Skellig

This is the most sublime and uplifting story. Almond tackles the idea of miracles (in a somewhat spiritual sense) and spinning a tale that describes them coming from the most unlikely places. It is simply written and the contrast of the two main characters couldn't be more extreme, yet they are

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drawn and bound to one another by a strange and wonderful other-worldly creature. You are led to believe that maybe the creature Skellig is an angel - but Skellig absolutely does not come in a stereotyped angelic package!

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This children's novel was recommended to me by a fellow LTer. I found it to be intense and moving. It's not exactly what one expects -- there are shades of Gabriel Garcia Marquez here, as some of the books detail echoes "The Very Old Man With Enormous Wings", a short story I have taught a few times

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-- but is never the less a great experience.

The book centers on two kids, one of whom is experiencing serious life-chaos, with a new home that's not quite in good shape and a new baby sister who is seriously ill. The children encounter Skellig, who is a being of strange and wondrous nature. I don't wish to give away too many details about Skellig, because part of the joy of the book is imagining for yourself who or what he really is, but Almond manages to evoke a multi-faceted significance within this one figure that is both mysterious and tangibly satisfying for the reader.

The story is really about coping, which the reader discovers as the plot progresses through the stressful happenings of a young boy's life. It's also about relationships, and some of the most poignant moments in the story are also the most real -- interactions between father and son, between mother and baby, and between the children themselves, never stray into the saccharine or the implausible, even when the surrounding events become surreal or even magical.

Overall, I found this to be a beautiful, emotional book, one that will appeal most to those (children and adults) who have found themselves on the brink of family tragedy or who are perhaps struggling to cope with a current situation. I think this is a book that speaks to our core and would strongly recommend it as a together-read, something for a parent and child to discuss with each other.

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This was such a well constructed book with stimulating scientific, literature, and art thoughts running through it. In away it was a bit reminiscent of Paterson's Bridge to Terabithia with the two children being raised under two different parental philosophies of education. When the story opens

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Michael's family has just moved to the neighborhood. His family's major concern is the dilapitated garage that needs be cleaned out and demolished. Soon the family is overwelmed by the medical problems of the unnamed baby girl who failing to thrive. Mina and her mother are constantly painting, singing and quoting bits of William Blakes poetry. Mina's concern is keeping bad cat, Whisper, from the fledglings who have just popped out of their nest. Skellig is apparently an old homeless man living in the garage which the children manage to care for by feeding left over bits of Chinese takeout. Amazingly, he seems to be evolving into an angel! His previous life style has been similar to the owls eating and regirigitating as they do. Faith, belief and hope play and important part in this book but in unexpected ways. Although this book is a 3.5 level, according to Accelerated Reader, the concepts and idea presented in it require a higher level of reflective thought thus making its placement in the junior high collection appropriate.

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A wonderfully "simple" yet extremely multi-layered tale. Told in the manner of a young child's story, there is a "deep" feeling of so much more going on than simply who or what 'Skellig' is. Taking a look at the world through the eyes of Michael and seeing how it changes based on his experiences

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with his new neighbor Mina, Skellig, and especially with what is happening to his new baby sister, the reader very easily and quickly gets wrapped up in basically praying for a miracle.

I really enjoyed this book. Easy to read, but haunting and filled with hope.

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Skellig is a story written by David Almond. It is about a young boy named Michael who finds a crotchety, arthritis-ridden old man in his garage. He eventually learns that this old man’s name is Skellig. Michael, along with his neighbor, Mina, takes care of the old man and learns that he has

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wings, even though they seem to be dried up and old. All the while, Michael and his parents are worried that their sister/daughter will or will not survive because she was born pre-maturely. Will the newborn survive, and will Skellig have a part in that survival?

There are two major themes in Skellig that I would like to teach my students. The first is joy. Although it has an additional meaning in the story that I do not wish to reveal, joy is shown numerous times throughout the story, especially at the end. The second theme is that of charity. It shows that by doing something nice for someone, it may eventually lead to something good happening to you in turn.

I loved this book. The ending is the best part, but it also has interesting characters, a fascinating plot that unfolds increasingly well, and it is well written. I would definitely read this book with a class and I recommend it to everyone because, who doesn’t love a happy ending?

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Michael has moved to a new neighborhood, into a dilapidated house in need of much repair. He is burdened with worry about his newborn baby sister who is ill and may be dying. Michael finds a creature (named Skellig) ragged and dusty that seems to be part man and part bird or angel living in the

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crumbling junk-filled garage behind his house. Michael and his home-schooled neighbor and new friend Mina, who loves anything with wings, discover that Skellig has wings. They secretly visit Skellig and bring him Chinese take-out, brown ale, aspirin, and cod liver oil capsules.
David Almond is clearly a fan of William Blake as there are many quotes, and references both obvious and subtle to the work of Blake. Blake emphasized the divine source of all art, many of his works begin with a visitation from a bard, prophet or angel who inspires the poet. Blake believed that Heaven longs to see itself in material form, while the world aspires to be reunited with its spiritual essence. Mina tells Michael that Blake “saw angels in his garden.” (page 59) Michael’s teacher tells him to “let your imagination fly,” (page 155) This book is very dreamlike, and a lot of the story takes place at night.

