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B.U.G.
Sammy Greenberg would rather talk back to The Boyz--a gang of bullies at his school--and get his head stuck in the toilet than constantly be afraid. But when his friend Skink gets beaten up so badly that he has to go to the hospital, Sammy thinks he may be in over his head. He decides to build a golem--a mythical protector from Jewish folklore, made of clay and animated by the ineffable name of God. But this monster doesn't just protect him and Skink from The Boyz, he is also a great drummer for their rock-jazz-klezmer fusion band! But golems come with warnings. They will protect you until they don't.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published March 21, 2013
1 person is currently reading
93 people want to read
About the author
Jane Yolen
972 books3,235 followersJane Yolen is a novelist, poet, fantasist, journalist, songwriter, storyteller, folklorist, and children’s book author who has written more than three hundred books. Her accolades include the Caldecott Medal, two Nebula Awards, the World Fantasy Award, three Mythopoeic Awards, the Kerlan Award, two Christopher Awards, and six honorary doctorate degrees from colleges and universities in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Born and raised in New York City, the mother of three and the grandmother of six, Yolen lives in Massachusetts and St. Andrews, Scotland.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
February 7, 2020
B.U.G. is about a person named Samson Greenburg. His family moves a lot. His father is a potter and sells to big companies, so he’s always looking for cheap houses that have plenty of space. Their most recent move was just before the school year had started for Sammy, as his parents call him. The book starts a couple of months later.
At the beginning, Sammy finds himself with his head being held in a toilet. He’s surrounded by a group of bullies led by a kid named James Lee. His Dad calls them the “Boyz.” When they let him go, he waits until they leave and are far enough away to gather his thoughts. He knows he got himself into this dunking. His mouth says stuff before he can think most of the time. He starts to squeeze the water out of his hair, when someone asks if he’s okay. It turns out to be the newest boy in school. His name is Skinner John Williams, but he says everyone calls him Skink. They talk until they hear the bell. They separate until lunch.
At lunch, Skink sits at the table in the direct center of the room, which everyone knows, is designated for the Boyz. When the Boyz come in the order him to leave. When he stands up, he doesn’t move. This gets Sammy worried and the Boyz mad. The last time they tell him to leave, Skink hits the table as hard as he can, and breaks it in half. Before he walks away, he says “I don’t want to sit here anyway, the tables broken.” Then he goes to sit with Sammy.
Skink looks like he broke his hand. Before his Dad arrives to pick him up early, Skink explains his father doesn’t like nurses so he has to go to a doctor. He also tells Sammy he hopes his hand isn’t broken, because he plays guitar. Sense Sammy plays the clarinet, they decide to make a band or a duo. By the end of the book they have a full band. They actually play a gig.
Sammy is Jewish, so he has to learn Hebrew for his bar mitzvah. His teacher tells him a story about golems that protect you. They are made out of clay. Sammy borrows the book without asking, thinking he can make one to protect Skink and himself at school. He doubts it will work, but he is willing to try. He works at night, because it would be hard to explain to someone why he is building a giant golem.
Sammy also has to work at night so he can steal his dads clay. He was surprised his dad didn’t notice so much was missing.
When he finishes building it, he has to bring it to life. He tries and succeeds. He lies about everything for the golem, and the golem keeps him safe no matter what. He calls the golem Gully.
Sammy is satisfied, but his Hebrew teacher finds out he stole the book and created the golem. He orders Sammy to destroy Gully right away. Sammy doesn’t destroy Gully, and instead allows Gully in Skink and his band. At the end of the book, he has to command Gully to let himself be destroyed.
This is a heartfelt story, full of emotion. I recommend it to kids in middle school.
At the beginning, Sammy finds himself with his head being held in a toilet. He’s surrounded by a group of bullies led by a kid named James Lee. His Dad calls them the “Boyz.” When they let him go, he waits until they leave and are far enough away to gather his thoughts. He knows he got himself into this dunking. His mouth says stuff before he can think most of the time. He starts to squeeze the water out of his hair, when someone asks if he’s okay. It turns out to be the newest boy in school. His name is Skinner John Williams, but he says everyone calls him Skink. They talk until they hear the bell. They separate until lunch.
