The Path of Names - Hardcover

Goelman, Ari

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0545474302 ISBN 13: 9780545474306

Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books, 2013

Synopsis

Mysteries, mazes, and magic combine in this smart, funny summer-camp fantasy -- like THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF KAVALIER & CLAY for kids!

Dahlia Sherman loves magic, and Math Club, and Guitar Hero. She isn't so fond of nature walks, and Hebrew campfire songs, and mean girls her own age.

All of which makes a week at summer camp pretty much the worst idea ever.

But within minutes of arriving at camp, Dahlia realizes that it might not be as bad as she'd feared. First she sees two little girls walk right through the walls of her cabin. Then come the dreams -- frighteningly detailed visions of a young man being pursued through 1930s New York City. How are the dreams and the girls related? Why is Dahlia the only one who can see any of them? And what's up with the overgrown, strangely shaped hedge maze that none of the campers are allowed to touch? Dahlia's increasingly dangerous quest for answers will lead her right to the center of the maze -- but it will take all her courage, smarts, and sleight-of-hand skills to get her back out again.

About this title

About the Author

Ari Goelman has published many science-fiction/fantasy short stories, and his academic work has been covered by the Brookings Institution and the NEW YORK TIMES. An American citizen, Ari currently lives and teaches in Vancouver, Canada, with his family and the rain.

Reviews

Gr 5-7–When 13-year-old Dahlia, a sleight of hand expert, agrees to go to a Jewish summer camp, she worries that she won't fit in or make friends. And almost immediately, things get strange. Before she even enters her cabin, two girls appear in a shimmer of light and then walk calmly through the cabin wall. As the days go on, Dahlia is drawn deeper into the mystery of who they are, why the camp caretaker seems to dislike her, and why he insists that none of the campers goes near the maze in the ground. This unique, engaging fantasy takes readers on a spooky, exciting journey between Dahlia's world and the mysterious world of David Schank, a man from the 1940s who begins to inhabit her psyche as the power of the mystical Kabbalah forces its way into the world. Dahlia finds herself able to speak fluent Hebrew and “knowing” things she couldn't know. As children go missing, the threats multiply and coalesce in a thrilling conclusion. Readers without any knowledge of Gematria (the assigning of numbers with mystical significance to words), the Kabbalah, or the myth of the golem may find some details challenging. However, the action and excitement should carry them through. Debut novelist Goelman skillfully navigates the intricacies of the fantasy world in two eras and the contemporary dramas of the camp, complete with mean girls, friendship issues, and a popular older brother who is a counselor. The dialogue of the present-day characters has a wonderfully sure touch, and the figures from the 1940s, particularly the ominous caretaker, come powerfully to life.–Sue Giffard, Ethical Culture Fieldston School, New York Cityα(c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

*Starred Review* Spunky, sarcastic Dahlia begins summer camp by watching two girls disappear through the wall of her cabin. Then she starts dreaming about David Schank, a 1940s Yeshiva student on the lam after discovering the very powerful seventy-second name of God. Meanwhile, Barry, the ancient groundskeeper, intently guards the hedge maze on camp property. At first, Dahlia denies any mystical goings-on, instead believing that her dreams are a fluke and the ghostly girls are just another magic trick. That is, until she starts reading an old book on kabbalah that ties it all together. Kabbalah? Oh yes, and it works. Jewish mysticism is heavy stuff, but Goelman (perhaps purposefully) speeds through a vague explanation—from an inept counselor more interested in groovy spiritualism than mystical enlightenment—and lets the magical elements of the tradition do the heavy lifting. Dahlia channels David’s knowledge of the seventy-second name and the magical power of words to enter the maze, which contains a secret passage to a higher dimension. With the help of her friends, she uses her mystical powers to confront the Illuminated One, who selfishly seeks the name for himself. Debut author Goelman’s story is full of exciting plot twists and well-rounded, engaging characters—all amped up by thrilling, esoteric magic. Grades 5-8. --Sarah Hunter

Edition details

• Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books
• Publication date: 2013
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0545474302
• ISBN 13: 9780545474306
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 352