“I grew up in a big extended Catholic family [in the north of
England]. I listened to the stories and songs at family parties. I
listened to the gossip that filled Dragone’s coffee shop.
I ran with my friends through the open spaces and the narrow lanes.
We scared each other with ghost stories told in fragile tents on
dark nights. We promised never-ending friendship and whispered of
the amazing journeys we’d take together.
I sat with my grandfather in his allotment, held tiny Easter chicks
in my hands while he smoked his pipe and the factory sirens wailed
and larks yelled high above. I trembled at the images presented to
us in church, at the awful threats and glorious promises made by
black-clad priests with Irish voices. I scribbled stories and
stitched them into little books. I disliked school and loved the
library, a little square building in which I dreamed that books
with my name on them would stand one day on the shelves.
Skellig, my first children’s novel, came out of the blue, as if it
had been waiting a long time to be told. It seemed to write itself.
It took six months, was rapidly taken by Hodder Children’s Books
and has changed my life. By the time Skellig came out, I’d written
my next children’s novel, Kit’s Wilderness. These books are
suffused with the landscape and spirit of my own childhood. By
looking back into the past, by re-imagining it and blending it with
what I see around me now, I found a way to move forward and to
become something that I am intensely happy to be: a writer for
children.”
David Almond is the winner of the 2001 Michael L. Printz Award for
Kit’s Wilderness, which has also been named best book of the year
by School Library Journal, Booklist, and Publishers Weekly. He has
been called "the foremost practitioner in children's literature of
magical realism." (Booklist) His first book for young readers,
Skellig, is a Printz Honor winner. David Almond lives with his
family in Newcastle, England.
"Its strength as a novel is in its subtlety. . . . Skellig is a
fine book." — The New York Times Book Review
"British novelist Almond makes a triumphant debut in the field of
children’s literature with prose that is at once eerie, magical,
and poignant." — Publishers Weekly, Starred
British author Almond confidently narrates this recording of his first novel for young people. Michael and his family have just moved to a new home, which proves more dramatic than any of them had imagined. The house is a true fixer-upper, and Michael's new baby sister, born prematurely, is seriously ill. While his parents are consumed with worry about the baby, Michael is left alone with his own fears. But when he explores the house's crumbling garage, he discovers a frail creature with wings who becomes a most magical friend. It's hard to say whether the creature, which eventually introduces itself as Skellig, is a man, an angel or a ghost. As Michael and his new neighbor Mina spend time with Skellig, they learn about the transforming power of caring and love as they tend to Skellig's infirmities and cater to his fondness for Chinese takeout. Part mystery, part fantasy, Almond's story is made all the more memorable by his easygoing delivery and distinctive accent. Ages 8-up. (Apr.) Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.
Gr 5-9-Two lonely children form a bond when they secretly take on the care of a crusty, otherworldly old man living in a ramshackled garage. A mystical story of love and friendship. (Feb.) Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.
"Its strength as a novel is in its subtlety. . . . Skellig is a
fine book." - The New York Times Book Review
"British novelist Almond makes a triumphant debut in the field of
children's literature with prose that is at once eerie, magical,
and poignant." - Publishers Weekly, Starred
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