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Published by O’Brien Press Ltd. Reviewed by Miltown Malbay Library Children’s Book Club This book is a fictional account of the creation of the
Book of Kells. The story centres around an orphaned boy called Brendan
who is been looked after by his uncle Cellach, Abbot of the monastery
at Kells. Brendan is not allowed outside the monastery gates and his uncle
is obsessed with building a wall tall enough and strong enough to keep
the Vikings from entering and destroying the monastery. All is well until
one day the illuminator Aidan of Iona arrives with his cat Pangur Bán.
Brendan becomes fascinated with the Book of Iona that Aidan is working
on and becomes an apprentice in the scriptorium. Much excitement and danger follows throughout the remainder of the book and we wonder will the monastery and its inhabitants survive the arrival of the Vikings. Though this book is a work of fiction, the children found that it gave great insight in to the history of the Book of Kells and what Ireland might have been like during the time of the Vikings. Most of the group enjoyed reading this book and gave
it 8/10. |
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