Sammy is new to the school, small for his age, and Jewish.  This makes him a prime target for the gang of bullies in the school.  He gets his head held in the toilet, made to do the bullies’ homework and intimidated and threatened on a daily basis.  School isn’t so fun for him.  Then a new boy, Skink, starts school and as the bullies approach him ready to show him who is boss, Skink surprises them all by standing up to them, as well as befriending Sammy.  This is Sammy’s first friend and he couldn’t be happier.  Sammy’s Jewish religion means that Sammy must attend Hebrew school studying for his Bar Mitzvah, which is a rite where basically he ‘becomes a man.’  His rabbi tells a story of Golem, made of clay, powered by God, to stand as protector of the Jews when faced with death.  Sammy can’t get the idea of a Golem out of his mind and how useful that would be to use against the bullies.  Sammy’s dad is a potter, so Sammy has access to lots of clay needed to build a Golem, which he does, and calls Gully.  Gully goes to school with him and protects him and life is good for Sammy and his friends.  The rabbi knows that Sammy has created a Golem and pleads with him to destroy him before the Golem destroys him.  If you have any interest in learning about religion, then this is the book for you.  There are many enjoyable moments in this book, such as the developing friendships, the witticism, and the power of the music, and, just plain growing up and learning to take responsibility for your actions.  That’s what makes Sammy a man.