Skellig by David Almond

Skellig by David Almond is a story about a boy named Michael. Michael's infant sister is born incredibly ill and the entire family changes as a result. They move to an old house and Michael begins to explore the property. He finds an old dilapidated shed in the back yard and, hiding inside, Michael meets Skellig, a strange old man on the brink of death. Michael also meets a neighbor, Mina, who is home schooled, and introduces Michael to an entirely different way of thinking and learning. Michael lets Mina in on the secret of Skellig and the two begin nursing him back to health with positive thinking and Chinese food. All the while, Michael's parents are in and out of the hospital with his baby sister. Eventually, the baby needs an operation and Michael and Mina decide to move Skellig to an abandoned house close to where they live. Everything comes together at the end with the outcome of the operation and the disappearance of Skellig.

This book was a quick read. The story was very sweet! I really felt for Michael - torn between his school pals and his new, yet strange, friend Mina. I could understand Michael and his family's sorrow over the sick child. I got truly involved with the characters, and that, to me, is what makes a book great.

Antsy Does Time by Neal Shusterman

Antsy Does Time by Neal Shusterman is the sequel to The Schwa Was Here. This one features Antsy (post-Schwa) working at his parents' new restaurant, Paris, Capisce?, and living the life of a typical freshman. While rushing to the Thanksgiving Day parade to watch as the Roadkyll Raccoon balloon flies out of control, Antsy learns some disturbing information about his friend, Gunnar Umlaut: he is dying of Pulmonary Monoxic Systemia. Antsy is so moved by how brave Gunnar appears, that he wants to do something for him. Thus the idea of donating time is born. Antsy writes up a contract donating one month of his own life to tack on to the end of Gunnar's. Unbelievably, the idea catches on and soon Antsy is busy writing and rewriting contracts for everyone from kids at school to the superintendent! Everything falls apart, however, when Antsy discovers that Gunnar isn't actually sick. He made it all up. Antsy has to work on a way to resolve his problem, all while dating Gunnar's older and beautiful sister, earning back his family's trust after a disasterous evening at Paris, Capisce during which Antsy poured a pitcher of water over a New York senator, and entertaining his awful Aunt Mona. Just when things seemed like they couldn't get any worse, they do...

This book was hilarious. I laughed out loud numerous times. Neal Shusterman is a really funny author. His humor is as much in the little side remarks as in the story itself. The idea of donating time is so unique! I really liked the way Antsy worked through his own issues as he learned about and helped Gunnar and Kjersten through their own. It was fun to read about this character again!