At lunch, Skink sits at the table in the direct center of the room, which everyone knows, is designated for the Boyz. When the Boyz come in the order him to leave. When he stands up, he doesn’t move. This gets Sammy worried and the Boyz mad. The last time they tell him to leave, Skink hits the table as hard as he can, and breaks it in half. Before he walks away, he says “I don’t want to sit here anyway, the tables broken.” Then he goes to sit with Sammy.
Skink looks like he broke his hand. Before his Dad arrives to pick him up early, Skink explains his father doesn’t like nurses so he has to go to a doctor. He also tells Sammy he hopes his hand isn’t broken, because he plays guitar. Sense Sammy plays the clarinet, they decide to make a band or a duo. By the end of the book they have a full band. They actually play a gig.
Sammy is Jewish, so he has to learn Hebrew for his bar mitzvah. His teacher tells him a story about golems that protect you. They are made out of clay. Sammy borrows the book without asking, thinking he can make one to protect Skink and himself at school. He doubts it will work, but he is willing to try. He works at night, because it would be hard to explain to someone why he is building a giant golem.
Sammy also has to work at night so he can steal his dads clay. He was surprised his dad didn’t notice so much was missing.
When he finishes building it, he has to bring it to life. He tries and succeeds. He lies about everything for the golem, and the golem keeps him safe no matter what. He calls the golem Gully.
Sammy is satisfied, but his Hebrew teacher finds out he stole the book and created the golem. He orders Sammy to destroy Gully right away. Sammy doesn’t destroy Gully, and instead allows Gully in Skink and his band. At the end of the book, he has to command Gully to let himself be destroyed.
This is a heartfelt story, full of emotion. I recommend it to kids in middle school.
January 31, 2021
It's a fun one? It was, honestly, a lot more serious than I thought it was going to be, and a lot more detailed than I thought it was going to be. The protagonist is explicitly Jewish, like, very Jewish, and it was interesting to read about--I don't think I've ever read from a Jewish protagonist to this extent that wasn't a Holocaust book. So that's nice! It's interesting, has a decent message--it was decent.
May 18, 2022
Sammy Greenburg is an outsider, small, weak, mouthy and Jewish – in other words, a prime target for school bullies who don't like people who are different. Also, he has a tendency to take smaller and weaker kids' punishment for them, putting up little fight as his head is repeatedly dunked in the boys' room toilet. Even befriending a new kid, who is half African American and half Korean and knows some martial arts, doesn't offer him much more protection. It isn't until he starts taking bar mitzvah lessons from a nearby rabbi that Sammy hatches the idea of doing like Rabbi Loew of Prague, and building a protector out of clay.
A lot of things come together to make it possible for the kid to perform this holy (or perhaps unholy) magic in his bedroom closet. With a potter for a father, he has access to lots of clay. He has a certain talent as a sculptor. He has some days off from school, thanks to a severe beating his friend Skink takes and then his own physical illness. He has a book about the golem of Prague, stolen or borrowed from his rabbi, and the Hebrew name of God written down by ditto. And he has a feverish need for a strong friend who can stand up to the bullies for him. In a dreamlike delirium, he completes the clay boy and is surprised to wake up the next morning and find his closet empty. The golem has come to life, and now Sammy has new problems.
Sammy has to lie to everyone about who the big, gray boy is, telling his parents that Gully is a new student and telling everyone at school that he's a cousin from the Czech Republic. He has to keep Gully from punching everyone's lights out. He has to fend off Rabbi Chaim, who instantly recognizes Gully for what he is and warns Sammy that if he doesn't destroy the golem, it will destroy him and everything he loves. Nevertheless, for a while, things are cool. Gully's presence protects him from the bullies. Sammy starts a klezmer-rock-jazz fusion band in his basement, including Skink on guitar, a girl Sammy has a crush on playing fiddle, and Gully on the drums. The band even gets a gig. But a careless lapse leads to the moment Reb Chaim warned about, and the deadly danger of bringing a golem to life becomes horribly real.
