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TeachingBooks Meet-the-Author Slideshow with David Almond David Almond on the children in his books Created by TeachingBooks.net. About Half a Creature from the Sea. Master storyteller David Almond presents a beautiful collection of short fiction, interwoven with pieces that illuminate the inspiration behind the stories. May Malone is said to have a monster in her house, but what Norman finds there may just be the angel he needs.
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In fiction, real worlds merge with dreamed worlds. Real people walk with ghosts and figments. Earthly truth goes hand in hand with watery lies…
May Malone is said to have a monster in her house, but what Norman finds there may just be the angel he needs. Joe Quinn’s house is noisy with poltergeists, or could it be Davie’s raging causing the disturbance? Fragile Annie learns...more
May Malone is said to have a monster in her house, but what Norman finds there may just be the angel he needs. Joe Quinn’s house is noisy with poltergeists, or could it be Davie’s raging causing the disturbance? Fragile Annie learns...more
Published September 22nd 2015 by Candlewick Press (first published 2007)
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Rating details
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May 30, 2019Renee Godding rated it it was ok
Loved the titular story, but unfortunately didn’t care for the other 7 of them.
Sep 24, 2015Alex (not a dude) Baugh rated it it was amazing
David Almond has been one of my favorite, go-to authors for a long time now. He always manages to write stories that seem to be about the ordinary until he peels the ordinary away and reveals the extraordinary in life. Each one of his works has a distinctive voice and perspective and I have often wondered where or how Almond comes up with his ideas. I think you will agree that novels like Skellig and The True Tale of the Monster Billy Dean Telt by Hisself, and his latest, A Song for Ella Grey, a...more
Aug 11, 2016Sam rated it liked it · review of another edition Shelves: biography, fantasy, teens, contemporary-fiction, horror, humour, mystery, shorts, childrens, proper-books
Having picked this up on a whim (needed a white covered book for a reading challenge) I didn't really know what to expect, and to be honest I'm still not sure what to make of it. Almond has an intriguing writing style that flows beautifully but I found most of his stories a little weird and it felt as if there was something else hidden behind the words that I couldn't quite uncover. Each story has been inspired by a moment or event in Almond's life, as written in the short introduction for each...more
Sep 23, 2017Bri rated it liked it
'What am I? Body, brain, soul, or all of these? Infant, boy, man, or all of those things together? Or nothing, just nothing at all?'
Alternative Titles Created By Me:
- Perhaps Ghosts Are Real: A Life in Tales
- I Was A Rude Preteen: A Life in Stories
- 1950's-60's Scottish Slang Is Difficult To Read: A Life of Confusion
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Let me just say that the first story of the collection was terribly weak. I almost DNF'ed only 15 pages in. I was confused and bored and confused once more. I thought this bo...more
“Go on. Run and play. Those that can run should run, those that can play should play.”
“Places to go,” she sighs. “People to see. A life to live.”
I love David Almond’s approach toward short stories. He regards stories as living things, they must be solid and touchable. He creates stories based on ordinary places and sew them into extraordinary. The result? These 8 short stories is easy to read, begins with ordinary situation and characters and end with touching lessons—about how important hope is...more
“Places to go,” she sighs. “People to see. A life to live.”
I love David Almond’s approach toward short stories. He regards stories as living things, they must be solid and touchable. He creates stories based on ordinary places and sew them into extraordinary. The result? These 8 short stories is easy to read, begins with ordinary situation and characters and end with touching lessons—about how important hope is...more
Aug 02, 2015Tanja rated it it was amazing
David Almond's stories are always extremely creative; at the same time I find them often strange and weird, as the lines between reality and paranormal are blurred and I am often not sure whether I really enjoy the stories, yet they keep me intrigued and reading. This book is somehow no exception, yet it took me much less time to warm up to the stories and characters than in other books and I can honestly say at the end of the book I loved it! Inspired by the author's childhood, this collection...more
Oct 26, 2015Lara rated it really liked it Shelves: cover-candy, young-adult, read-in-2015, short-stories-novellas-essays, fantasy, libraried
I thought it was really interesting, the way he did this. Before each story, Almond describes his life--where he lived as a kid, his friends, what was going on in his family and in the world around him at the time, and talks about how those things lead to him writing the story that follows. The stories are good. As probably everyone in the world knows by now I'm not generally a big fan of short stories, but I feel like Almond is actually really good at them, and I felt like the book got stronger...more
Oct 24, 2014Beth rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
This book was wonderful. I don't often read short story books (apart from Roald Dahl) but i was very glad I read this. The stories themselves were so interesting, funny and unique. I especially loved the biography chapters which proceeded each story as it give you a good sense of why the story was written and you get to know the author very well. My favourite story was Harry Miller's Run because you just really loved the old man and his story. The images of Harry, Norman, Stanley & Veronica...more
Feb 19, 2015Laura Vaughan rated it really liked it · review of another edition
Almond's writing is haunting. This collection of short stories explores elements of magical realism in everyday environments; snippets of autobiographical prose intersperse the stories to give a well informed observation of the following tale.
