How to Make a Golem and Terrify People
Alette J. Willis
Floris Books/juvenile fiction
Release Date: January 23, 2012
Edda is tired of her nickname, ‘Mouse’, and wants to be braver. But when her house is burgled on her twelfth birthday, Edda is more afraid than ever. That is until new boy Michael Scot starts school. There’s something peculiar-and very annoying-about know-it-all Michael. He claims to be a great alchemist who can help Edda overcome her fears by teaching her to build a golem. But surely they can’t bring a giant mud monster to life? Can they?
For the first time in her life, Edda has lived in the same place for over a year. She has a best friend…and a bully. Her life is normal, average and just what she desires. That world is turned upside down when her family returns to find their home burglarized and Edda is plunged into a world of fears.
As she fights to keep her fears from overwhelming her, she makes an unlikely alliance with an awkward and arrogant boy in her class. Initially wary, Edda is won over by Michael’s uncanny knack for always showing up exactly when he is needed. She is easily convinced when he determines she needs to create a magical mud man, or golem, to rid her of her fears.
Willis does a nice job of making Edda the “everyman” for kids. She touches on childhood fears felt across the world, everything from bullies to what might be lurking in the dark. The sketches scattered throughout the book give it a slightly Poe-esque feel, making Edda’s feelings all the more real to the reader.
How to Make a Golem and Terrify People is a stand alone book and does not seem to be setting up for a sequel, which makes it unique in the juvenile book world.
My verdict: Read it. This is definitely a juvenile fiction and I would recommend it for ages 9 to 11 (or there about). It would be a wonderful choice to read with a child who is experiencing their own fears, or with a group of children, as it does address how to overcome fear without actually creating a magical mud monster.
