Book Review: Skellig
Author: David Almond
Michael has moved to a dark and dismal house, on top of that his baby sister has been born premature and is suffering with her heart .Michael –while looking for a hideout stumbles upon a strange creature in his garage. Just what, is the strange creature in the garage? And why does it want to be left alone, to die!
Michael has had a bad time of it recently; his sister might die, he’s had to move house, it’s falling apart and he’s found something in the garage –something that thinks he requires no help, but like it or not Michael wants to help; the fact he doesn’t now who or what is the thing will not stop him. Michael meets a girl, a girl named Mina,
who doesn’t go to school and tries to help Skellig and Michael as much she can. However at first he finds her annoying but soon comes to enjoy her company and appreciates her help. He changes in different ways and learns that you must have hope and that you should always help others.
Joy is Michael’s baby sister .She is important to the story as without her Michael might not have saved Skellig. She fits into the story but is critically ill, which means she is in hospital for most of the book. The book is clever in that you are uncertain of her fate, which keeps you on tenterhooks and you cannot put it down.
I enjoyed the moment when Skellig goes and helps the baby .It was dramatic and really had you wondering what he was and why he was there. I think that the writer -David Almond- wanted to teach the reader that you should always help those around you, no matter what the circumstance. This book really opens your eyes .Michael really feels for him as he has a younger sister that may die .
This book is fantastic; I would recommend it to anyone .The only problem is that he uses the pronoun “we” too much. It uses good describing words and is dramatic .It keeps you on tenterhooks all the time and keeps you guessing. I think this book makes you wonder and value all life.
By Rhiannon Garland
English Set 1Mr.Carroll.
The Book I have chosen to review is: ‘Skellig’ by David Almond.
This book is about a strange man in a garden shed who seeks no attention and wants to be left alone. However, Michael, the main character in the novel, is determined to help him whether he likes it or not. During this time, Michael’s younger sister is critically ill in hospital, the doctors are fighting to save her life but will their struggle pay off. The story is primarily set in Michael’s garden and he and Mina go venturing out in the middle of the night.
Mina she is very intelligent and yet very annoying to Michael; she is a fantastic artist and likes to sit in trees as Michael found out one day as he was walking home from school. She threw her sketch pad down from the tree and followed the pad down to speak to him. Mina becomes more caring during the course of the book because she and Michael look after Skellig and she shows a lot of sensivity towards him. She eventually becomes close friends with Michael and their relationship grows along with Skellig.
The baby is minor character whose plight you follow carefully in the story, she is Michael’s younger sister.
The story mainly revolves around her because she is so ill; she is in and out of hospital all the time and her parents anxiousness grows for her safety.
The main event that I enjoyed is the very magical moment where Michael finds Skellig and tries to discover what and where he has come from.
I think that the writer, David Almond, wanted to teach the reader that if you want some thing so badly, for instance Michael wanted to bring Skellig back to health, you should trust your instinct and do what you think is right by helping them as much as you can.
I think the book has a lot meaning to it, particularly that you will do any thing to help family/friends or even people you don’t know. I think the book is very good and is definitely worth a read so you can have your opinions as to it. I hope they are similar to mine! Enjoy!
By Jessica Latham. 7H
Alan Shearer
Bootleg is a story about chocolate being banned from everywhere. Everything made out of sugar is banned and is replaced with a healthy substitute. The ‘Good For You’ party is taking over the world...but how do Smudger and Huntley stop it? They are devoted chocolate and sweets buyers, but will they be able to keep their secret when they find a stash of unfound cocoa and sugar and start to make their own secret business under the noses of The ‘Good For You’ party.
Huntley Hunter is one of the main charactars he's Smudger Moore’s Best Friend, they both always buy chocolate from their local corner shop. Huntley is a daring character and takes the risk to sell bootlegger chocolate. He becomes even close friends to Smudger. Kylie Moore is the little sister of Smudger Moore, she affects the story because Smudger wants his little sister to at least taste chocolate before it gets baned.