There are a lot of themes woven into this story, including the cost of relying on someone else to protect you, the courage to stand up to bullies, the surprise of discovering new friends, the dangers of being different even in the modern world, the difficulty of maintaining a complex web of lies, the downtrodden's yearning for a feeling of power, and of course, the search for faith. At times, Sammy gets so deeply enmeshed in his issues that he becomes a little hard to sympathize with; you know, and he knows, that what he's doing is wrong, even as his conscience gradually goes to sleep. At other times, the sense of building danger becomes so unbearable that you (or at least, I) have to step back and take a breath before plunging back in. The joy of music, the pleasure of friendship and the tingle of magic are all right there, along with suspense and horror and all the bad parts of being a kid. And to complete the picture, the authors conclude the book with the lyrics of all BUG's songs and a helpful glossary of Jewish lingo used within.
The mother-son writing team of Jane Yolen and Adam Stemple have also collaborated on the "Rock'n'Roll Fairy Tales" Pay the Piper and Troll Bridge, the "Seelie Wars" and "Stone Man" trilogies, and The Last Tsar's Dragons. Solo and with other co-authors, Yolen is also the author of two "Robot and Rebecca" books, seven "Commander Toad" books, the "Pit Dragons" quartet, the "Great Ata" trilogy, the "Here There Be" quartet, the "Young Merlin" trilogy, the "Tartan Magic" trilogy, four "Young Heroes" books and two "Foiled" books; almost 30 other novels including The Witch Who Wasn't, The Boy Who Spoke Chimp, The Devil's Arithmetic, The Dragon's Boy, Wizard's Hall, Briar Rose, Armageddon Summer, Sword of the Rightful King, Snow in Summer, Centaur Rising, A Plague of Unicorns and Arch of Bone; a few chapter books including The Wizard of Washington Square; and many collections of short stories and poems, including The Girl Who Cried Flowers, Fairy Tale Feasts, The Emerald Circus and How to Fracture a Fairy Tale.
Stemple, meanwhile, is a rock-and-roll guitarist, a songwriter, and the author or co-author of two "Singer of Souls" novels, the "Mika Bare-Hand" trilogy and Foul Womb of Night, as well as the nonfiction book How to Write Fantasy Novels.
A lot of things come together to make it possible for the kid to perform this holy (or perhaps unholy) magic in his bedroom closet. With a potter for a father, he has access to lots of clay. He has a certain talent as a sculptor. He has some days off from school, thanks to a severe beating his friend Skink takes and then his own physical illness. He has a book about the golem of Prague, stolen or borrowed from his rabbi, and the Hebrew name of God written down by ditto. And he has a feverish need for a strong friend who can stand up to the bullies for him. In a dreamlike delirium, he completes the clay boy and is surprised to wake up the next morning and find his closet empty. The golem has come to life, and now Sammy has new problems.
Sammy has to lie to everyone about who the big, gray boy is, telling his parents that Gully is a new student and telling everyone at school that he's a cousin from the Czech Republic. He has to keep Gully from punching everyone's lights out. He has to fend off Rabbi Chaim, who instantly recognizes Gully for what he is and warns Sammy that if he doesn't destroy the golem, it will destroy him and everything he loves. Nevertheless, for a while, things are cool. Gully's presence protects him from the bullies. Sammy starts a klezmer-rock-jazz fusion band in his basement, including Skink on guitar, a girl Sammy has a crush on playing fiddle, and Gully on the drums. The band even gets a gig. But a careless lapse leads to the moment Reb Chaim warned about, and the deadly danger of bringing a golem to life becomes horribly real.
