Back Cover Blurb:
“Man, bird, or angel? Who or what is Skellig?
“Ten-year old Michael was looking forward to moving into a new house. It was all going to be wonderful. But now his baby sister’s ill, his arents are frantic, and Dr. Death has come to call. Michael feels helpless. Then one day he steps into the crumbling garage.
“What is this thing beneath the spiderwebs and dead flies? A human being, or a strange kind of beast never seen before? The only person Michael can confide in is his new friend Mina. Together they carry the creature out into the light, and Michael’s world changes forever.
“Told in lyrical prose, Skellig is a mystery, an adventure, and a family story, in which Michael learns about nature, poetry, and the healing power of love.”
I am often driven crazy by this idea that is found surrounding Young Adult literature. This notion that – because an author is writing towards a younger audience – he needs to “dumb down” his words and writing style. This seems to be believes by YA authors, publishing companies, readers, and non-readers alike. Because of this, adolescent literature often gets a bad rep. Reading the work of authors like David Almond is refreshing, because they remind us that this stereotyped way of speaking to youth is unnecessary – kids are smart. If you give them something to read that is beautifully crafted, it won’t be too much for them to handle. Which is why I so enjoyed this book: it is beautiful; it is magical; it is poetical prose. It is certainly written towards a younger audience, yet it maintains an identity of being substantial literature containing beautiful language with merit.
Skellig reminds readers the importance of love, friendship, and miracles; and how one accompanies the others. And that is something people of all ages would do well to remember.
Works Cited:
Almond, David. Skellig. New York: Yearling, 1998. Print.
No comments:
Post a Comment