Gottika
Author: Helaine Becker Illustrations by Vero Navarro
 
Highlights
A compelling illustrated story for middle-grade readers set in a vividly imagined fictional world which weaves together fantasy, Jewish folklore and global human history, primarily the legend of the golem.
A universal story about human rights, justice and standing up against oppression and corruption in all forms.
’A wild story filled with deceit, betrayal, mystery, redemption… a very engaging, exciting and entertaining read for young Fantasy and Sci-Fi fans.’ - Association of Jewish Libraries
12-year-old Dany lives with his father, the scholarly Rob Judah, and his silent mother Rachel in the Stoon ghetto on the outskirts of Gottika. Under the ruthless Count Pol, the Stoon community are subject to military raids, prejudicial laws and restrictions on their culture and freedom. When Pol marries Dany’s cousin Dalil, stoking further tension between Gottikans and Stoons, life gets harder still. Urged on by Dany, Rob Judah finally runs out of patience. Something must be done.
One night, Rob Judah breaks curfew and goes down to the river. Dany follows and secretly watches as his father invokes illegal Stoon magic to raise a creature, in human form, from the mud. The Gol comes to live with the family and becomes the invincible protector of the Stoons. He foils plots, prevents violence against them, and starts to bring hope and happiness back to Dany’s family. But then Rob Judah is framed for a brutal murder and thrown in Pol’s dungeon. Now it is Dany’s time to act.
With the help of Moishe, Dalil and a wolf-dog hybrid named Khan, Dany sets out to save his father and defeat Pol once and for all. Along the way, he uncovers shocking family secrets, learns where Pol’s vicious hatred of the Stoons comes from and is gifted with an understanding of the sacred mysteries of life itself.
Compelling, clever and full of twists and turns, Gottika reimagines the powerful Golem legend as a futuristic fantasy with a universal message.
About the Author
Helaine Becker is the bestselling author of more than 90 books for children and young adults, including the #1 Canadian national bestseller A Porcupine in a Pine Tree (Scholastic Canada) and the international bestseller Counting on Katherine: How Katherine Johnson Saved Apollo 13 (Henry Holt). Her books have won multiple awards and been translated into ten languages. A New York native, Helaine has lived in Toronto, Canada for more than 20 years.
NEW BOOK RELEASE   RRP: £9.99           ISBN: 9781784385750                             208 PAGES · PAPERBACKPUBLISHED: JANUARY 2021               GREEN BEAN BOOKS