Reviews: (by author)

Almond, David. Skellig. New York: Random House Children's Books, 1998. $4.99. ISBN 0-440-22908-1.

David Almond's Printz Award Honor Book, Skellig, brings readers immediately into the story and involves readers intellectually, spiritually and emotionally. This page-turner tells the story of a boy called Michael. His family just moved across town, his baby sister is on the brink of death and his parents are all nerves, when he discovers a winged man in his garage. His new friend, Mina, is the only person he can confide in.

Skellig is an adventure through many different realms, a beautifully crafted dance between dreaming and waking. Michael learns about evolution, poetry, and love as he helps the winged man, Skellig, remember how to fly. The parallelism between Skellig and Michael's sister regaining their strength and choosing life is done with skill and grace. As Michael and Mina befriend Skellig and pray for Michael's sister, they learn that you don't have to have wings to be an angel.

Michael, a dynamic protagonist, learns valuable life lessons in the course of the novel. Mina, a strong and intelligent female character, guides Michael through a hard time in his life. The two develop a remarkable and deep friendship, helping those in need and learning from their experiences.

Skellig is a mysterious adventure without a definite answer to the wonder at the events that unfold. It touches on many complicated and sometimes difficult issues we all encounter growing up, including school, friendship, family, love, and death. I would highly recommend this book to any young reader, particularly one with a curiosity for the mysteries of life.

Alegra Marcel Bartzat Nov. '02

Second Review:

Almond, David. Skellig. New York: Random House Children's Books, 1998. $4.99. ISBN 0-440-22908-1.

Do not give this book to a young reader who likes action. This very unusual ghost story, if it is at all possible to put this label on it, is devoid of any action. It is poetic, pensive and does not give any definite explanations. Who or what is Skellig, a creature whom the ten-year-old narrator Michael discovers in the dilapidated garage of the family's new home? And what is the connection between Skellig and Michael's newborn sister? It is a beautifully written story that will captivate a child with imagination and taste for the uncanny and the mysterious. But it will certainly not appeal to someone raised on the meager diet of Goosebumps.

Reviewed by Maria Nikolajeva

Back to Reviews A-C