The language is beautiful and often brings goosebumps and sometimes a few tears. This is a collection that will stay with you long after the final page.
Sometimes the written dialect is a little jarring, but Almond's imagery more than makes up for it.
Be s...more
The language is beautiful and often brings goosebumps and sometimes a few tears. This is a collection that will stay with you long after the final page.
Sometimes the written dialect is a little jarring, but Almond's imagery more than makes up for it.
Be s...more
Eight short stories, some of which worked better than others, interspersed with autobiographical notes, which I very much enjoyed. A beautifully written mixed bag.
Got about half way through, and while the stories were intriguing, I was not compelled to finish them all.
Nov 12, 2014Michael Earp rated it really liked it · review of another edition
The intros to each short story really add to the whole reading experience. I really enjoyed it.
Stumbling into the writing of David Almond has been one of my very happiest accidents as a reader in recent years, and delving deeper into his work has proved to be an ever-shifting and constant joy and surprise. Half a Creature from the Sea is a short story collection and memoir and ars poetica wrapped in one; filled with the sorts of sharp delights, unexpected turns of narrative, and bald, unflinching admissions that make Almond's often fantastical work seem so genuine and immediate. One gets...more
Oct 05, 2018Rebecca rated it really liked it
These reflective stories based on the author's childhood are infused with magic and fantasy, much like his wonderful novels (Skellig is my favorite so far). I enjoyed them, but taking the YA perspective, I don't think many of the teen readers I know would gravitate towards the book. Also, some young readers (if they're American) may have trouble reading the English vernacular. But it is a good collection of vignettes about growing up, being rooted in a particular place and time, and making sense...more
Apr 30, 2018Eleanor Luhar rated it liked it · review of another edition
David Almond is definitely a unique author.
This book is a collection of short stories based on Almond's own childhood, mixed in with anecdotes of his own experiences. Like most of Almond's writing, there is a very strange magic realism throughout these stories.
The stories are all based in Felling-on-Tyne, but Almond notes how he altered the setting to fit his stories. The characters are also a mix of fictional and real people.
Religion was clearly a big part of Almond's upbringing, and he envelop...more
This book is a collection of short stories based on Almond's own childhood, mixed in with anecdotes of his own experiences. Like most of Almond's writing, there is a very strange magic realism throughout these stories.
The stories are all based in Felling-on-Tyne, but Almond notes how he altered the setting to fit his stories. The characters are also a mix of fictional and real people.
Religion was clearly a big part of Almond's upbringing, and he envelop...more
Jul 03, 2017Ari rated it really liked it
David Almond is possibly my favorite author ever? His style is so distinctive and so beautiful, and his stories are captivating in a way that honestly feels like an enchantment. I liked the stories in these collection individually, but even more than that I loved the way they wove together to create this weird and magical world and I love that the author's own story is woven in there too. A lovely book.
Loved this selection of short stories and David Almond's fabulous introductions. They evoke so clearly that time when you're working out what's real and what isn't; what's true and what's false; what is good disguised as evil and evil disguised as good; and so often they're the same thing. I recognise how accurately the influence of Catholicism is drawn - the refuge and torment of so many.
Jul 30, 2017Marie Leonard hullis rated it really liked it
I loved reading David Almond's stories to my children when they were younger. It was fascinating to read this collection of stories and memoir because they provide some insight to the inspiration and vision a truly original writer. Harry Miller's Run made me cry.
Would have appreciated a warning that there would be a story about suicide
Jan 14, 2018Emma Vardy rated it liked it · review of another edition
Collection of short stories. Liked each one had a introduction telling the reader the ideas behind the story. Liked each story in the book.
It looked really good when I first picked it up but then I found out it was not that good
Jan 12, 2019Karine Samaroo rated it really liked it
Literally life in stories. It was well written, an easy book to start the year. Raises some moral questions within oneself, brilliant book!
Sep 23, 2017Colby rated it really liked it
A poignant, parochial little gem - deeper than one would expect; thoughtful and stirring.
