The Children of the King

Author: Sonya Hartnett


Cecily and Jeremy Lockwood are living through a war in London. One day, Cecily's father tells her that Cecily, Jeremy and their mother are escaping to the countryside while Cecily's father stays in London. At first, Jeremy doesn't want to but his mother makes him go. Cecily, Jeremy and their mother stay at Heron Hall with their Uncle Peregrine. At the country station, Cecily takes home an evacuee called May Bright. At Heron Hall, May and Cecily make friends. Soon May discovers a ruined castle across from a river. May discovers a secret in it and shows Cecily. The girls ask Peregrine more questions about the castle and find out it's called Snow Castle. Peregrine tells the three children the story of Snow Castle. Then Jeremy runs away to do something to help the war in London. When he comes back 
he has his own story to tell.

The Midnight Zoo

Author: Sonya Hartnett

Andrej, Tomas and baby Wilma are three siblings running away from the war. They come across many wrecked towns but the most interesting town is the one with the zoo. Inside the zoo, a lioness, a wolf, chamois, lama, bear, seal, monkey, eagle, kangaroo and the boar are locked up in cages. The animals tell the siblings the story of Alice, the daughter of the zoo keeper who ran away. Andrej and Tomas give them food and help them escape.

I like the wolf, kangaroo and the chamois.

The Lump of Coal

Author: Lemony Snicket (Daniel Handler)



The lump of coal had always wanted to make great art, or at least be useful for people to cook meat on him. One day, a fake Santa Claus meets the lump of coal on the street and shows him a way to be useful. But the way he was meant to be useful failed and he finds himself being useful in a different way.