Year 7 Skellig
This half term students from 7A2 have been continuing their literature study with the novel ‘Skellig’ by David Almond.
Michael is going through a lot: he’s had to move house to one where the garden is a ‘wilderness’ and a broken toilet remains in what the estate agent optimistically calls the ‘dining room’. On top of this Michael’s parents are preoccupied with his new baby sister who is very ill. Michael is unhappy.
However, while exploring his new territory he finds a tired creature living in his dilapidated garage covered in cobwebs and bluebottles. Together with Mina, the strong-willed girl from next door, they try to help the being move to a safe place and in doing so become involved in the magic of Skellig.
The book is really magical. Almond writes in such a way that absorbs the reader thoroughly and students from 7A2 are no exception.
‘Skellig’ is not only a fantastic story, but allows for many other themes to be further investigated. For example, we have explored the poet William Blake whose ideas feature heavily in the novel – did you know that he says he saw angels in his garden? We have debated the pros and cons of a home school education compared with traditional schooling and we have looked at dreams and the significance they hold in literature and in our lives.
Click on the links below to see examples of students’ work as well as an extract from the novel and a poem by William Blake.