The thing with David Almond is there always seems to be an underlying message that I can never seem to grasp...so to me it's just alot if veryy random stories.
Oct 18, 2017Claire O'Sullivan rated it liked it
Read with Prison Reading Group as part of the Durham Book Festival Big Read. A pleasant enough read.
May 26, 2015Jenna (Falling Letters) rated it really liked it
Review originally posted 16 June 2015 on Falling Letters. I received a copy from the publisher via Netgalley.
I last read a short story collection years ago, I suppose. I only read such collections when an author I adore publishes one. Why did I pick up Half a Creature from the Sea? This sentence from the NetGalley description sold it for me: 'Set in the northern English Tyneside country of the author’s childhood, these eight short stories by the incomparable David Almond evoke gritty realities a...more
I last read a short story collection years ago, I suppose. I only read such collections when an author I adore publishes one. Why did I pick up Half a Creature from the Sea? This sentence from the NetGalley description sold it for me: 'Set in the northern English Tyneside country of the author’s childhood, these eight short stories by the incomparable David Almond evoke gritty realities a...more
Read the first two stories but could not get into the style.
Jul 18, 2016Anna Louise rated it liked it · review of another edition
Author - David Almond
Genres - Mystery, fiction, anthology, friendship
Age Group Recommendation - 9+
Cover - In my opinion, the cover of this short story collection is very interesting because there are quite random things thrown on it that you wouldn't usually expect to see together, such as a giraffe, a house and a gramophone floating in the sea.
Some readers may think that each illustration represents a story; I disagree. Some of them might do, but I don't think all of them fit in and the office...more
Genres - Mystery, fiction, anthology, friendship
Age Group Recommendation - 9+
Cover - In my opinion, the cover of this short story collection is very interesting because there are quite random things thrown on it that you wouldn't usually expect to see together, such as a giraffe, a house and a gramophone floating in the sea.
Some readers may think that each illustration represents a story; I disagree. Some of them might do, but I don't think all of them fit in and the office...more
Jul 06, 2015Tasha rated it it was amazing
In a series of short stories, master author Almond takes readers back to the magical times of his childhood as well as our own. The stories are all set in the places that Almond grew up in. The stories range in topic, but each one offers glimpses of wonder and deep understanding. They also all speak to the power of stories in our lives, whether they are to reveal or to hide the truth. The eight stories in the book give us characters living normal yet extraordinary lives. There is the girl reject...more
I actually haven't read any of David Almond's works before, but this collection of short stories really tugged at my heartstrings. There's a reason I don't read short stories often, and it's because I always, always want more. Never has this rung more true with this book. I particularly loved the titular story, Half a Creature from the Sea , itself.
It is safe to say that I will be reading more of Almond's work in future.
REREAD NOTES
It's been a year since I read this book. I haven't read any of...more
It is safe to say that I will be reading more of Almond's work in future.
REREAD NOTES
It's been a year since I read this book. I haven't read any of...more
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David Almond is a British children's writer who has penned several novels, each one to critical acclaim. He was born and raised in Felling and Newcastle in post-industrial North East England and educated at the University of East Anglia. When he was young, he found his love of writing when some short stories of his were published in a local magazine. He started out as an author of adult fiction be...more
Almond in 2008 | |
Born | 15 May 1951 (age 68) Newcastle upon Tyne, England |
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Occupation | Writer |
Period | 1998–present |
Genre | Children's novels, speculative fiction, Magic Realism |
Notable works |
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Notable awards | Carnegie Medal 1998 Hans Christian Andersen Award for Writing 2010 Eleanor Farjeon Award 2015 |
Website | |
davidalmond.com |
David AlmondFRSL (born 15 May 1951) is a British author who has written several novels for children and young adults from 1998, each one receiving critical acclaim.
