What is Skellig about?
10 year old Michael explores the run-down garage at his new home and finds a strange man sitting amongst discarded carpet, boxes and bags of cement. He keeps the man a secret as he hardly believes what he saw.
His parents have worries enough with his new premature baby sister in and out of hospital. Michael must deal with his secret, the strange girl down the street, and worries about his very ill sister.
Plot summary of Skellig (No Spoilers)
Michael can hardly believe his eyes. There is a man inside the garage at his new home, sitting amongst the rubbish that fills the space. This man wears an old black suit and is covered in dust and spider webs. His voice comes out croaky and dry.
After being told to stay out of the crumbling garage by his parents, Michael doesn’t want to tell them about the strange man and he’s not even sure what he saw. When he finally does share his secret, it is with the girl called Mina who lives down the street.
Mina is home schooled and seems so much wiser than his own friends, so in between them, they decide to help the stranger who tells them he is called Skellig.
Holding this secret close, Michael is also dealing with the worries that fill his home. Mum is in and out of hospital with her premature baby girl, while Dad spends many hours redecorating for when they return, and Michael hangs out with Mina.
Tension rises as Skellig builds his strength, but his baby sister gets sicker. Who or what is Skellig? Will his baby sister be okay?
Review
This is the 3rd time I’ve read Skellig over the past 20 years, and I love it more every time. Winner of the Carnegie Medal 1999, and the Whitbread Children’s Book of the Year Award, Skellig is also now deemed a classic.
I’m a strong believer in,
“Just because it’s an older book, doesn’t mean it’s not worth reading.”
Skellig can be read by anyone now (2026), and enjoy it just as much as when it was published in the late 1990’s.
David Almond has a unique way with his stories, and Skellig is a mix of reality and fantasy for a boy of 10 dealing with big issues. I love all of the characters of this novel, who seamlessly slot themselves in your heart as they face the challenges in front of them.
The themes of new life, hope and love are mirrored in the oncoming of Spring, Skellig‘s health improving and Michael’s baby sister receiving the help she needs.
A beautiful story.
Book Style
170 pages / 46 chapters (short)
FAQ’s
What age is it for?
11+
Where & When is it set?
Newcastle Upon Tyne England / Late 1990’s
What is the Point of View / Tense of the novel?
First person / Past Tense
Is there Violence?
No
What genre is Skellig?
Middle Grade Fantasy-Mystery
Themes
Fantasy / Friendship / Family / Love
Is it part of a series?
Yes
- My Name is Mina (2010) Prequel to Skellig
- Skellig (1998)
Author
David Arnold
Publisher
Hodder Children’s Books
(1998, Hodder Children’s Books, Family, Love, Secret, Animals, Fantasy, Friendship, Growing up, School, Award Winners, England, Football, Angel, Stranger, Premature, Heart, New Baby in Family, Illness)