Each of them is endearing in their own ways.
He has ADHD, obviously.
He has a loving family and a bustling home.
Then theres the girls.
I havent quite figured KB out yet.
Fern is probably the most interesting of them all.
Fern is the top student in her year, but has a strong rebellious streak.
She and KB fix up old bikes and take them on joyrides.
The girls dominate the conversation theyre more mature, possibly older, and Fern even physically towers over them.
The boys, Wim in particular, are bumbling and reckless.
I grew up tomboyish, but as a kid, I was far more comfortable around girls than boys.
Having a girl best friend was a lifeline it was us against the world.
We thought all the boys in our lives were stupid, because they were.
We knew better than them, even though the world told them they were more important than us.
The tension between these children, especially down these gendered lines, is a surprisingly astute one.
Skeleton Crew is about kids, but its also about boys and girls, and thats worth recognising.