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This is a very thought-provoking novel which will have readers thinking about the plot long after they've finished reading it. It is haunting, and the characters are well defined people with whom the readers will easily identify. Readers will also enjoy trying to figure out who Skellig is Almond

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creates intrigue as to why he is there and whether he is good or not.

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A young boy who has just moved into a house with his family is distraught because his newborn sister has serious health problems and nobody is certain as to whether she will make it or not—so much so that they haven't even given a name to the baby yet. The house is in poor condition and there's

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an old garage behind it which Michael's dad has warned him against entering as it threatens to collapse at any moment. Of course, the first thing Michael does is explore the garage where he is startled to find a man in a very poor condition crouched and hidden and who has apparently been surviving by eating the various insects that populate the shed. Michael keeps his discovery secret while tending to the man's needs though he eventually decides to share his finding with his new neighbour friend Mina, a spunky home-schooled girl who is fascinated with birds and likes to quote William Blake. Together they decide to move the stranger to a safer place and nurse him back to health and eventually discover that he is a strange and fascinating creature.

This story deals with feelings of fear and love and empathy, and while there is a strong fantasy component, it's wholly grounded in a reality that is far from being pretty. Maybe because of my own low spirits lately, I found it hard to cope with the ongoing threat to the baby's life, and the descriptions of the dingy, dirty, bug-infested environment that much of the story takes place in was downright unpleasant for me. I listened to the audio version and while at first David Almond's accent was perfectly charming, his somewhat monotonous and strangely paced narrative style was distracting at best. Still, I found a lot of things to like about Skellig, but the overall impression I was left with was 'ick', but I'm sure anyone who is not as easily put off by such details will quite like this sensitively told story in which hope and magical fantasy eventually win the day.

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Michael and his family have recently moved to a house that needs a lot of work, when his baby sister is born early. Meanwhile, he finds a man who seems little more than skin in bones in the broken down garage, and together he and his new friend Mina try to help him - but who is he, and what is

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he?

Some books are easy to read, review, and move on. This is not one of them. Skellig, though short, is one of those stories that lingers as you think about the characters and writing and events. Michael realistically feels a little bit of jealousy but also deeply cares about his sister. Mina is homeschooled and proud of it, and she's so sure of who she is that you can't help but love her. And Skellig... well, he's a bit of an enigma. He's a being that can't be explained in just a few words. In fact, I feel like I should really reread the book before I try to make any further pronouncements. I was left smiling and just a bit unsettled, in the sense that I couldn't quite wrap my brain around the story without thinking some more.

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David Almond is one of those authors who is called a children's author, but whose writing is really timeless.

Not everyone will love Skellig. It is not full of action and adventure. Instead it is more of a mystery around the nature of the curious character living in a shed, called Skellig - and the

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stresses placed upon a family when a new baby is born with a life threatening heart defect.

But this is a beautiful book, written simply, yet with hidden depths. There is a little humour, and lots of keen observations on life, but ultimately a story of friendship, hope and just a little magic.

Highly recommended - unless you only like action adventures!

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We just read this book for 7th grade book club. My experience this time around was much different than when I read it a few years ago. Michael finds this man/bird/angel in his decrepit garage. He also meets his free spirited neighbor, Mina, during this time in his life when he is nervous about the

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health and survival of his newborn sister. Mina and Michael take care of Skellig and in turn he shares some of his magic with them.

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A superb, lyrical prose poem of a book, SKELLIG is a stunning young adult debut for David Almond, who effortlesslessly weaves a magical, moving spell from page one.

SKELLIG tells the story of ten-year-old Michael, a troubled boy whose family has moved to a new house in the wake of his newborn

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sister's grave illness. When he discovers a strange creature named Skellig huddled in the delapidated garage, Michael and his precocious friend, Mina, find their perceptions altered in extraordinary ways. Is Skellig an angel? A bird? A man?

This marvelous work is all about the things that are really important: love, family, imagination, and the idea that, perhaps, none of the events that shape our lives are by chance.

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This is the first of David Almond's books that I've read, Skellig was mesmerizing even when I couldn't get a handle on the creature or the story. With each read I have a different reaction, but all are deeply satisfying. This book works for me on some unconscious layer.

This book was beautiful and mysterious. I couldn't put it down.

After reading Almond's Kit's Wilderness, I was interested in finding some of his other YA books. I'm glad I did!

Michael is a ten year old boy whose life is confused and troubled when his family moves to a run down, ramshackled house. Both the house and the family are in dire need of repair as we

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learn that a tiny, newborn baby sister is gravely ill.

I liked the way Almond portrayed Michael's emotions in relation to the sibling who at first elicited jealously and then a transformative metamorphosis occurred when David began to want the best for the struggling infant.