I enjoyed the part where they were making secret chocolate whilst hiding it from the ‘Good For You’ Party because it’s very exciting and a lot of tension is built leading up to parts where they're nearly discovered.
I think that the writer wanted to teach us that you should try and further try and never give up on what you believe in. I think that the book is very gripping and tension building it makes you very excited and makes you want to read on and find out more... I really enjoyed the book because it keeps you interested and you end up on the edge of your seat.
By Holly Taylor 7V set: 1 Mr Carroll.
Claudia Archer 7H.
Book Review- ‘Toilet Of Doom’ By Michael Lawrence
‘Toilet of doom’ is part of a series of books which are called the “Jiggy McCue Stories” I chose this book because it is my favourite out of the collection. Jiggy is the hero of the stories, he is a 12 year old boy who goes to school and his best friends are called Angie and Pete. Angie and Pete help Jiggy solve problems and they help get him out of trouble. His actual name is Joseph, but his parents called him Jiggy because when he gets nervous or scared, his body starts shaking and moving about. Jiggy is a very humorous character and I think this is why he is very popular.
In this particular story, Pete gets a computer game called the ‘toilet of doom’. While he is playing the game, blue smoke comes out of the computer making Jiggy and Angie swap bodies. When they swap bodies, they have to learn how to live each other’s life. The book is quite amusing because it is a boy who has turned into a girl, so he needs to get used to a girls way of life and he doesn’t exactly know how to.
I think the story is about learning how other people feel about things, and there is a bit of a twist. I would recommend this book to anyone because it has an interesting story line and can be enjoyed by anyone because it is a good book for all the family. I would also recommend the rest of the collection, there are some links between the other books so I would read them from first to last. The rest of the collection are like this book, but they do not get boring and always have a different wacky story.
As Jiggy would say “one for all, and all for lunch!”
Book Review
Title of Book: Cool
Author: Michael Morpurgo
This book is about a young boy called Robbie and his dog Lucky. Robbie gets knocked unconscious by running after Lucky (as he runs after a cat) and gets hit by a car. As he lies in a Hospital bed he is unable to move, eat or talk but he can hear everything that is going on. It is set near Manchester in modern times.
Robbie – Robbie is a football playing, Animal loving boy. He supports Chelsea and his favourite player is Zola. He plays football as it says in the book… ‘I am Chelsea’s Biggest Fan, I will play for them one day!’
He changes in the book, as he was always a bit boisterous but when he is hit he is more calm and careful. His relationships change during the story, He loves his mum and dad and Sister but becomes to love them even more when he knows they love him and will look after him all the way. His relationship with Lucky never changes, as he has always loved him as much as he possibly could.
Lucky – Lucky fits into this story, as he is the cause of the accident. Without Lucky there would be no story. He is important as he causes Robbie to be knocked unconscious but he also cures him and makes him healthy and fit again.
My favourite part of this story was when Robbie’s dad brought Lucky (against hospital rules) to the hospital and took him to Robbie’s bed. Lucky recognises Robbie and jumps on his bed, Robbie doesn’t wake up…so Lucky keeps trying until miraculously Robbie wakes up.
I don’t think the writer wanted to teach anyone anything except don’t give up. Always believe that there is a way to success. In this case it was Robbie waking up.
My feelings after I read this book in year 6 changed. My reaction to it was that I didn’t expect that sudden ending. You expected him to die and to have the machine switched off where really he survives. It was a really good read and I would recommend it to a reader of any age range.