He is one of thirty children's writers, and one of three from the U.K., to win the biennial, international Hans Christian Andersen Award, 'the world's most prestigious prize in children's literature'.[1][2]For the 70th anniversary of the British Carnegie Medal in 2007, his debut novelSkellig (1998) was named one of the top ten Medal-winning works, selected by a panel to compose the ballot for a public election of the all-time favourite.[3] It ranked third in the public vote from that shortlist.[4]
- 2Career
Early life and education[edit]
Almond was born in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1951 and raised in neighbouring Felling.[5] His father was an office manager in an engineering factory and his mother a shorthand typist. He was raised Catholic at St Joseph's Catholic Academy and had four sisters and one brother.[6] As a child, he dreamed of becoming a writer and 'wrote stories and stitched them into little books.'[6] He describes his childhood as one with 'much joy' but also 'much sadness,' losing his younger sister and father at a young age.[6]
He was educated at the University of East Anglia and Newcastle Polytechnic.[5] After graduating, Almond worked as a teacher for five years; he then moved to an artists' commune in Norfolk and concentrated on his writing.[5] He returned to Newcastle and worked as a part-time special needs teacher while editing the literary journal Panurge.[5]
Career[edit]
Almond published his first collection of stories in 1985, Sleepless Nights. His second collection, A Kind of Heaven, appeared in 1987. He then wrote a series of stories which drew on his own childhood, and which would eventually be published as Counting Stars, published by Hodder in 2000. In the next seven years, four more novels by Almond made the Carnegie Medal shortlist of five to eight books.[7] Since Skellig his novels, stories, and plays have also brought international success and widespread critical acclaim. They are Kit's Wilderness (1999), Heaven Eyes (2000), Secret Heart (2001), The Fire Eaters (2003), Clay (2005), Jackdaw Summer (2008), and My Name is Mina (2010), a prequel to Skellig. He collaborates with leading artists and illustrators, including Polly Dunbar (My Dad's a Birdman and The Boy Who Climbed Into the Moon); Stephen Lambert (Kate, the Cat and the Moon;) and Dave McKean (The Savage, Slog's Dad and the forthcoming Mouse Bird Snake Wolf). His plays include Wild Girl, Wild Boy, My Dad's a Birdman, Noah & the Fludd and the stage adaptations of Skellig and Heaven Eyes.
Almond's novel The True Tale of the Monster Billy Dean (2011) was published in two editions: Adult (Penguin Viking); and Young Adult (Puffin). 2012 publications include The Boy Who Swam With Piranhas (illustrated by Oliver Jeffers). In 2013, Mouse Bird Snake Wolf (illustrated by Dave McKean) was published.
His works are highly philosophical and thus appeal to children and adults alike. Recurring themes throughout include the complex relationships between apparent opposites (such as life and death, reality and fiction, past and future); forms of education; growing up and adapting to change; the nature of the 'self'. He won the Hans Christian Andersen Award for his writing, which biennially recognises the 'lasting contribution' of one living author.[1][8] (He had been one of five finalists in 2008.)[9]The jury president, Ms Zohreh Ghaeni from Iran, observed that Almond 'writes about children in crisis, while continuously giving hope to them', and cited in particular his first two novels, Skellig and Kit's Wilderness. She called 'bibliotherapy' such as she attributed to Almond 'a vital activity for all children around the world.'[10]When it named him a finalist months before, the international jury cited his 'deeply philosophical novels that appeal to children and adults alike, and encourage readers by his use of magic realism'.[11]For his body of work Almond was also a British nominee for the Astrid Lindgren Award at the same time.[11]He is Professor of Creative Writing at Bath Spa University.
Awards[edit]
Almond's major awards include the Hans Christian Andersen Award, Carnegie Medal (Skellig);[12] two Whitbread Awards; the U.S. Michael L. Printz Award for young-adult books (Kit's Wilderness);[a] the Smarties Prize, ages 9–11 years (The Fire-Eaters); the U.S. Boston Globe–Horn Book Award, Children's Fiction (The Fire-Eaters); the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize (A Song for Ella Grey);[13][14] Le Prix Sorceress (France); the Katholischer Kinder-und Jugendbuchpreis (Germany); and a Silver Pencil and three Silver Kisses (Netherlands).[clarification needed][citation needed]
The Skellig prequel My Name is Mina (Hodder, 2010) was a finalist for three major annual awards: the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize,[15]the Carnegie Medal,[16]and the (German) Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis.[citation needed]
