copy of the audiobook version. All opinions are my own.

I loved this narrator, and I'm always a sucker for stories where kids get to meet their relatives through time. Right when they need it, Faye and her family get to experience golem magic, and Faye learns so much about her Jewish heritage and her place in the world. This is a middle school story, but I felt worried at some points when Faye traveled back in time and became part of dangerous events. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me listen to this heartfelt audiobook

God middle grade hits me right in the feels almost every time! This one for sure.

Faye and Shiloh are sent to practice Golem magic with their Zaide when Shiloh comes home with a black eye. Faye is very drawn toward the magic and together they learn to wield it and learn a lot about Jewish history and resilience.

It was so good and I’d recommend it to all ages but middle grade will love it for sure.
Narrator was great.

Thanks to netgalley and RB media for an alc