Rhiannon Murphy
7 Vaughan
Set 1
Mr. Carroll
The book I have chosen to review is ‘Triskellion’ by Will Peterson.Twins, Rachel and Adam are sent to live with their grandmother during their parents’ divorce. As they arrive, things just get worse than ever for Triskellion with the help of a very mysterious boy called Gabriel.The main characters in this story are Rachel and Adam. They are two twins that are living with their grandmother. They want to know what secrets that the people of Triskellion are trying to hide. I would say they like to be adventurous and they are not scared to try different things. Throughout the book, they seem to change towards the fact that they keep wanting to know more and more about the history of the little village, Triskellion.One of the minor characters in this book is Gabriel. Gabriel fits into the story by helping Rachel and Adam around the forests trying to find the Blades of Triskellion and find out who people really are. One event in the story that I really liked was when the Archaeologists try to dig beneath the symbol of the three Triskellion blades.I enjoyed this event because I really wanted to know what they were going to discover and how it was going to affect their expedition.I don't think the Author wanted to teach anyone anything because when I read this book, he only mentions Triskellion and it's history. So, if he did want to make a point, he didn't mention it enough to make you notice.I really enjoyed Triskellion because it was a really exciting and thrilling book to read. Unexpected suprises coming at you from all different directions!
ENJOY!!!By Karyn Tope, 7H
I have chosen the book called ‘The Witches’ by Roald Dahl.
It was published in 1983.ISBN number is 0141301104.
I really enjoyed this book and I thought it was a thrilling story. Through the story there were moments which played with your emotions but it was if the story came to a halt when the young boy lost his parents.
The young boy has his first incident with a witch, when he is up in his tree house andall of a sudden out of thin air a strange woman in black. It is set in the holiday hotel and at the grandmother’s house. I think the most interesting character is the grandmother as without her there would no story behind it. She plays this part well as she tells her grandson all about when she had come across a witch.
One minor character is Bruno Jenkins who comes into the story about half way through. Bruno is a rich boy has an attitude because he thinks everything is his. Bruno is always hungry and cannot get enough of food. He gets tricked into meeting the witches and he thinks they have a deal, but he is given a chemical called formular86 Delayed Action Mouse Maker-(witches potion). I like the bit at the end where the boy and Bruno are going to the restaurant and the boy puts the 86 delayed formula into the soup and immediately the potion starts to work. I thought that was the best moment because it felt as if the plan had all worked and had gone to plan. Actually I don't think there was a lesson behind the story but there was a sense of always have hope and never give in.
When I first bought the book I was about 7 or 8 and I thought I would read it again. I thought that it included brilliant cliff hangers at the end of each chapter that made me the reader carry on. It was that good that I would read it again. I think you should read the book because if you don't I really think you are missing out.
Sarah Linney.
Title: Skellig
Author:David Almond
The story is about a person/creature called Skellig. He has given up and wants to die until he meets Michael. Skellig is in a shed where Michael lives. It is set in the present ages.
Skellig wants to give up and die because there is nothing to live for. He tells Michael up front and doesn't move an inch apart from when he is eating. As soon as Michael doesn't let him rest, he then wants to stay alive. Michael introduces his friend called Mina to Skellig and he then becomes their friend because they are always checking up on him.
> I enjoyed the part where Skellig helps Michael’s sister from dying and he uses most of his energy to save her.
The book was good in parts, but I also didn't enjoy it because the sentences were minute-small,the vocabulary wasn’t varied enough and the conclusion (end of the story) wasn't that gripping because nothing really happened.
By Chenise Marsh
Skelig Book Review:
Aimee Midgley
The story “Skellig” is a very interesting book written by David Almond. It is about a boy called Michael, his family, friends and a very special ‘something’. Moving from a two bedroom modern flat to a three bed roomed historic house isn’t the best thing that could happen to Michel but as a discovery unfolds his mood drastically changes.
Michel is a worried person, he leads a very troubled life and is constantly asking questions. He makes you feel as though he looks on the bad side for everything but on the other side he is a very good friend and cares for people. Throughout the book his personality changes suddenly as he finds out who is close to him and what he can and can’t believe in.
Joy is in the same hospital as Michel’s sister, as he goes to see the baby he finds joy outside the ward each time he goes. As they start to talk they find out they have a lot in common, the main one issue being Joy has arthritis just like “his friend” Skellig. Michel can talk to grace and get advice from her for Skellig.