Works[edit]
- Sleepless Nights (Cullercoats, Tyne and Wear: Iron Press, 1985), collection
- A Kind of Heaven (Iron Press, 1997), collection
- Skellig (Hodder Children's Books, 1998)
- Kit's Wilderness (Hodder, 1999)
- Counting Stars (Hodder, 2000), collection
- Heaven Eyes (Hodder, 2000)
- Secret Heart (Hodder, 2001)
- Where Your Wings Were (Hodder, March 2002), collection – World Book Day selection from Counting Stars, OCLC48487565
- The Fire Eaters (Hodder, 2003)
- Clay (Hodder, 2005)
- My Dad's a Birdman, illus. Polly Dunbar (Walker Books, 2007)
- Jackdaw Summer (Hodder, 2008); US title, Raven Summer
- The Boy Who Climbed Into the Moon, illus. Dunbar (Walker, 2010)
- My Name is Mina (Hodder, 2010) – prequel to Skellig
- The True Tale of the Monster Billy Dean (Penguin, 2011)
- The Boy Who Swam With Piranhas, illus. Oliver Jeffers (Walker, 2012)
- Mouse Bird Snake Wolf, illus. Dave McKean (Walker, 2013)
- A Song for Ella Grey (Hodder, 2014)
- The Tightrope Walkers (Penguin, 2014)
- The Colour of the Sun (Hodder, 2018)
- Picture books and graphic novels
- Kate, the Cat and the Moon, illus. Stephen Lambert (2004)
- The Savage, illus. McKean (2008)
- Slog's Dad, illus. McKean (2009)
- The Dam, illus. Levi Pinfold (2018)
- Plays
- Wild Girl, Wild Boy (2002)
- My Dad's a Birdman
- Noah & the Fludd
- Skellig (2002), adaptation of his novel
- Heaven Eyes (), adaptation of his novel
Personal life[edit]
Almond now lives in Newcastle upon Tyne. He has a daughter, Freya.[6]
See also[edit]
- Click, a work of collaborative fiction to which Almond contributed
Notes[edit]
- ^The American Library Association inaugurated its annual Printz Award for young-adult books with 1999 U.S. publications. Through 2012 no one has won two. With Skellig one of three inaugural runners-up and Kit's Wilderness the winner of the second Award (dated 2001), Almond is one of two writers with one Printz Medal and one 'Honor Book'.
'Michael L. Printz Winners and Honor Books'. Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). American Library Association. (ALA).
'The Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature'. YALSA. ALA. Retrieved 2013-07-29.
References[edit]
- ^ ab'Hans Christian Andersen Awards'. International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY). Retrieved 2012-08-20.
- ^'David Almond wins Hans Christian Andersen medal'. Alison Flood. The Guardian 23 March 2010. Retrieved 2012-10-16.
- ^'70 Years Celebration: Anniversary Top Tens'Archived 27 October 2016 at the Wayback Machine. The CILIP Carnegie & Kate Greenaway Children's Book Awards. CILIP. Retrieved 2012-07-11.
- ^'Pullman children's book voted best in 70 years'. John Ezard. The Guardian 21 June 2007. Retrieved 2012-10-16.
- ^ abcd'David Almond - Literature'. literature.britishcouncil.org. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
- ^ abcd'Walker Books - David Almond'. www.walker.co.uk. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
- ^Press Desk (directory). CILIP. Retrieved 2012-08-17. Quote: 'media releases relating to the CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Children's Book Awards in date order.' (2002 to 2006 releases concern 2001 to 2005 awards.)
- ^'David Almond, Jutta Bauer Win Hans Christian Andersen Awards'. Publishers Weekly. Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
- ^'IBBY Announces Winners of 2008 Hans Christian Andersen Awards'. IBBY. Press release 31 March 2008. Retrieved 2013-07-23.
- ^'Presentation of the Hans Christian Andersen Awards 2010'. Zohreh Ghaeni. IBBY. 11 September 2010. Retrieved 2012-10-16.
- ^ ab'David Almond in running for prestigious children's book prize 'double'. Alison Flood. guardian.co.uk 18 March 2010. Retrieved 2012-10-16.
- ^(Carnegie Winner 1998)Archived 6 January 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Living Archive: Celebrating the Carnegie and Greenaway Winners. CILIP. Retrieved 2012-07-11.
- ^'David Almond wins Guardian children's fiction prize'. Michelle Pauli. TheGuardian.com. 19 November 2015. Retrieved 2015-11-28.
- ^'David Almond: Orpheus helped me write A Song for Ella Grey'. David Almond. TheGuardian.com. 19 November 2015. Retrieved 2015-11-28.
- ^'Guardian children's fiction prize: the shortlist'. Julia Eccleshare. guardian.co.uk 30 September 2011. Retrieved 2012-07-11.
- ^[needs update]'The CILIP Carnegie Medal Shortlist for 2012'. CILIP. Retrieved 2013-07-29.
External links[edit]
- Official website
- David Almond at Walker Books
- David Almond at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
- David Almond at the Internet Book List
- David Almond at British Council: Literature
- Interview with David Almond at BBC Blast
- 'Caedmon, the Oldest Surviving English Poet' (audio), David Almond on Cædmon, BBC Radio 3 Anglo-Saxon Portraits, broadcast 23 January 2013
- David Almond at Library of Congress Authorities, with 24 catalogue records
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