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David Almond
David Almond was brought up in a small town called Felling on
the edge of the River Tyne. He grew up in a big Catholic family and
was always surrounded by lots of relatives and friends. He was an
altar boy in the local church and his childhood was full of singing
and stories.
David always wanted to be a writer. He disliked
school, especially after he was 13, but loved the local library and
dreamed that one day there would be books with his name on the
cover standing on the shelves.
David was a teacher but he wanted to be a writer so
much that he gave up his job, sold his house and went off to live
in a writers' commune so that he could write full-time. His first
book took five years to write and was sent to 33 publishers, all of
who rejected it. David then started writing short stories and radio
plays which were much more successful.
Out of the blue came Skellig, David's first children's
book. It was an immediate success winning the Carnegie Medal and
the Whitbread Award. Before it was published, David had already
finished his second book, Kit's Wilderness, and almost immediately
started writing the third, Heaven Eyes.
David lives not far from where he was brought up with
his partner, Sara Jane, and their daughter Freya. He writes in a
little room at the back of the house where he cannot be too easily
distracted. He supports Newcastle United but fears that he'll never
see them win the FA Cup!
Skellig
Magical and lyrical, Skellig is the story of how Michael deals with the sickness of his baby sister and the disruption in the life around him. Who or what is the mysterious creature he finds in the tumbledown garage? Michael's faith in Skellig helps him to cope. (9+)
Published in Hodder Children's Books
Heaven Eyes
Running away from the children's home, Erin, Mouse and January set off down the Tyne on a raft. It's an adventure that leads them to the lost child Heaven Eyes and her strange Grampa, living on out of date tins in a ruined warehouse. The setting of the muddy riverbank of the Black Middens provides a vivid background to this magical story of a search for freedom. (10+)
Published in Hodder Children's Books
Kit's Wilderness
Down the disused pit on the wilderness, Kit joins in Askew's game of Death - a scary test of courage and belief. But there is real death in Kit's life too, as he comes to terms with the loss of his grandfather and begins to appreciate his grandfather's courage. (12+)
Published in Hodder Children's Books
Secret Heart
Joe Maloney is different. His head is full of songs and voices; he doesn't want to grow up, or to learn to kill like Stanny Mole. But when the circus comes to town, he finds his own protector and a world where he fits in and can still be himself. (12+)
Published in Hodder Children's Books
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[ Windows Media Clip 1- Secret Heart ]
[ Windows Media Clip 2- In my books kids go into dangerous places ]
[ Windows Media Clip 3- What I dreamt of as a kid ]
[ Windows Media Clip 4- Where I grew up ]
