PLOT: Mum and Dad with their two kids Michael, who
is 11 years old and his premature sister Joy, have just moved into a fixer up
house. Michael who is concerned about his little sister and whether she will
live or die brings worry to him and his parents. As Michael explores the interiors of an old dilapidating,
filled with junk garage, located in his backyard he comes across a man who is
hiding behind a tea chest. The man seems to be malnourished and not very
healthy. Not sure of his whereabouts he helps the man by bringing him aspirin, Chinese
food and brown ale. Michaels little
sister has to return to the hospital because she is not well and needs heart
surgery. Due to his sisters health condition Michael detaches himself from
school and his friends and becomes good friends with Mina, a young girl about
his age, who lives across the road from him.
Mina is homeschooled and it is evident that she has many talents. Michael
soon entrusts her with his secret of the man in the garage. She helps him and moves the man to an abandoned
home down the street. It is at this
moment that they realize that he is not all man, he has wings and they are not
sure exactly what he is. The man tells
them that his name is Skellig and that he is kind of an owl and an angel. They
continue to visit the man and bring him back to health. As Skelling becomes stronger he shows Michael
and Mina his powers by joining hands and spinning in a circle. Both Michael and Mina are amazed at what they
can see and feel within themselves. Skellig assures Michael that his little sister
will not die and that he should not worry. Skellig thanks them for their help
and he leaves.
BIBLIOGRAPHIC CITATION: Almond, D. (1998). Skellig. New York: Dell Yearling.
IMPRESSION OF THE BOOK: This supernatural read was very interesting
and captivating. It started kind of slow
in the first couple of pages but it soon hooked me when Michael found the man
in the garage. I enjoyed the characters
that were portrayed in this story. I especially liked Mina’s character because
of her wisdom and knowledge of science, poetry and art. She comes across as a very bouncy, fun loving
and sarcastic character. Michael comes
across as patient, caring and understanding.
I really enjoyed the way the author wrote the book because he used slang
words such as “bloody”, “eh” and “mum”.
This made the story seem that it was taking place in another country or
of different origin. Skellig’s character is very dark and mysterious and after
you find out he has wings then you know he has to be a good guy in the story. The ending is satisfying and humbling. I give
this book a one and a half thumbs up.
REVIEWS:
Kirkus Reviews starred (1998)
Almond pens a powerful, atmospheric story: A pall of anxiety hangs over Michael (and his parents) as his prematurely born baby sister fights for her life. The routines of school provide some relief, when Michael can bear to go. His discovery, in a ramshackle outbuilding, of Skellig, a decrepit creature somewhere between an angel and an owl, provides both distraction and rejuvenation; he and strong-minded, home-schooled neighbor Mina nurse Skellig back to health with cod liver pills and selections from a Chinese take-out menu. While delineating characters with brilliant economy--Skellig's habit of laughing without smiling captures his dour personality perfectly--Almond adds resonance to the plot with small parallel subplots and enhances his sometimes transcendent prose ("'Your sister's got a heart of fire,'" comments a nurse after the baby survives a risky operation) with the poetry of and anecdotes about William Blake. The author creates a mysterious link between Skellig and the infant, then ends with proper symmetry, sending the former, restored, winging away as the latter comes home from the hospital. As in Berlie Doherty's Snake-Stone (1996) or many of Janet Taylor Lisle's novels, the marvelous and the everyday mix in haunting, memorable ways.
Kirkus Review. (1998). [Review of the book Skellig, by David Almond]. Kirkus Reviews Issue. Retrieved July 10, 2013, from http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/david-almond/skellig/
USE IN THE LIBRARY:
This is a book I would like to promote in a reading circle or book
club. As we read the story and meet to
discuss the book I would open up the discussion with several questions. Such as
the following:
1. Michael is very unhappy at the beginning of the novel. Discuss how Michael's life changes after he discovers Skellig and meets Mina. Think about ways that you deal with fear and loneliness. How can you help a friend who appears unhappy?
2. Almond never gives the reader a specific description of Skellig. Based on the glimpses of Skellig found throughout the novel, what is your impression of Skellig? How might Michael describe Skellig at the end of the novel?
3. Michael brushes his hands against Skellig's back and detects what appear to be wings. When he asks his mother about shoulder blades, she answers, "They say that shoulder blades are where your wings were when you were an angel . . . where your wings will grow again one day." What does this statement reveal about Skellig?
Questions found at:
Random House (2010). Readers guide Skellig. Teachers@Random Catalog. Retrieved from
http://www.randomhouse.com/teachers/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780440229087&view=rg
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