There are a lot of themes woven into this story, including the cost of relying on someone else to protect you, the courage to stand up to bullies, the surprise of discovering new friends, the dangers of being different even in the modern world, the difficulty of maintaining a complex web of lies, the downtrodden's yearning for a feeling of power, and of course, the search for faith. At times, Sammy gets so deeply enmeshed in his issues that he becomes a little hard to sympathize with; you know, and he knows, that what he's doing is wrong, even as his conscience gradually goes to sleep. At other times, the sense of building danger becomes so unbearable that you (or at least, I) have to step back and take a breath before plunging back in. The joy of music, the pleasure of friendship and the tingle of magic are all right there, along with suspense and horror and all the bad parts of being a kid. And to complete the picture, the authors conclude the book with the lyrics of all BUG's songs and a helpful glossary of Jewish lingo used within.
The mother-son writing team of Jane Yolen and Adam Stemple have also collaborated on the "Rock'n'Roll Fairy Tales" Pay the Piper and Troll Bridge, the "Seelie Wars" and "Stone Man" trilogies, and The Last Tsar's Dragons. Solo and with other co-authors, Yolen is also the author of two "Robot and Rebecca" books, seven "Commander Toad" books, the "Pit Dragons" quartet, the "Great Ata" trilogy, the "Here There Be" quartet, the "Young Merlin" trilogy, the "Tartan Magic" trilogy, four "Young Heroes" books and two "Foiled" books; almost 30 other novels including The Witch Who Wasn't, The Boy Who Spoke Chimp, The Devil's Arithmetic, The Dragon's Boy, Wizard's Hall, Briar Rose, Armageddon Summer, Sword of the Rightful King, Snow in Summer, Centaur Rising, A Plague of Unicorns and Arch of Bone; a few chapter books including The Wizard of Washington Square; and many collections of short stories and poems, including The Girl Who Cried Flowers, Fairy Tale Feasts, The Emerald Circus and How to Fracture a Fairy Tale.
Stemple, meanwhile, is a rock-and-roll guitarist, a songwriter, and the author or co-author of two "Singer of Souls" novels, the "Mika Bare-Hand" trilogy and Foul Womb of Night, as well as the nonfiction book How to Write Fantasy Novels.
April 12, 2019
My grandson picked this up to read, and I was excited to see it was by Jane Yolen. It didn't really live up to my expectations of her writing, though. It was a quick read, and somewhat interesting. And it did a good job tackling the tough topic of bullying in schools. But the way the protagonist, Sammy, decided to deal with the bullying, and virtually everything that happened after that point, were so unbelievable that it detracted from the overall effect. I guess I like even my fantasy to be a bit more realistic.
And I know this is a small point, but it always bothers me: the editing was very poor. There were a number of grammatical/typographical errors that should've been caught and fixed before the book was published.
And I know this is a small point, but it always bothers me: the editing was very poor. There were a number of grammatical/typographical errors that should've been caught and fixed before the book was published.
June 15, 2021
A YA story about bullying, friendship, schoolwork and Jewish tradition, B.U.G. shines with a sweet inner joy. We root for Sammy’s determination and cleverness even as we fear for his safety and those around him.
The authors weave in elements of Jewish mythology, Yiddish practice and even sly references to Mary Shelley’s seminal work about a dead thing brought to life. (The chapters about Sammy’s feverish creation of his golem are very much like Shelley’s writing about the student Frankenstein’s mad scramblings.)
The mixture of Jewish oppression and schoolyard bullying is seamlessly interwoven with a love for klezmer music. Ms. Yolen’s collaboration here with Mr. Stemple results in a terrific YA book with smartly underplayed messages about friendship, power and culture.
The authors weave in elements of Jewish mythology, Yiddish practice and even sly references to Mary Shelley’s seminal work about a dead thing brought to life. (The chapters about Sammy’s feverish creation of his golem are very much like Shelley’s writing about the student Frankenstein’s mad scramblings.)
