Altar boys Davie and Geordie are asked by their priest to be kind to the new boy in town, Stephen Rose, who has come to live with his religious-zealot aunt. Davie learns quickly that, in spite of his otherwise odd and off-putting behavior, Stephen is not only a gifted sculptor but can actually bring his clay models to life. Davie is quickly drawn in to such power. Raw, gritty, and thought-provoking, Almond’s narrative uses his young characters to ask questions about the power and responsibility of creation, and whether or not being a creator gives one the right to destroy. Using Catholic rituals and symbols and allusions to Old Testament golems, Almond asks dark questions about human nature, and the clay from which we are built. Davie’s especially sensitive art teacher provides an alternative, secular lens through which “creation” is explored. On one key night, the unsettling and even frightening climax of the novel, Almond subtlety changes tense, which plays further with notions of reality and imagination. (Age 13 and older)

Serving as altar boys at their Catholic church in the North of Great Britain, thirteen-year-old Davie and his friend Geordie’s worst sins include stealing the altar wine and smoking cigarettes. Then, Father O’Mahoney asks Davie to be friends with Stephen, a gifted sculptor, who, expelled from the seminary, has come to live with his aunt, “Crazy Mary.” Davie is drawn into helping Stephen make a clay monster that appears to come to life and ad dresses them as “Master.” After his tormentor, the local town bully, is found dead, Davie grapples with the knowledge that he has been exposed to evil. 2007 USBBY Outstanding International Books List, 2007 YALSA Best Books for Young Adults. David Almond is the recipient of the 2010 Hans Christian Andersen Award. hc

Originally published by Hodder Children’s Books Great Britain, in 2005.

Fourteen-year-old Davie and his best friend, Geordie, are altar boys at their local Catholic Church. They’re full of mischief, but that all changes when Stephen Rose comes to town. Father O’Mahoney thinks it would be a good idea for Davie and Geordie to befriend him—maybe some of their good nature will rub off on this unhappy soul. But it’s Stephen who sees something special in Davie.

Stephen’s a gifted sculptor. One day as Davie looks on, Stephen brings a tiny figure to life. It’s a talent he has, the gift of creation—and he knows that Davie has this talent, too. Davie allows Stephen to convince him to help bring a life-size figure to life—and Clay is born. Clay is innocent, but Stephen has special plans for him.

What has Davie helped to unleash on the world?