false 24271 26 <i>"I thought he was dead. He was sitting with his legs stretched out and his head tipped back against the wall. He was covered with dust and webs like everything else and his face was thin and pale. Dead bluebottles were scattered on his hair and shoulders. I shined the flashlight on his white face and his black suit."</i> This is Michael's introduction to Skellig, the man-owl-angel who lies motionless behind the tea chests in the abandoned garage in back of the boy's dilapidated new house. As disturbing as this discovery is, it is the least of Michael's worries. The new house is a mess, his parents are distracted, and his brand-new baby sister is seriously ill. Still, he can't get this mysterious creature out of his mind--even as he wonders if he has really seen him at all. What unfolds is a powerful, cosmic, dreamlike tale reminiscent of Madeleine L'Engle's <I>A Wrinkle in Time</I>. British novelist David Almond works magic as he examines the large issues of death, life, friendship, love, and the breathtaking connections between all things.<p> Amidst the intensity and anxiety of his world, Michael is a normal kid. He goes to school, plays soccer, and has friends with nicknames like Leakey and Coot. It's at home where his life becomes extraordinary, with the help of Skellig and Mina, the quirky, strong-willed girl next door with "the kind of eyes you think can see right through you." Mina and her mother's motto is William Blake's "How can a bird that is born for joy / Sit in a cage and sing?" This question carries us through the book, as we see Michael's baby sister trapped in a hospital incubator; as we see the exquisite, winged Skellig crumpled in the garage; as we meet Mina's precious blackbird chicks and the tawny owls in her secret attic; and as we finally see a braver, bolder Michael spread his wings and fly. <I>Skellig</I> was the Whitbread Award's 1998 Children's Book of the Year, and this haunting novel is sure to resonate with readers young and old. (Ages 10 and older) <I>--Karin Snelson</I> 960 1999 Skellig total:1273|5:365|4:438|3:318|2:111|1:41| 1273 4794 1735 231 4 4 false false Thu Feb 05 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Thu Feb 05 10:31:06 -0800 2009 Sun Feb 08 09:26:14 -0800 2009 Believer columns he mentioned this was supposed to be the best YA book of all time. I don't know where he got this information, maybe from the ALA or some other three letter group. He gave it a glowing review so I thought I'd read it.

My fir...more...]]> 3 7 false false Thu Feb 12 20:09:13 -0800 2009 Thu Feb 12 20:15:06 -0800 2009 4 1 false false Fri Nov 28 12:20:48 -0800 2008 Fri Nov 28 12:22:33 -0800 2008 5 1 false false Tue Oct 09 04:45:43 -0700 2007 Wed Mar 05 14:28:45 -0800 2008 My son had this book for a school project so I read it to help him out. He had to prise it from my fingers after an hour and a half, and I wanted to go back and read it again. It embodies all that I think is good in Young Adult fiction, an unspoiled,...more...]]> 4 0 false false Tue Mar 31 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Mar 31 11:43:15 -0700 2009 Tue Mar 31 21:58:42 -0700 2009 more...]]> 3 0 false false Mon Jan 12 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Mon Jan 12 00:40:42 -0800 2009 Mon Jan 12 16:38:29 -0800 2009 Nick Hornby in Shakespeare Wrote For Money and appeared near the top of a UK survey of the best YA books ever. I thought it was good, but not that great. Michael, who has just moved to a new house and whose baby sister is deathly ill, discovers a weake...more...]]> 3 0 false false Mon Sep 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Tue Jan 06 18:41:53 -0800 2009 Tue Jan 06 18:42:23 -0800 2009 more...]]> 4 1 false false Thu Oct 15 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sun Oct 25 22:41:32 -0700 2009 Sun Oct 25 22:44:03 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Sun May 17 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sun May 17 12:09:41 -0700 2009 Sun May 17 18:20:14 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Wed Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sun Jul 12 19:54:46 -0700 2009 Sun Jul 12 20:14:39 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 1 false false Thu Jun 28 07:06:47 -0700 2007 Thu Aug 02 04:05:25 -0700 2007 It has been a while since I read this (i.e. bad summary), but I wanted to let folks no how great this book and author is. He has a unique writing style- or maybe story style. There's a marriage of...more...]]> 2 0 false false Wed Apr 15 08:52:19 -0700 2009 Thu Apr 16 18:59:08 -0700 2009 more...]]> 1 0 false false Tue Dec 23 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Fri Dec 05 09:40:10 -0800 2008 Tue Dec 23 13:52:14 -0800 2008 more...]]> 3 0 false false Wed Apr 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sat May 02 21:35:04 -0700 2009 Sat May 02 21:36:47 -0700 2009 more...]]> 1 0 false false Mon Jan 12 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Mon Jan 12 17:32:01 -0800 2009 Mon Jan 12 17:53:34 -0800 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Wed Mar 25 17:55:30 -0700 2009 Wed Mar 25 18:02:24 -0700 2009
It was about a boy who finds this creature with wings in the new house that he has moved in....more...]]> 4 1 false false Tue Apr 24 03:03:18 -0700 2007 Tue Apr 24 03:06:23 -0700 2007
David Almond leaves you to decide and imagine for yourself.

If you want to be moved, intrigued and inspired, read this.]]> 5 0 false false Fri Aug 28 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Aug 26 15:22:49 -0700 2009 Mon Aug 31 15:08:21 -0700 2009
The story... the story was weird and wonderful and...more...]]> 4 0 false false Sat Mar 14 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sat Mar 14 07:20:50 -0700 2009 Sun Mar 15 10:14:59 -0700 2009
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 ...more...]]> 4 0 false false Mon Feb 23 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Thu Feb 19 06:58:40 -0800 2009 Mon Feb 23 12:51:27 -0800 2009 Skellig reminded me that I like clever fiction of all types. David Almond does excellent work, and doesn't feel like he has to explain every little thing. This is truly through the eyes of children, and they don't have all the a...more...]]>