Skellig
written by David Almond
Bibliography
Almond, D. (1999). Skellig (1st Amer. ed.).
Brief Summary
Michael moves to a new neighborhood with his parents and baby sister. Although he is able to attend the same school, he still finds it slightly challenging to adjust to his new surroundings. His sister is ill as well, and his parents, especially his mother, are quite worried and occupied with her health. Michael finds a very old, very unusual creature/man (he’s not certain which) in his garage shortly after he moves in. He nurses this creature/man back to health, partly by bringing him number 27 and number 53 from a local Chinese take-out restaurant. Little did he know that this “old man” who he would eventually call “Skellig” would play such an important part in his life and the life of his family. Michael makes friends with an atypical young girl Mina who is homeschooled. Together, they experience the joys and sadness of befriending Skellig.
My Impressions
Although I’m not typically a fan of fantasy, I enjoyed Skellig. The tenderness which both Mina and Michael show Skellig is refreshing. I think that the storyline exemplifies an important life lesson of which we are all aware, but some of us tend to forget – “pay it forward.” In fact, not waiting to be on the receiving end before you “pay it forward” is even better!
Reviews
“In many ways, this novel raises more questions than it answers. Readers are not given any definitive answers about who Skellig is, and this may bother younger readers who have the skill to read the book without the sophistication of knowing how to plumb for its deeper meanings. Accomplished readers, however, will find this an amazing work. Some of the writing takes one's breath away, especially the scenes in which Almond, without flinching, describes the beauty and the horror that is Skellig. Almond is also wise enough to root the plot in the family's reaction to baby Joy's illness, thus keeping the story earthbound where it needs to be before it soars and flies away… Gr. 5-8.”
-- Booklist (February 1, 1999)
Ilene Cooper
“British novelist Almond makes a triumphant debut in the field of children's literature with prose that is at once eerie, magical and poignant…the author creates a tantalizing tension between the dank and dusty here-and-now and an aura of other-worldliness that permeates the rest of the novel…The author adroitly interconnects the threads of the story, Michael's difficult adjustment to a new neighborhood, his growing friendship with Mina, the baby's decline, Skellig, whose history and reason for being are open to readers' interpretations. Although some foreshadowing suggests that Skellig has been sent to Earth on a grim mission, the dark, almost gothic tone of the story brightens dramatically as Michael's loving, life-affirming spirit begins to work miracles. Ages 8-12.”
-- Publishers Weekly (December 7, 1998)
“The plot is beautifully paced and the characters are drawn with a graceful, careful hand. Mina, for all her smugness, is charmingly wide-eyed over Skellig. Michael is a bruising soccer player but displays a tenderness that is quite touching and very refreshing. Even minor characters are well defined. The plot pivots on the question of what Skellig is. It is a question that will keep readers moving through the book, trying to make sense of the cleverly doled out clues. The beauty here is that there is no answer and readers will be left to wonder and debate, and make up their own minds. A lovingly done, thought-provoking novel… Gr 5-9.”
-- School Library Journal (February 1, 1999)
Patricia A. Dollisch, DeKalb County Public Library, Decatur, GA
Suggestions for Library Use
Set in England, this fantasy for middle/high school age kiddos is a story of hope, friendship, faith, trust, angels, and family as a boy deals with the illness of a baby sister and the family’s adjustment to a new home. I agree with Patricia A. Dollisch’s review in the School Library Journal (February 1999) -- “A lovingly done, thought-provoking novel.
No comments:
Post a Comment