How To Make A Golem (and Terrify People)

"A cold trickle of fear ran down my back as the thumping drew closer. I thought about how tall I’d made it, how thick its arms and legs were. I’d built it strong enough to crash through anything, even a stone wall. I wanted to turn on the light, to chase the dark shadows away, but I was afraid the lit window would attract the golem, just like it attracted moths. I shrank under the duvet, squeezed my eyes tightly shut, and tried to pretend nothing was happening, while I listened for the explosion of masonry and rock."

Edda is tired of her nickname, ‘Mouse’, and wishes she was braver. Matters are made worse when, on her birthday, her house is burgled, and she 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 making a giant mud-monster come to life could give Edda yet another thing to be terrified of, as the golem might not know the good guys from the bad...

This is a thrilling adventure with a quirky heroine that both boys and girls will love. The howling wind and squelching mud perfectly encapsulates the Scottish autumn and the thump, thump, thumping of the golem will send a shiver down the spine.

How to Make a Golem (and Terrify People) is the winner of the Kelpies Prize 2011, an annual competition for children’s fiction set in Scotland.