My favourite event in the book was when Michel and Mina when up to the Mystery tower in the forest and as they got to the floor where Skellig was eating what the birds had brought back for him. When Skellig noticed who they were he was no longer wary and joined hands and circled in the air. I liked this part best because it was very imaginative.
I think that the writer is teaching you to believe that your thoughts can never be carried away too far and that miracles can happen. Michael always wanted a miracle to happen and when he met Skellig, he made the baby better, a miraculous event.
The story was great, it grabbed me straight away and I just had to read on. It is very magical and mysterious, there are so many questions you ask yourself when reading Skelig such as what is he? What will happen next? Will the baby live? I would tell anyone to read Skellig, it’s brilliant!
Title of book: Kensuke’s Kingdom
Author of book: Michael Morpurgo
This Book is about a young boy named Michael whose parents decide to travel the world on a boat called the ‘Peggy Sue’. Whilst on this adventure many tragic things happen and Michael and his dog Stella end up on an island…alone. Or are they?
The main character in the story is Michael, but Kensuke is another really important character in the book. Michael is just a school boy but his parents want to travel around the world on their boat and Michael has to go with them. Kensuke is a very mysterious old man who seems to be a quiet person. Although Michael and Kensuke are extremely different, they end up becoming the best of friends. Michael also has a dog called Stella Artois and she helps Michael with many things. She also becomes friends with Kensuke, and some other characters they may meet on the island.
In this story when Michael feels alone and frightened, he believes that he has no chance of living on this island for very long, but then he meets Kensuke and they actually become very close. This was a really enjoyable part of the story because Kensuke helps Michael forget about his worries and experience new things on the island.
I think that the writer was trying to teach the reader that anyone can become friends. Even if they are the total opposite of each other like Michael(the young active school boy) and Kensuke(the old quiet man).
I really enjoyed reading this book, it was very entertaining and I don’t think I found one part of it boring. This is a book for all ages really because it made me think about how anybody can be friends, even if they are really different. Overall this book is fantastic!
Emily Macdougall
Skellig
Book ReviewBy Charlotte Craigie
Skellig by David Almond
The story is about a creature who lives in the garden shed. A boy called Michael moved into the house and explored the shed where Skellig was living.
Michael is a main character , at first he is selfish but then he starts to care and help out more .His relationship with others does change ,but you will have to read the book to find out !
Mina is a minor character but she is still important. She is a girl who likes to look at the world more closely and also likes to draw . She fits in with the story because she helps Michael with Skellig .
The one event in the story that I liked the most waswhen Michael finds Skellig because Michael doesn’t want to leave him there he wants to help him.
I think the writer did want to teach the reader something . I think he wanted to tell the reader to never give up on anything .I thought the book was great I enjoyed it and I would definitely read it again sometime .
Skellig!
From the start there are problems as Michael moves house then realises his mum’s pregnant. With his baby sister’s illness, Michael’s world seems suddenly lonely and upsetting. When Michael is helping his dad with the house, he stumbles into the old garage in his garden and realises there is something strange and magical in there. The creature claims he needs no help but Michael doesn’t give up...
Skellig seems far more than capable of helping Michael and his sister and as he helps her through her many days in the hospital. It changes Michael’s life forever.
Michael meets a girl called Mina who just lives in a cottage over the hills. She enjoys drawing and studying birds. Michael doesn’t like her until he realises how much help she gives him in taking care of Skellig.
Skellig is a creature who is half Bird half Angel. He has an unusual diet by eating insects and the curry order, numbers 27 and 53. He sits there in the garage for months and months until they take him to the woods after his dad tried burning it down. Michael still hasn’t told his parents about him.
I definitely recommend you read this book because it’s magical and it’s unusual. I enjoyed this book because it was gripping and I could imagine how it would feel to be in that situation. Give this book a try because it’s written by a brilliant author ‘David Almond’. You should also try some other books written by him. Most people in the class agreed that it was a brilliant book.