The mixture of Jewish oppression and schoolyard bullying is seamlessly interwoven with a love for klezmer music. Ms. Yolen’s collaboration here with Mr. Stemple results in a terrific YA book with smartly underplayed messages about friendship, power and culture.
October 7, 2018
This story didn't always hold my attention, but that may very well be because I am not the intended audience. I did, however, appreciate this twist on the golem story, and the decisions that the protagonist needed to make. It's not often that a middle grades book makes me cry. The humor scattered throughout the story was appreciated as well. I also appreciated that this was a Jewish story - about a (secular) Jewish boy and the golem he makes, and also that it included a black character as the protagonist's best friend.
August 23, 2024
I'd make this 4.25: a very well-written and urban-fantasy take on the legend of the golem. Likable characters, and klezmer music (a unique genre, Jewish-begun and maintained) makes this story a fun addition to my bookshelf.
November 27, 2017
Good Book!
January 29, 2014
B.U.G. is extraordinarily successful blending of contemporary realistic and fantasy fiction. In addition to the seamlessly interwoven genres the story embodies the themes at the heart of every individual--particularly young people--trying to decide who we are when overwhelmed by feelings and circumstances.
Sammy is bullied mercilessly at school--both physically and emotionally. His only solace is his music--klezmer, a Jewish traditional music form. When Sammy begins studying for his bar mitzvah the rabbi tells him about a legendary defender of the Jewish people--a mythical creature called a golem. Heedless of the rabbi's warnings, when Sammy reaches his breaking point at school he creates his own golem and brings it to life.
Sammy discovers there are responsibilities and dangers involved with creating a life--any life--that he did not expect. He is forced to make decisions about retaliating in anger or simply protecting and standing up for himself. Doing the right thing when you have been repeatedly hurt by another is one of the most difficult decisions any of us face. I appreciated this aspect of the story.
Amid the fantastical existence of golems are the genuine themes of friendship, compassion and personal integrity. Having read many bully-themed novels this year, I enjoyed the fact that B.U.G. was different in the addition of the fantasy elements. Do kids get their heads stuffed in toilets by bullies? Truthfully, not really. Are they browbeaten and ostracized? Absolutely--far too frequently. Due to the universality of the story's theme and the obvious fantasy element of the golem I was willing to suspend reality for those of Sammy's circumstances that would not have been believable in a strictly contemporary fiction book.
Sammy is bullied mercilessly at school--both physically and emotionally. His only solace is his music--klezmer, a Jewish traditional music form. When Sammy begins studying for his bar mitzvah the rabbi tells him about a legendary defender of the Jewish people--a mythical creature called a golem. Heedless of the rabbi's warnings, when Sammy reaches his breaking point at school he creates his own golem and brings it to life.
Sammy discovers there are responsibilities and dangers involved with creating a life--any life--that he did not expect. He is forced to make decisions about retaliating in anger or simply protecting and standing up for himself. Doing the right thing when you have been repeatedly hurt by another is one of the most difficult decisions any of us face. I appreciated this aspect of the story.
Amid the fantastical existence of golems are the genuine themes of friendship, compassion and personal integrity. Having read many bully-themed novels this year, I enjoyed the fact that B.U.G. was different in the addition of the fantasy elements. Do kids get their heads stuffed in toilets by bullies? Truthfully, not really. Are they browbeaten and ostracized? Absolutely--far too frequently. Due to the universality of the story's theme and the obvious fantasy element of the golem I was willing to suspend reality for those of Sammy's circumstances that would not have been believable in a strictly contemporary fiction book.
July 7, 2015
I reviewed this book for School Library Journal.
