The Trouble with Good Ideas

by Amanda Panitch

Overview

From author Amanda Panitch comes The Trouble with Good Ideas, a hilarious middle-grade novel with a magical twist about a girl, a golem, and her ailing grandfather, perfect for fans of The Fourteenth Goldfish.

Twelve-year old Leah Nevins is NOT a fan of change.

So when her parents start whispering about sending her beloved Jewish great-grandpa Zaide to an assisted living facility (hospital jail!), she is very resistant. Zaide’s house, where her family gathers on Saturday afternoons, is the only place where Leah feels like she truly belongs. Sending Zaide away would change everything.

Luckily, Leah remembers a story Zaide once told her about building a golem—a creature from Jewish mythology made out of clay—to protect their family from the Nazis in Poland. So, of course, Leah decides to make a golem of her own to look after Zaide. The directions he gave her were pretty easy to follow, but there is one thing he never told her: what to do when a golem turns against its creator.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250245106
Publisher:	Roaring Brook Press
Publication date:	01/05/2021
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.20(d)
Lexile:	700L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Amanda Panitch spent most of her childhood telling stories to her four younger siblings, trying both to make them laugh and scare them too much to sleep. Now she lives in New York City, where she writes dark, funny stories for teens, kids, and the pigeons that nest on her apartment balcony. Her books for kids include The Trouble with Good Ideas and The Two Wrong Halves of Ruby Taylor.

Editorial Reviews

04/16/2021

Gr 4–6—Leah loves her great-grandfather Zaide. She loves going to his unique house for family gatherings on Saturdays, and she loves his stories. He once told her about how to build a golem—a creature from Jewish mythology molded from clay with the purpose of protecting the family from the Nazis in Poland. As Zaide begins to decline mentally, Leah's parents start talking about sending him to an assisted living facility. Leah is not a fan of this change and decides to build a golem to help Zaide so he can stay in his home. Everything seems to be going to plan until the golem becomes more demanding, seemingly neglecting its purpose of helping and protecting Zaide. There's a crucial part of the golem myth Zaide failed to mention—how to handle a golem that has turned on its creator. This is a well-written, easy-to-follow middle grade novel with relatable characters. Leah suffers from insecurities about herself and her place in the world that will resonate with many tweens. There is a strong focus on familial relationships and connections, as well as friendship both within and outside the family. While the book does a wonderful job centering Jewish customs, history, and mythology, Leah repeatedly comments on how much she hates her big nose. This sort of stereotyping combined with such a strong focus on the way a person "should" look can be harmful in literature for young readers. VERDICT An additional purchase for larger libraries.—Jessica Trafton, Skidompha Lib., Damariscotta, ME

School Library Journal

2020-10-13
A Jewish tween creates a golem to care for her ailing great-grandfather.

Leah Nevins’ Conservative Jewish family recently moved to be closer to her 93-year-old Zaide. Having left behind friends from the Jewish school she attended and transitioned into sixth grade in public school, Leah is convinced that her large nose makes her stand out among her overwhelmingly non-Jewish peers and is a barrier to acceptance. She cherishes the Saturday afternoons she spends with her older cousins at Zaide’s house, but that tradition is threatened when Zaide starts exhibiting symptoms of dementia and her parents discuss moving him to an assisted living facility. Shaken by this idea, Leah devises an unlikely plan inspired by Zaide’s stories of the golem, a creature created to protect the Jews of Eastern Europe. She manages to create a golem in her own image—albeit with a tiny button nose—to protect Zaide. Before long, the golem develops an attitude, showing up at Leah’s school to win over the popular crowd and making demands. Meanwhile, Leah’s own efforts to fit in force her to confront painful anti-Semitic microaggressions from her classmates. This fast-paced story provides a window into the cultural and religious traditions of one modern Jewish family. However, character development of the supporting cast and the golem is limited, resulting in their actions feeling flat and heavy-handed.

A representation of a modern Jewish family with a folkloric twist. (author's note) (Fiction. 9-12)

Kirkus Reviews

"A representation of a modern Jewish family with a folkloric twist."—Kirkus Reviews

"Panitch’s twisted fairy tale, by turns heartwarming, bittersweet, and creepy, explores Leah’s Jewish identity through her realistic, 12-year-old perspective."—Booklist

From the Publisher