While stumbling around in broken down garage, Michael discovers a sickly creature-like man named Skellig. Michael is drawn outside of his own troubles when he altruistically assists Skellig.

When showing his new-found friend Mina his discovery, they both embark on a magical journey of caring as they reach out to Skellng by providing food and shelter.

This book is mythological regarding the deep emotions set in place when David is forever changed by helping and caring for and about others.

I rate this five stars for the magical portrayal of the adage "in helping others we are indeed helped."

Skellig is a wonderful book to read during the holiday season when we are reminded of the power and beauty of love.

This is a story of things and people who are broken down and in need of fixing.

This is a story of people who find redemption in the power of love.

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England, boy finds angel? in new house, baby sister might die. No red flags. Age 8-12.

When Michael moves into his new home he decides to go into the rundown garage and there he finds something that will make his new place a little more interesting. Michael has a new friend, Skelllig, who is a mystery that Michael wants to figure out. A charming book about life and the powers of love.

An amazing story with the fantasy aspect so subtle you practically expect to find a bird man in any attic or shed. I found I could relate my younger self to the character's easily.

P3.5
Before she went away, I held the baby for a while. I touched her skin and her tiny soft bones. I felt the place where her wings had been. Then we went in the car to the hospital. --Pg. 39

David Almond has written an absolutely beautiful book that is an ode to the angels he finds in all of us. Young Michael has just moved with his family to a tottering house in a strange neighborhood. Because his baby sister has a weak heart and might not survive, his parents don't have a lot of time

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for him. But when he finds a homeless man living in his shed, Michael's life takes an unusual turn. And thanks to his friendship with his home-schooled neigbor Mina he's introduced to the mysteries of nature and the beauty of angels. An amazing novel. Truly amazing!

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Michael and his parents, looking forward to a new baby, move to a big house in need of renovations. When the baby is born prematurely and there is the possibility she may die, the family share their anxiety. In this heightened mood Michael finds Skellig, an angel definitely not of the Christmas

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card variety, in their old rubbish-filled shed. With the help of his new neighbour, Mina, the pair find a more suitable place for Skellig and help him recover his strength. Mina is home-schooled and presents an opposite picture to Michael's school

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A thoughtful and slightly spiritual book that follows Michael as he moves to a new house and along with his parents copes with his premature baby sister who seems to be constantly near death. One of the things he discovers in the new house is a strange winged man who is something between a man and

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a bird. Michael and his new friend, Mina, who is home schooled try to help this man called Skellig and throughout it learn to look at the world in new ways.

This book is recommended for ages nine to twelve and is quite appropriate but could also be read by a slightly older reader who is trying to deal with grief and the confusion that comes about when a child is so close to death. The only issue with this book is that there is a rather heavy Christian spirituality angle that is brought through the poetry of William Blake that Mina loves and also the words of Skellig, the winged man. This is an aspect that could be the beginning of many discussions of how we see creation in the beauty of nature and what are different thoughts about what happens after death. Overall this is a powerful and simple novel that does a good job of dealing with the fragility of life.

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This book was recommended to me because I like "The Graveyard Book" by Neil Gaiman. This book was very much in a similar writing style Gaiman's work. The story telling in this book is superb. The book itself is a short but sweet story.

Michael and his family have just moved into a new home.

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Unfortunately Michael's baby sister was born way too early and she is very sick. Micheal is struggling with his parents' lack of attention as they try to deal with saving his little sister's life; when he stumbles into the shed in their backyard to find a parched, old crusty man alive in the back corner. The old man calls himself a Skellig; exactly what is a Skellig?

I thought this book was excellent. The story telling was top notch. The characterization was wonderful; I thought Michael's character was well done and even the parents were well characterized. This is a very short book but is a great littlenovella . The plot moved quickly and was full of mystery and suspense. It was interesting that the story ties in with deeper aspects of life; like dreams and spirituality. Some parts were a bit of tear jerker as Micheal's baby sister fights for her life, but the Skellig was a truly intriguing character.

Almond's writing is detailed and brings both the characters and surroundings alive; he manages to add a sort of thought-provokingvagueness to aspects of the story while brushing against some things that humanity struggles with as a whole. I was surprised at how deep and well told this little story was. It's a book that I am keeping on my shelf and it made me want to read many more of David Almond's books. He seems to be a very creative and adept storyteller.

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Interesting book.An enjoyable and easy read - as you'd perhaps expect from something aimed at children. The book is a fairly simple and straightforward story - there are no real surprises in the plot itself - of a boy who meets a strange person in the crumbling garage of his new home, the eponymous

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'Skellig'.It's written with a child's voice but also has a particular tone to the writing which will either strike you as lyrical or overly stylised depending on how well you're enjoying it. I was mostly in the first camp with a few forays into the second. I'd definitely recommend it to any adult looking for a light charming read or any child with a love of the unusual.

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