Sammy Greenberg is tired of feeling scared and alone, and of being beat up and tormented by a gang of bullies known as The Boyz. When Sammy meets a new student named Skink who shares his interest in music, Sammy is thrilled to have someone to call a friend. His joy is short-lived, however, when Skink is badly injured by The Boyz. Sammy decides that he and Skink need protection, so he uses clay to create a golem, a mythical bodyguard from Jewish folklore. The golem (Gully) soon becomes more than just Sammy’s protector; he becomes his friend. Despite warnings from his rabbi to destroy Gully before it’s too late, Sammy revels in his newfound sense of security. While Sammy is happier than ever, perceptive readers will sense danger ahead. There is a good amount of suspense built into this story, however the plot drags at times. Readers will relate to Sammy’s feelings of loneliness and frustration at being different, but the rest of the characters feel flat and underdeveloped. Most disappointing of all is the cringeworthy dialogue, which reads much too young for both characters and reader. This is especially problematic when paired with advanced vocabulary and some violent content. Sammy, for instance, stands up to a bully by calling him “PB&J Brains.” Later, the same bully attacks and attempts to kill him. While elements of this story may appeal to fans of magical realism, ultimately the slow pace and cheesy dialogue will disappoint most readers.
Sammy Greenberg is tired of feeling scared and alone, and of being beat up and tormented by a gang of bullies known as The Boyz. When Sammy meets a new student named Skink who shares his interest in music, Sammy is thrilled to have someone to call a friend. His joy is short-lived, however, when Skink is badly injured by The Boyz. Sammy decides that he and Skink need protection, so he uses clay to create a golem, a mythical bodyguard from Jewish folklore. The golem (Gully) soon becomes more than just Sammy’s protector; he becomes his friend. Despite warnings from his rabbi to destroy Gully before it’s too late, Sammy revels in his newfound sense of security. While Sammy is happier than ever, perceptive readers will sense danger ahead. There is a good amount of suspense built into this story, however the plot drags at times. Readers will relate to Sammy’s feelings of loneliness and frustration at being different, but the rest of the characters feel flat and underdeveloped. Most disappointing of all is the cringeworthy dialogue, which reads much too young for both characters and reader. This is especially problematic when paired with advanced vocabulary and some violent content. Sammy, for instance, stands up to a bully by calling him “PB&J Brains.” Later, the same bully attacks and attempts to kill him. While elements of this story may appeal to fans of magical realism, ultimately the slow pace and cheesy dialogue will disappoint most readers.
March 19, 2014
Sammy Greenburg is bullied at school. He has a smart mouth and can't seem to help mouthing off to the bullies. He makes friends with new kid Skink who helps a bit with the bullying situation, but isn't always around. During bar mitzvah lessons he learns about golems. He decides to make a golem to help him out. Gully, the golem, does protect him from the bullies and he becomes his friend. Sammy, Skink and Gully form a band and get a gig performing at school. Of course Sammy's rabbi tries to warn him about the danger golems can be to those around him. Sammy has to decide what to do about Gully and the bullies.
There are parts of this book I really liked. I liked the lessons on bullying and making friends and making good decisions. However, this was kind of a clunky book to read. It starts with a chapter on golems going crazy in Isreal featuring Sammy's rabbi. Doesn't seem to fit with rest of the story except when the rabbi tells the story later to illustrate how dangerous golems can be. I also didn't buy just how horrible the bullies were. Bullies are of course mean and terrible and they do really bad things, but do most 6th grade bullies try to kill their classmates? I don't think so. I found it strange that no one questioned Gully's appearance (which is gray down to his teeth) or the fact that he just shows up and starts going to school nor do they question his disappearance. Even though this book isn't supposed to be exactly realistic, it has so many realistic elements that the fantastical bits really stood out and didn't work.
There are parts of this book I really liked. I liked the lessons on bullying and making friends and making good decisions. However, this was kind of a clunky book to read. It starts with a chapter on golems going crazy in Isreal featuring Sammy's rabbi. Doesn't seem to fit with rest of the story except when the rabbi tells the story later to illustrate how dangerous golems can be. I also didn't buy just how horrible the bullies were. Bullies are of course mean and terrible and they do really bad things, but do most 6th grade bullies try to kill their classmates? I don't think so. I found it strange that no one questioned Gully's appearance (which is gray down to his teeth) or the fact that he just shows up and starts going to school nor do they question his disappearance. Even though this book isn't supposed to be exactly realistic, it has so many realistic elements that the fantastical bits really stood out and didn't work.
