Skellig

 

Skellig. by David Almond. (1998). 182p. New York: Delacorte Press.  

Awards and Honors: 1998 Carnegie Medal Winner, 1998 Whitbread Children's Book of the Year Award, 2000 Michael L Printz Honor Book, A Publishers Weekly Best Book, A Booklist Books for Youth Editors' Choice-Top of the List, A Horn Book FanFare , A School Library Journal Best Book, An ALA Notable Children's Book

Review: 

Twelve-year-old Michael's new baby sister is seriously ill. In order to make room for the new addition, his family has moved out of their old neighborhood and into a mysterious house which is literally falling apart around them. Michael's father warns him not to go in to the garage which is in danger of collapsing, but in spite of the warnings and his own fear, Michael decides to see what is inside the old building. He finds a strange, winged man in the garage, who calls himself Skellig. Michael, along with new friend Mina, an unconventional free spirit who realizes that Skellig is something special, feed and shelter Skellig as he grows stronger and stronger. As Skellig grows stronger, Michael's baby sister gets sicker until she's rushed back to the hospital for a risky surgery that might save her life. The mystery of Skellig's identity only intensifies after the baby recovers, but Michael and Mina are left transformed through their relationship with the winged man.

Opinion:

A wonderful book for perceptive tweens, Skellig deals in magical realism, fantasy, literary allusion and tons of symbolism. At times, the story seems like a book about children for adults, even though its written on a middle grade level.

Ideas:

This book would be a good choice for a middle grade English class to read when discussing symbolism.