Daniel Bartos 7 Henshaw set1
Title of book: Skellig
Author: David Almond
Source: read in English Lessons
The story Skellig is all about a boy named Michael and a girl called Mina. They are determined to help out an ancient looking man who is fed up with his life and can't find reasons to live. Michael and his Mum and Dad buy a new house which none of them like. The main part of the story is based in Michael's back garden and the shed in which the old man lives in. During all the mayhem, Michael's sister becomes critically ill and gets taken to hospital to have dangerous operations on her heart.
Michael is a considerate young boy who throughout the story wants to make Skellig stronger and be able to live his old life again. His relationship with Mina grows a lot stronger as the terrible events happen to Michael and his family. He is a lad who won't be always truthful to his parents but will keep a secret even if his life depended on it. Mina is an amazing artist and takes close detail to everything she sees which Michael finds out, when she stops him coming home from school to say that he has a dead bug in his hair. She and Michael sneak out at night to see their dying friend. She comforts Michael as his sister is in intensive care at the hospital. They share a very close bond.
My favourite part in the story is the ending in which you will have to read to find out......I found it an incredibly great story which I would recommend to anyone. It was probably the best story I have read in a long time.
Review by Matthew Jackson 7 Henshaw
Skellig
Book ReviewBy Charlotte Craigie
Skellig by David Almond
The story is about a creature who lives in the garden shed. A boy called Michael moved into the house and explored the shed where Skellig was...
Michael is a main character , at first he is selfish but then he starts to care and help out more .His relationship with others does change ,but you will have to read the book to find out !
Mina is a minor character but she is still important. She is a girl who likes to look at the world more closely and also likes to draw . She fits in with the story because she helps Michael with Skellig .
The one event in the story that I liked the most waswhen Michael finds Skellig because Michael doesn’t want to leave him there he wants to help him.
I think the writer did want to teach the reader something . I think he wanted to tell the reader to never give up on anything .I thought the book was great I enjoyed it and I would definitely read it again sometime .
Lewis Reay
My book report on ‘Private Peaceful’
By Michael Morpurgo.
This story is full of fun, laughter and sadnessand the novel is set during the first world war.
It all starts with ‘Tommo’, the youngest child, going into the forest with his father woodchoping. However when he takes his swing the tree falls. Tommo turns and tries to move his dad but... While this is happening the Royal Army is marching through looking for new candidates for the front line. Charlie is called up to Join and an old lady says, "Do it please for me".
This is a very touching story and one of my very favourite moments is when tommo falls in love with Molly (the girl that Charlie and Tommo Like).
This story is very very gripping and you will not be able to put it down; this book is so amazing it was chosen for the Salford 2007/08 Book Of the Year Award for children. It is also one of the greatest books which I have ever read. I would really recommend this book to any one over the age 9. I believe this it may have some Language not suitable for younger children.
Skellig
David Almond
The book ‘Skellig’ by David Almond is about a boy called Michael, who
finds a mysterious man in his shed. Michael finds out that the man is not normal and he has arthritis but he will not let Michael help him. Michael's little newborn sister is very ill and needs help, Michael does everything he can to help her.
Michael is a teenager and all he wants to do is help his family and this man called Skellig. He tries to make the house better for his little sister, he bring food to Skellig and he says that all he wants to do is help. H finds a friend called Mina, at first he doesn't really like her; he thinks that she is strange because she is home-schooled and she doesn't have any friends.
During the course of the book his attitude to Mina changes and he becomes friends with her. He becomes a lot happier and he gets rid of his fear of heights.
Michael's little sister is very ill and Michael tries his best to help
her but he also gets other people to help her too. She is a very important character because without her none of the character would learn how to help each other.
I enjoyed the part where Michael discovers the man and the man just
wants to be left alone. I enjoyed it because you don't expect that he was going to be like that and Michael is shocked and doesn't now what to do.
