Temple Boys

December 15, 2014
A sneaky beggar child enters the circle of Yeshua of Gilgal in the six days surrounding the crucifixion. Flea is a filthy, ignorant street child in the Holy City, the most bullied and ostracized member of a gang calling itself the Temple Boys. The new magician riding into the city on a donkey is just one more excuse for the rest of the Temple Boys to abuse and abandon Flea, but the magician's best friend, Jude, enlists Flea for a mission of his own. Jude wants to protect his friend and prevent the anti-Roman, anti-Temple political movement from turning into a bloodbath, but Flea only wants food, warmth and a little respect. Though he admires Yeshua's sleight of hand and cunning, Flea doesn't understand why Yesh seems sanguine about his own potential death. Readers with knowledge of the Gospels will catch the many sideways references and thinly disguised names: Yesh's brother is named Yak; Shim denies Yesh; Yesh buries old Laz alive; Jude reminisces about that time they "smuggled the booze into that boring wedding...in a water jug." These readers need to be prepared to read about Jesus as a lying con man who's a master of confidence games and is willing to use children as human shields. The ideal reader of this existentialist retelling is likely substantially older than naive-if-bitter young Flea. One part nihilist political commentary, one part grimly modernist retelling, for readers willing to see Jesus in a distinctly unholy light. (Historical fiction. 15 & up)

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January 1, 2015

Gr 7 Up-Flea, a teenaged orphan living on the streets of Jerusalem during year zero, convinces his gang, the Temple Boys, to rob a famous magician visiting the city for Passover who can reportedly change water to wine and raise the dead. The Temple Boys learn that this magician, Yeshua (Jesus), may be the Chosen One prophesied to free the Jewish people from poverty and foreign rule, despite his proclivity to get drunk at any major event. Yet, Flea remains skeptical so Jude (Judas Iscariot) hires Flea to circumvent the plan of other disciples to sacrifice Yeshua to ignite a revolution. Shortly after receiving this assignment, a terrifying man called the Results Man forces Flea to betray Yeshua to Roman forces and witness his crucifixion-a graphically violent scene. Caught up in the machinations of rival adults, Flea searches frantically for a way out of danger and struggles to define his own beliefs. Buxton writes a fast-paced action story with a modern voice and a vivid, ancient setting. Overall, a solid, unique reworking of an old tale; however, conservative Christian communities may react poorly to the characterization of Jesus Christ as a charlatan, albeit with good intentions. Those communities should stick with Elizabeth George Speare's The Bronze Bow (Houghton Mifflin, 1962) for a teenage male perspective of the last days of Jesus Christ's life. Regardless, those who know the New Testament well will find it hard not to be impressed with how Buxton uses and recasts Jewish scripture and traditions in this suspenseful thriller.-Mariah Manley, Medway Public Library, MA

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Starred review from April 15, 2015
Grades 8-11 *Starred Review* Flea is a street kid in first-century Jerusalem, and when he hears rumors of a renowned magician coming to the city, he thinks it's the perfect pickpocketing opportunity. That magician is Jesus, called Yeshua, in the novel, and when Flea tries to pilfer a coin purse from one of his followers, he finds himself caught up in a terrifying conspiracy. The story of the Crucifixion is likely familiar for many readers, but Buxton excels at imbuing the tale with meaningful historical context. Jerusalem is fraught with tension: the Roman Imperial Guard is in conflict with the temple priests, and Jerusalem's citizen are furious about temple taxes. When Yeshua arrives with a message of revolutionary equality, the atmosphere is already primed for change, and rumors of his magical abilitiesperhaps exaggerated stories about his superior sleight-of-hand-skills?only contribute to the idea that he's the Chosen One. Flea, however, remains skeptical about the prophesy held so dear by Yesh's followers, instead concerning himself with the elemental safety of his loved ones. Buxton eschews mysticism, instead focusing on documented historical events and Yesh's simple message of compassion. Though the dialogue is occasionally stilted, that's a minor quibble in this gritty, thought-provoking, and daring novel that offers a bold, humanizing perspective on a story that is often overwhelmed by its symbolic power.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)