David Almond

See books by this author on Amazon

BOOKS BY THIS AUTHOR


Title: Kit's Wilderness: Description:
Kit has just moved to Stoneygate with his family, to live with his ageing grandfather who is gradually succumbing to Alzheimer's Disease. Stoneygate is an insular place, scarred by its mining history - by the danger and death it has brought them. Where the coal mine used to be there is now a wilderness. Here Kit meets Askew, a surly and threatening figure who masterminds the game called Death, a frightening ritual of hypnotism; and makes friends with Allie, the clever school troublemaker. As Kit struggles to adjust to his new life and the gradual failing of his beloved grandfather, these two friendships pull him towards a terrifying resolution. Haunted by ghosts of the past, Kit must confront death and - ultimately - life. From the Publisher NEWSPAPER REVIEWSIn David Almond's latest novel you can feel the chill from the ghosts that haunt its pages. An essential read. THE DAILY TELEGRAPH - 17 APRIL 1999Skellig showed that Almond was able to combine emotional involvement with a real skill for story-telling in a manner rare in any writer; his new book, Kit's Wilderness, is even better - I was surprised that was even possible... One of Almond's stengths is his willingness to look straight at suffering, to find a way to transform it that does not feel like an easy way out. THE TIMES - 20 MAY 1999Almond is a genius at conjuring up atmosphere. Often it is the small details that make you feel you're really there... The book makes a good point: that there is good in everyone, no matter how menacing or evil they might seem. I wouldn't be surprised if this scoops all this year's awards. THE HERALD GLASGOW - 3 APRIL 1999 Kit's Wilderness by Whitbread Award winner David Almond is an enthralling, multi-layered and complex story with a tension that builds and grips the reader as the book progresses. Kit's relationships with his Grandpa, with Askew - a threatening adversary - and with Allie - rebellious and exciting - are skilfully woven together in a story that also explores the relationship of the present with the past. THE BOOKSELLER - 12 FEBRUARY 1999It is set in a derelict former mining area, in the dark days of winter but it is ultimately an uplifting novel - powerful and beautifully written. THE BOOKSELLER - 19 MARCH 1999 About the Author David Almond's first novel for children, SKELLIG, won the Whitbread Children's Book of the Year Award and the Carnegie Medal, and his second, KIT'S WILDERNESS, won Silver in the Smarties Prize 9-11 category. Following the further success of HEAVEN EYES - shortlisted for the Whitbread Children's Book of the Year Award - and COUNTING STARS, David is widely regarded as one of the most exciting and innovative children's authors writing today. His books, which have been translated into more than twenty languages, are bestsellers all over the world. David lives with his family in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

Title: Heaven Eyes: Description:
Erin, January and Mouse live in a children's home, Whitegates. Running away is something they know all about - their dreams of escape frequently lead them into the outside world. But this time will be different. January has built a raft, and the trio head precariously down river, towards the Black Middens. There they stumble across a disused factory and its strange inhabitants - ancient Grampa and a mysterious girl, Heaven Eyes. Heaven Eyes desperately hopes that the children are her lost family - but Grampa keeps the truth of her history concealed. While Erin befriends Heaven Eyes, dreaming of her own lost mother, and Mouse tries to belong, January's suspicions grow ... From the Publisher Shortlisted for the Whitbread Children's Book of the Year Award. Striking new cover artwork for this magical book. About the Author David Almond's first novel for children, SKELLIG, won the Whitbread Children's Book of the Year Award and the Carnegie Medal, and his second, KIT'S WILDERNESS, won Silver in the Smarties Prize, was Highly Commended for the Carnegie Medal, and shortlisted for the Guardian Award. Following the further success of HEAVEN EYES - shortlisted for the Whitbread Children's Book of the Year - and COUNTING STARS, David is widely regarded as one of the most exciting and innovative children's authors writing today. His books, which have been translated into more than twenty languages, are bestsellers all over the world. David lives with his family in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

Title: Skellig (signature): Description:
When a move to a new house coincides with his baby sister's illness, Michael's world seems suddenly lonely and uncertain. Then, one Sunday afternoon, he stumbles into the old, ramshackle garage of his new home, and finds something magical. A strange creature - part owl, part angel, a being who needs Michael's help if he is to survive. With his new friend Mina, Michael nourishes Skellig back to health, while his baby sister languishes in the hospital. But Skellig is far more than he at first appears, and as he helps Michael breathe life into his tiny sister, Michael's world changes forever... From the Publisher Critical acclaim for Skellig from the press & fellow authors'A story of love and faith, written with exquisite, heart-fluttering tenderness. It is an extraordinarily profound book, no matter what the age of the reader' - THE CHAIRMAN OF THE WHITBREAD JUDGES 'Utterly gripping...A marvellous and unnerving debut' - TES 'Tremendously innovative, highly original and very moving. David Almond is a fascinating new voice' - MELVIN BURGESS 'Gripping, fascinating, beautiful' - JOAN AIKEN 'Tense and involving . . . something not to miss' - THE INDEPENDENT'Touched with a visionary intensity, this strange, hugely readable and life-affirming tale exercises every muscle of the imagination' - THE GUARDIAN 'A stunning debut...an extraordinary book' - THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH 'A beautifully written, superbly crafted modern fable'-THE BOOKSELLER 'This is a story which burns bright from first to last, and for long after it is over. A quite extraordinary book. Unforgettable.' - MICHAEL MORPURGO 'Stands head and shoulders about the rest...Almond is clearly an exceptional writer.' - LITERARY REVIEW 'Gripping, beautiful and brilliantly written...one of the great discoveries of the year...everyone is raving about this unforgettable book' - THE SUNDAY TIMES 'An intensely written and fast moving fable...a considerable achievement'-BOOKS FOR KEEPS 'I read this luminous novel with a sense of wonder - and it's left an imprint on my mind - and yes, my heart - that will not easily, if ever, fade. In fact, I think Skellig deserves that risky adjective - unforgettable.' - ROBERT CORMIER About the Author David Almond is twice winner of the Whitbread Children's Book Award. His first novel, SKELLIG, won the Whitbread Children's Award and the Carnegie Medal. His second, KIT'S WILDERNESS, won the Smarties Award Silver Medal, was Highly Commended for the Carnegie Medal, and shortlisted for the Guardian Award. THE FIRE-EATERS won the Whitbread, the Smarties Gold Award and was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal. David is widely regarded as one of the most exciting and innovative children's authors writing today, and his books are bestsellers all over the world. He lives with his family in Northumberland.

Title: Counting Stars: Description:
David Almond's Counting Stars is a collection of short stories that are as breathtaking as his novels, and which, more importantly give Almond fans an insight into the author and his childhood.

Title: The Fire-eaters: Description:
The story of two months in Bobby Burns' life. Things are falling apart, his dad's mysteriously ill. His new school is a cold and cruel place. The Third World War seems about to start. And then he meets McNulty, the fire-eater. 'There really is nobody quite like Almond writing in either children's or adult's fiction today' - The Times.

Title: Counting Stars: Description:
With stories that shimmer and vibrate in the bright heat of memory, David Almond creates a glowing mosaic of his life growing up in a large, loving Catholic family. He tenderly portrays those moments of awakening that carry a boy’s imagination far from the comforts and limits of his crowded home to the infinity of the star-studded universe. Here are the kernels of his novels—hope and fear, darkness and light, the bonds of ignorance and the healing power of love—in stories suffused with joy and an endless sense of wonder at the power of the imagination and the resilience of the human heart.