September 6, 2016
B.U.G. (Big Ugly Guy) by Jane Yolen and Adam Stemple
B.U.G. is a wonderful book in so very many ways, including the excellent writing, so smooth and easy to read, the result of careful work by authors Jane Yolen and Adam Stemple. (Someday, I’d like insight into how tandem writing is managed. ;-)
The story is engaging, and the themes are relevant. The issue of bullying is a serious one, and there are insights into why it happens and how to deal with it, presented without preachiness.
The legend of the Golem, still relevant today, was the inspiration for Frankenstein, and has been repeated in literature and movies. Howard Schwartz once loaned me a rare old book on the Golem for a paper on creation mythology in modern literature, so much better to borrow openly, not steal. I was honored by the trust.
Klezmer music, so joyful and so heart-breaking. I used to play a college friend’s CD of Gershwin the Klezmer for my high school students, and they loved it. A Klezmer band closed the very first National Storytellers conference I attended, in Providence. Music carries memories and strength.
This is the perfect example of a “juvenile fiction” book with relevance and appeal to all age groups, and insights into creativity and friendship that could help “this weary world.”
B.U.G. is a wonderful book in so very many ways, including the excellent writing, so smooth and easy to read, the result of careful work by authors Jane Yolen and Adam Stemple. (Someday, I’d like insight into how tandem writing is managed. ;-)
The story is engaging, and the themes are relevant. The issue of bullying is a serious one, and there are insights into why it happens and how to deal with it, presented without preachiness.
The legend of the Golem, still relevant today, was the inspiration for Frankenstein, and has been repeated in literature and movies. Howard Schwartz once loaned me a rare old book on the Golem for a paper on creation mythology in modern literature, so much better to borrow openly, not steal. I was honored by the trust.
Klezmer music, so joyful and so heart-breaking. I used to play a college friend’s CD of Gershwin the Klezmer for my high school students, and they loved it. A Klezmer band closed the very first National Storytellers conference I attended, in Providence. Music carries memories and strength.
This is the perfect example of a “juvenile fiction” book with relevance and appeal to all age groups, and insights into creativity and friendship that could help “this weary world.”
July 1, 2013
B.U.G. (Big Ugly Guy) by Jane Yolen and Adam Stemple
Dutton Children's Books, 2013
Realistic Fiction with a splash of Fantasy/Folklore
Recommended for grades 4-8
344 pages
Sammy is bullied. Badly. The fact that he always has a snarky comment on his lips doesn't sit well with the lead bully, James Lee. After one too many dunks in the toilet, Sammy would do anything to not be James Lee and the Boyz' target. One evening at Hebrew lessons Sammy notices a book on the Rabbi's shelf. The book is about golems. Sammy knows a golem is made of clay and protects the creator. Stealing the book, Sammy decides to make his own golem.
The relationships between Sammy and the friends he makes, the golem he creates, and the bullies he fears, feel very natural, despite the fact that one of the above is made from clay.
I love the words Sammy uses. As he uses a good word, either spoken or in thought, he often thinks to himself how cool the word is, usually defining it, giving young readers lots of exposure to high level vocabulary throughout the story-and not in a preachy way!
I loved this story!
Dutton Children's Books, 2013
Realistic Fiction with a splash of Fantasy/Folklore
Recommended for grades 4-8
344 pages
Sammy is bullied. Badly. The fact that he always has a snarky comment on his lips doesn't sit well with the lead bully, James Lee. After one too many dunks in the toilet, Sammy would do anything to not be James Lee and the Boyz' target. One evening at Hebrew lessons Sammy notices a book on the Rabbi's shelf. The book is about golems. Sammy knows a golem is made of clay and protects the creator. Stealing the book, Sammy decides to make his own golem.
