The Savage by David Almond and Dave McKean
David Almond’s The Savage
After his father dies, Blue Baker starts to write a story. He is supposed to be writing about his feelings, but he decides to spin a tale about a savage who lives in a ruined church in his town. This savage runs wild, killing small animals for food, and even stealing desserts from houses and shops. While the savage is a savage, Blue shows that he does have a softer side, especially when he sees Blue’s younger sister. Blue does give a savage a very hateful side, though, when he encounters the school bully. What Blue does not know is that his story is real and has a twist to it that he could never have imagined on his own.
Blue is a character that many readers can easily relate to. He has problems in his life, but he also has good things, like his mom and sister. And even though he thinks he is not writing about his feelings after his father’s death, his story about the savage is all about his feelings, and even younger readers will understand that. The interesting thing that Almond does with Blue’s story is to writing it as a child would, with a crude font and misspelled words. McKean’s illustrations are only used for the savage story, also helping distinguish it from the narrative.
The Savage
Book Stats:
- Reading level: Ages 9-12
- Hardcover: 80 pages
- Publisher: Candlewick (October 14, 2008)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 076363932X
- ISBN-13: 978-0763639327
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David Almond
Dave McKean
Good Book. Makes u read on
It’s only 80 pages? That’s kinda short for a 11-12 year old isnt it? (I’m 14 and i read 500+ page books.)