Parents' Guide to

Clay

By Matt Berman, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Boys create a golem in this odd but provoking book.

Book David Almond Fantasy 2006
Clay Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

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Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say Not yet rated
Kids say (3):

David Almond writes some of the flat-out weirdest kids' books around. At their best, they are gorgeous, compelling, and powerful. Here Almond displays poetic lyricism, bizarre imagination, and complex emotional undercurrents, then binds it together with suspense and enough intriguing ideas to give thoughtful kids plenty to chew on.

There are layers upon layers, and good and evil intertwine. CLAY has lots British slang that may frustrate some young readers, but those who persevere will find this an edgy and exciting look at some pretty big ideas, including the nature of good, evil, creativity, and God, and the complex relationships among them, all wrapped up in early adolescent angst and uncertainty and bravado.

Book Details

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