Cohen, Emi Watanabe. Golem Crafters. Levine Querido, 11/2024. 264pp. Fiction. Trade $18.99. 978-1-64614-269-9. GRADES 5–8. ADDITIONAL.
Faye (eleven) and Shiloh (thirteen) suddenly go to New York to spend spring break with a grandfather they have never met. There, they learn what golems are, how they are made, and how all this fits with their half-Jewish (and half Japanese) heritage. During their golem crafting training, they begin to communicate with their ancestors and dream about traumatic events and persecutions in centuries past. They learn much about their Jewish history and ways to use the strength of their ancestors to help believe in themselves and to handle bullies in school. Cohen’s fast-paced story packs many topics into a short time period (spring break), while showing other aspects of Jewish history that readers may be unaware of. Review based on an ARC.
Joshua Rees—Daly City Public Library