Book Title: Clod Makes a Friend by David J. Pedersen
Category: Middle-Grade Fiction, 174 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Odysia Press
Release date: March 2018
Tour dates: March 26 to April 13, 2018
Content Rating: PG (There is no bad language, but there is one "boss fight" scene.)
Book Description:
Best Friend Ever?
Bullies love to hate Clod. Not just because he’s bigger, clumsier, and uglier than his classmates - he’s also the only student in his school without magic. In a world where all magic is possible and everyone else is born with great gifts to do amazing things, Clod is alone.
Living with his mum in a broken-down cottage on barely enough, the only thing Clod has to play with is the clay she occasionally brings him. Bleak is an understatement. More than anything, Clod wants a friend. The only way that’s going to happen, is to make one himself.
After an angry visit from the worst of the bullies, his teacher Learned Yugen, Clod’s clay sculpture of a little girl comes to life and introduces herself as Ada. For a clay girl barely the size of his hand, she has more confidence and courage than he knows what to do with. Every adventure she leads him on gets Clod into trouble. She may be the friend he wants, but is she the friend he needs?
After many years, and too many pranks, Yugen becomes convinced that Clod is tainted by the evil slowly infiltrating the Kingdom of Pag. Especially when Ada isn’t the only one Clod can bring to life.
Clod Makes A Friend is a bittersweet fairy tale for all ages from David J. Pedersen, author of the Angst series of fantasy novels.
To read reviews, please visit David J. Pedersen's page on iRead Book Tours.
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MY THOUGHTS ON THE BOOK
"Is his name really Clod?" Learned Yugen asked, speaking each word slowly as though the conversation was already a waste of his time.
Clod Makes a Friend is a touching story of friendship and magic set in a super cute fantastical world. It is also an important story about how dangerous bullying can be. How crushing and harmful the words of a mean bully can be. As many others have been I was also bullied as a kid and reading a story like this was so beneficial to me.
The story follows the main character of Clod. He is a sweet but clumsy somewhat large boy. He takes after his father in many ways. null unlike those around him, he lacks in magical abilities. When it comes to learning sometimes things come to him slower than others. Sadly his teacher doesn't miss the opportunity to tell him just how unskilled he really is. The teacher makes Clod feel worthless and powerless. To make matters worse his classmates and other children make fun of him and bully him constantly. The tell him they consider him to be the ugliest thing they have ever seen. This was a really hard part to read because I connected with this storyline so much.
One day he takes to building a friend out of clay because he is so lonely. One day the clay girl named Ada comes to life. They become friends and it helps him grow as a character. He builds up so much confidence with the kind words she says. Unfortunately, Ada's courage gets them both into some sticky situations. I loved reading this part of the book it was the perfect amount of magic and realism.
Overall the novel was a quick and fun read. I think readers of all ages will enjoy this story of friendship and magic.
Disclaimer: I was provided a review copy of this book by the author through iRead Book Tours with no expectations of a positive review. All opinions are my own.
Guest Post:
Why I write escapism
I grew up in a political family. They weren’t activists marching on Washington, but Mom and Dad always knew what was going on. My parents are sharp people with an incredible work ethic. I have great respect for them both (even when their opinions aren’t always popular with what’s on the interwebs… but maybe I should say, especially when. It’s important to stand for your beliefs.) We spent time taking opposing views on issues at the dinner table. Before I married my wife, Angie, she joined us for Thanksgiving dinner. It didn’t take long for her to rush away from the dinner table as we argued the legalization of marijuana. (26 years ago, by the way.) She was crying because everyone was yelling. It took awhile for her to understand that we yelled out of love.
I absorbed everything I could from my parents, but it was often less-than-fun conversation. I needed an escape, and at the end of the evening, I found it in books and comics. I got lost in those stories; they were the breath of freedom I needed from the important reality downstairs in the kitchen. Those capes and swords gave my brain the time needed to understand the more complex issues served at dinner.
I graduated with a degree in philosophy from The University of Wisconsin - Madison. I’d throw down with anyone, from unexpecting professors to that poor congressman I found wandering the streets of the capital. At that point, it was in my blood. During the day, I was eating helpings of Plato and Nietzsche. At night, it was all about Batman, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. That break from reality was my recovery time.
We now live in a world where news is practically fed to us while we sleep. For better or worse, I now know when someone has been mugged in Florida, or if a bank was robbed in Indiana. My collection of capes don’t help me fly, and my decorative swords are pretty dull. There is little I can do to directly address all the tragedy that surrounds us. Indirectly, I can help some people step away from the mess for a few minutes, and give their brain some time to remember sanity.
A review on Goodreads illustrates this: “I only read Chemistry, Physics, and Astronomy books with such fervor. I just spent the past two hours reading and not wanting to put the book down. It comes to mind that I'm very tempted to call in sick tomorrow so I can read Angst all the way through tonight.”
I absorbed everything I could from my parents, but it was often less-than-fun conversation. I needed an escape, and at the end of the evening, I found it in books and comics. I got lost in those stories; they were the breath of freedom I needed from the important reality downstairs in the kitchen. Those capes and swords gave my brain the time needed to understand the more complex issues served at dinner.
I graduated with a degree in philosophy from The University of Wisconsin - Madison. I’d throw down with anyone, from unexpecting professors to that poor congressman I found wandering the streets of the capital. At that point, it was in my blood. During the day, I was eating helpings of Plato and Nietzsche. At night, it was all about Batman, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. That break from reality was my recovery time.
We now live in a world where news is practically fed to us while we sleep. For better or worse, I now know when someone has been mugged in Florida, or if a bank was robbed in Indiana. My collection of capes don’t help me fly, and my decorative swords are pretty dull. There is little I can do to directly address all the tragedy that surrounds us. Indirectly, I can help some people step away from the mess for a few minutes, and give their brain some time to remember sanity.
A review on Goodreads illustrates this: “I only read Chemistry, Physics, and Astronomy books with such fervor. I just spent the past two hours reading and not wanting to put the book down. It comes to mind that I'm very tempted to call in sick tomorrow so I can read Angst all the way through tonight.”
I may not be able to make the bad guys stop being bad, but maybe I can give people the desperately needed escape they deserve. Maybe I’m making the world a better place in my own way. (Or I’m just making people late for work. Shhh.)
Clod Makes A Friend is my first attempt at escapism with some gentle, but important messages. The short version is, don’t believe in bullies, believe in yourself. Do the right thing even when you don’t want to. Work hard to be a good friend. Eat cake. There, you’ve read the book. But I promise the longer version is better than the Cliff Notes version. Hopefully, it’s the escape you deserve.
About the Author:
David J. Pedersen is a native of Racine, WI who resides in his hometown Kansas City, MO. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. He has worked in sales, management, retail, video and film production, and IT. David has run 2 marathons, climbed several 14,000-foot mountains and marched in The University of Wisconsin Marching Band and written 4 fantasy novels. He is a geek and a fanboy that enjoys carousing, picking on his wife and kids, playing video games, and slowly muddling through his next novel.
Connect with the author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook
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Thanks for the great review, and for featuring my guest post! I really appreciate it!
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