The tale is dominated by that man who is largely off-stage. Tominsky, a mysterious man who lives in a chapel at the back of the estate. Many of their games and stories concern Mr. They delight in terrifying their sister Amie, our narrator, with their stories and often cruel games. The indistinguishable twins, Arabella and Annabella, are grouped together at all times by a single name, The Bellas. There are six sisters in the McBee family. The story revolves around words and their power to wound as well as heal. Accessible to kids from fourth grade up, it speaks gently but packs a punch. This is the deceptively simple story of one turn of the century family during one summer. Likewise the name of John Askew appears on the monument and his namesake has become a leader in a game of death played by the present day children of the village. Kit's name is on it as he is named for a distant uncle. Evidence of the coal mines is everywhere but most compellingly, it is in a monument on which are engraved the names of those who died in the mines. Kit has recently moved to Stoneygate where his ancestors worked, along with most of the villagers, in the mines.

Skellig's intercession reinforces the idea that he might be an angel but then there's that owl business.įor children who like everything nice and tidy in their reading, this is not the book for them but for kids who like to expand their notion of possibility, this may be a perfect choice. Throughout all this with Skellig, Michael's new sister (unnamed, as yet) becomes more and more ill. Skellig is singularly unhelpful but Mina decides he must be moved into a house her family is about to renovate.Īlthough they leave him on the ground floor, when they return they find him in the attic being fed by a mother and father owl. By accident Michael discovers that those numbers stand for Skellig's favorite Chinese food which he gets for him. Another discomforting thing is the presence of strange humps on Skellig's shoulder blades. Relieved that he is not crazy, Michael gets the aspirin but is stumped on 27 and 53. Unsure, at first, that he has actually seen Skellig, Michael finally brings his new friend Mina to find out if she can also see Skellig.

Skellig lies amongst the dirt on the floor of the structure, eating flies. Michael first discovers Skellig in a broken-down garage on the property of his new home. She is ill and his parents are deeply concerned. Michael worries about his new baby sister. That's only one of the mysteries of this novel. Michael is, however, the name of the main character in this book. Michael's' has anything to do with this book or not. We're not sure if the fact that 'Skellig' is the name of a rocky, barren island off the coast of Ireland bearing a monastery called 'St.

Skellig by david almond