Goelman, Ali. The Path of Names.

Goelman, Ali.  The Path of Names.   Scholastic Press  2013  339p  ISBN 978-0-545-47430-6  ms/hs Hardback    VG-BN Fantasy

Ghosts, murder, and mystery … what better introduction to summer sleep-away camp?  Thirteen-year-old Dahlia Sherman is coerced into attending a Jewish summer camp by the promise that she can attend magic camp after her first session.  Her introduction to Camp Arava starts with the sight of two young girls, that no one else seems to notice, walking through the walls of her cabin.  She soon begins channeling the spirit of long-dead David Schank, a young Yeshiva student from the 1940s who had discovered the mysterious and all-powerful 72nd name of G-d.  Dahlia struggles to decipher the puzzle with the help of the camp weirdo and a copy of the Kabbalah, a book about Jewish mysticism.  She is drawn to the unusual power found in an ancient maze on the camp grounds, and she has to figure out how to evade her brother, who is a counselor, and the camp groundskeeper to access the site.  They are both determined to keep her out of the maze.  Dahlia must discover exactly what is happening as more children begin to disappear.  It is only when she finally absorbs the magical elements of Jewish spiritualism, including the numerical meaning of words, and meets with a golem that she solves the mystery, does away with the evil presence in the maze, and saves her world.  Well-written with an exciting plot and unusual characters, this book offers a different take on traditional summer camp experiences.  While the plot relies heavily of many aspects of mystical Judaism, much is explained in context and through the interaction and conversation of the characters.  This one is highly recommended for middle- and high-school libraries.   

Summary: Ghosts, murder, and mystery … what better introduction to summer sleep-away camp?  Dahlia attends Camp Arava and notices a pair of young girls walking through the walls of her cabin.  Things just get stranger by the minute.  Paired with the camp weirdo and channeling the spirit of a young man from the 1940s, Dahlia must save the campers from unspeakable evil.     

Magic-Fiction, Spiritualism-Fiction                         --Susan Ogintz