If you ever loved books that are usually about love, friendship, and mysterious things, Skellig by David Almond would be the perfect book to read!
David Almond is a British author known for Skellig, Bone Music, My Name Is Mina, PUPPET, The Dam, and more. He was born at Newcastle upon Tyne, England, on May 15, 1951. Almond began to write short stories in the 1980s and published his first book, a short story collection titled Sleepless Nights, in 1985. He eventually wrote his debut novel for children, Skellig (1998). Almond is a prestigious winner of the Hans Christian Andersen Award. A rather interesting fact about him was that he would laugh and point at the printed pages coming off the rolling machines when he was an infant!
Skellig is about 10-year-old Michael, who just moved into a new street. Many things had happened to him, both good and bad. “Good” means making new friends. “Bad” means his ill sister. Until one day, he goes inside his crumbling garage and discovers something that changes his world forever.
Michael is the main protagonist of the novel. He’s just an ordinary boy who had recently moved into a new street and made a new friend called Mina. I like Michael because of how curious he is and how he refuses to give up. Mina is Michael’s new friend. She is also curious and imaginative. Mina is actually my favorite character because she is smart and also homeschooled—like me!
The story is amazing, and I’m surprised that this was just Almond’s first novel! I mostly enjoyed how the story is relatable, like how you can explore your own imaginative world while being stuck in boring reality. I also enjoyed how tense and emotional the story is. I’m sure the reader would also enjoy the same things as I do!
To be honest, I think the story was good enough that there was nothing that I didn’t like. The only thing I disliked is how slow the beginning was. I mean, it started off with just Michael repeatedly going to the garage until he brought Mina in, which only made things interesting.
I highly recommend this book to kids who want to explore the amazing things in their world, especially to those kids who are starting to read novels! Other than that, I also recommend this for kids who prefer themes of love, family, and unlikely friendship. I would give this book a 5-star review!
Therefore, if you think that this book would be worth reading, then go ahead!
About the Author
Hi! I’m Neskeila Jean Ducusin, but you can call me NJ! (pronouns she/her) I’m from La Union, Ilocos Region, Philippines. Since grade 2, I have been homeschooled, and I’m still doing that now. I’m a shy ambivert. My favorite comfort food is cookies. I mostly read books, listen to K-pop music, and make up stories. I read a lot of books like the Harry Potter series and some Nancy Drew books to get some inspiration for life.