The relationships between Sammy and the friends he makes, the golem he creates, and the bullies he fears, feel very natural, despite the fact that one of the above is made from clay.
I love the words Sammy uses. As he uses a good word, either spoken or in thought, he often thinks to himself how cool the word is, usually defining it, giving young readers lots of exposure to high level vocabulary throughout the story-and not in a preachy way!
I loved this story!
July 18, 2014
Actual rating: 2.5 stars
This book could have been great, but there were a lot of issues that just piled up. The pacing was off, for one thing - it takes such a long time to introduce the characters and the conflict that the golem isn't even created until halfway through. Then a lot of "stuff happens" until the big climax.
Also, the overt violence of the Boyz that seemed to go unnoticed/unchallenged by the adults really bothered me. There was an actual fistfight in the lunchroom and NO teachers were even there to witness it? The principal knows everything that goes on in his school, but has never bothered to protect any of the students from James Lee until it's his own nose that almost gets bashed in?
The development of Gully left things to be desired, too. He's presented as "on the right," one of the good guys, and Reb Chaim is set up to be proven wrong at the end....until suddenly he's not, and things turn out just like he said, and....what? It was way too sudden.
Basically, it's a good story that needed work on the execution - which is surprising, because I've read Jane Yolen's stuff in the past and found it good (if rushed).
This book could have been great, but there were a lot of issues that just piled up. The pacing was off, for one thing - it takes such a long time to introduce the characters and the conflict that the golem isn't even created until halfway through. Then a lot of "stuff happens" until the big climax.
Also, the overt violence of the Boyz that seemed to go unnoticed/unchallenged by the adults really bothered me. There was an actual fistfight in the lunchroom and NO teachers were even there to witness it? The principal knows everything that goes on in his school, but has never bothered to protect any of the students from James Lee until it's his own nose that almost gets bashed in?
The development of Gully left things to be desired, too. He's presented as "on the right," one of the good guys, and Reb Chaim is set up to be proven wrong at the end....until suddenly he's not, and things turn out just like he said, and....what? It was way too sudden.
Basically, it's a good story that needed work on the execution - which is surprising, because I've read Jane Yolen's stuff in the past and found it good (if rushed).
September 2, 2016
This is good book for middle level readers--especially boys. Sammy has been the target for bullies in his school because he is small and smart and just a bit mouthy. He makes friends with a new boy Skink who also becomes the target of the bullies and ends up in the hospital. Sammy uses information he "borrow" from the rabbi who is training him for his bar mitzvah to build a golem--a man of clay to defend him against the enemies. But can he control Gully....
April 8, 2013
I admit it -- they had me at the phrase "klezmer garage band".
And, as someone who had been bullied for being different, I could really appreciate how Sammy felt. I also liked that, while Sammy did things that were not quite kosher, he was aware of the choices he was making.
I would definitely recommend this book.
And, as someone who had been bullied for being different, I could really appreciate how Sammy felt. I also liked that, while Sammy did things that were not quite kosher, he was aware of the choices he was making.
I would definitely recommend this book.
August 19, 2013
I really liked this book, but it seems to pull against itself regarding what age it would be good for. I'd say it's a good middle school book, but while the general tone and much of the plot feels young (6th grade), the mythological aspect and the issues that introduces, as well as the ending, seem more appropriate for an older audience (more like 8th grade).
June 4, 2014
I am a little worried about the beginning and the length of the book turning off reluctant readers. The story however, is compelling, being a mixture of "...folktale...parable...fantasy..." (p320) and realistic fiction. The characters, even the mythical golem, are artfully created and easy to love or hate. I enjoyed this story.
February 28, 2013
Like many of us, I am a big Jane Yolen fan and was looking forward to reading this. Having started it earlier today, I could not continue reading past page 10. The pacing was slow, the story was not cohesive and was just all around bad.
I would not recommend this book.
I would not recommend this book.
April 19, 2013
Alternately fresh and preachy, this novel didn't quite ring true but I mostly liked it anyway. The end should've been better edited.
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