Novela que aborda con magia y soltura grandes temas, como la vida, la muerte, la amistad. ( )

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 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. ( )

Skellig is a childrens fantasy novel written by David Almond, this is also the first book to have been written by David Almond and is often read in UK secondary schools to be studied in the English language. Earlier this year, Skellig was adpated into a TV mini-series and was aired during Easter on Sky1. Skellig nowadays is undeniably one of the most important childrens books around this century and a must read. The story follows in the first-person of young Michael as he moves into his new home.

Michael looked forward to moving house, but as his baby sister was prematurely born and his parents frantic with worry about the baby's health Michael feels annoyed and frustrated. When he ventures down to the 'garage' Michael comes across an extraordinary being...Skellig. A shrivelled, dusty, old man who seems to neither care or take notice that he is living and quickly meeting his death in a garage. Michael continues to visit Skellig and asks if he would like anything, his answer "...27 and 53...".
Busy with the poorly baby, the decorating of their new house, Michael's family hasn't time for cooking food so Michaels father sends him round the chinese takeaway, bringing back a 27 and 53...Skellig's dinner. Soon, he learns 'old Arthur'
(Arthritis) has got into Skellig's bones and he is unable to move.
Michael finally meets his new neighbor, Mina, she is home-educated believing school takes the fun and joy from learning. Mina is extremely observant and a clever, yet mysterious character. Once introduced to Skellig she displays great sympathy and interest in him, she offers to move Skellig into a house that was left to her by her recently bereaved grandfather. Skellig neither agrees nor resists being taken to the house and so they move him to allow him more comfort and to heal. Mina takes his jacket from his shoulders.
Michael and Mina look on in awe at Skellig's amazing secret. Skellig let's tears falls from his eyes as his brilliant feathered wings unfurl from his back...

I really enjoyed reading this book, as expected it was a very easy read. Which of course was no suprise as it was only 170 pages with a somewhat size fourteen font and not to mention a childrens book. Despite being intended for children I still enjoyed reading it, Skellig is a unique book and an effective way of introducing children to the reading world. Skellig, I would say definitely is one of the must reads for children along with the Harry Potter series and such...Kit's Wilderness, David Almond's second novel is meant to be good too, I'm going to read that soon! ( )

I owe this entirely to Nick Hornby. Skellig was always a book that jumped out at me when I was working at the bookshop, but despite it being very short, I somehow never read it. Until Nick Hornby, self-confessed YA fiction-phobic author extraordinaire wrote his fabulous review in one of his Believer columns (Shakespeare Wrote for Money).

Skellig is the tale of love, loss and hope. It is the story of Michael, a young boy whose prematurely born sister is fighting for life in a hospital incubator while he and his family move home to try and make a new start. Michael loves his sister, feels an strange and strong connection with her, but he also feels lonely and detached from the events taking place. His parents attentions elsewhere, Michael spends his time exploring the new house and garden, and becoming friends with Mina, the home-educated girl next door. But it is the crumbling run-down garage that Michael discovers Skellig, a strange ailing creature huddled in the dark, living off scraps. Is he a man, an owl? Or something very very different?

Skellig could not have been more beautiful if David Almond had tried. It was perfect. A perfect, special tale that brought a tear to my eye and a lump in my throat. I could do nothing after putting the book down but sit and smile to myself, bathing in all Skellig's tender glory. Certainly one of the most beautiful books I have ever read, I bought a copy for a friend right away and heartily recommend it to everyone. Thankfully, this is part of the school curriculum for Year Five and Six (9-10 yrs old) in the UK, so most children will get a chance to enjoy Almond's wonderful writing. As for myself, I shall thank Nick Hornby for this one and will be reading more of the great David Almond's work in future.

The main character, a young boy named Michael, finds an almost decomposing creature in the garage of his family's new house. The creature can barely speak, demands aspirin and Chinese takeout, and seems to be made of crumbling porcelain. As Michael's family struggles to keep his prematurely born infant sister alive, Michael struggles with whether or not his discovery of the creature is reality or a symptom of insanity. The author cleverly quotes William Blake, a brilliant man who claimed to see angels in his back yard and had his own struggles with reality. Mina, Michael's new neighbor, is home-schooled and lives by the Blake line "How can a bird that is born for joy/Sit in a cage and sing?" The rest of the novel sees Michael learning to answer this question, and his growth is both intriguing and touching. ( )