From: steven engelfried <stevene>
Date: Thu, 17 Feb 2000 20:28:59 -0800

Skellig is a great book for the 10 range, but I am glad it won the Printz Honor Award. I think older teens who are led to it because of the award will enjoy it, and maybe get a different kind of reading experience than they're used to. I read it aloud to my own kids, ages 12 and 9, and they loved it. They both suspected the wings sooner than I did, so they were obviously getting it. For comparison, they're years away from being ready for "Hard Love," "Speak," and "Monster." One reason I decided to read it aloud to them was because they're home schoolers, and Mina is the most interesting home schooler I've come across in children's literature (so far). I like the way Michael could appreciate Mina's way of learning, yet recognized (and helped her recognize maybe) that her snobbishness was out of line. "Skellig's" a wonderful novel for more important reasons than this, but it's still nice to have a three dimensional homeschooler in a kid's book..."The Berenstain Bears' Nerdy Nephew" or even the girl in Peck's
"Strays Like Us" just don't make it.

- Steven Engelfried, Children's Librarian
  Deschutes Public Library System, Bend Branch
  601 NW Wall Street Bend, OR 97701
  ph: 541a7p72 fax: 541a7p73
  e-mail: stevene at dpls.lib.or.us
Received on Thu 17 Feb 2000 10:28:59 PM CST