I think that David Almond wanted to teach us to help each other and that's the message of the whole book. I think that the book was excellent and I would definitely tell people to read the book. It is one of the best boos I have ever read and I would like to read it again. I liked it because you don't expect anything that is going to happen and you defiantly didn't expect it to end like that. I would like to read more of David Almond's books and see if they are as good as this book Skellig.
By Amy Rees 7T
'Scarlett' by Cathy Cassidy
If you don’t believe in wishes, can they still come true?(blurb line)
Scarlett is out of control! She’s dyed her hair ketchup red ,she's been kicked out of 5 schools in two years, pierced her tongue and started a riot. Things get much worse when her mum has had enough and moves her in with her dad in Ireland across the sea. Could this be the end or a start to the adventure?
The book starts straight in the action as Scarlett is in the head teacher's office and she's going to be expelled. There's also an extremely intense but saddening scene, part way through, the birth of Claire’s (her mother-in law) baby. Other scenes also include the meeting of Kian and Scarlett where she has sprained her ankle and he comes galloping passionately along the shore. This is a really powerful book full of demanding vocabulary. On the other hand, there are emotional moments but all round it keeps a fast paced storyline.
Scarlett is the sort of book that once you start reading it, you don't want to put it down and when you finish it, you really want to read Cathy Cassidy’s other books. Scarlett likes trouble. She’s attracted to it, like a bee to honey. All her trouble seems to lead to a great joy for her as with school for example without she wouldn’t have met Kian and wouldn’t have carried on seeing him.
To conclude, Scarlett is an outstanding book giving positive opinions even when things are tough. I believe this to be the moral of this story. I would give this book a four and a half star rating for entertainment language and character. The only problem I did find was that a lot of the sentences had a repeated opening like 'so' and 'then she'. Otherwise it was brilliant.
by Asia Williams 7Henshaw
The book I have chosen is 'Double Act' by Jaquline Wilson.
I got this book from a public library and I really enjoyed it, rating it 5 out of 5.
The story is based on twins called Ruby and Garnet; their dad gets a girlfriend called Rose and they don't like her because they want their mum back.
Ruby and Garnet run away to do a see what their dad will do ......
Garnet is shy and always keeps in her dad’s good books so she doesn't get in trouble and she hardly talks in the story. She wants to give Rose a chance but has to agree with Ruby or she will fall out with her. She doesn’t know if she should run away but she thinks about it and eventually she does. But what does she do about her dad?
Rose is a minor character and tries to be their mum but she doesn’t know what the twins and their gran think of her. Does she find out? If she does, what does she do and think about them now?
My favourite part is when the twins find a book that says 'Accounts' they don’t know what it's for and their dad says its for a bank. They use it to write down memories and they tell a story of when Garnet wees in her school play because she is so nervous. I laughed so much (ha ha ha )
The book teaches you not to judge a book by its cover. In the story they don't like Rose even when they only saw her for 10 minutes and they didn't know what she was really like. I really enjoyed this book I enjoyed it so much I would read it again, again and again.
I recommend this book to all young readers it will make you laugh and read it again. If you don't laugh the first time read it again and then you will laugh as that's what I did.
By Reagan Bowling 7 marshall
Book Review
David Almond
Skellig
Skellig is a short book about an ancient creature named Skellig whom is driven on alcohol, cod liver oil and Chinese take away, until a young boy and his unlikely friend mina stumble across him in Michael’s shed just waiting to die alone, hopeless and defenceless.
Michael is a
Mina is a strange girl whom lives across the road from Michael and loves poetry, climbing trees and drawing the environment around her. Michael finds this out on his way home from school one night when she jumps out of the tree and all of her poetry and drawing books fall out of her hands. Michael and Mina are a very unlikely match whom grow as friends over time.
I would recommend this book to someone with an average reading age although you may find some long words you may not have come across before, but I found this book very easy to read and I would highly recommend it
