Kids into books - Red Sky in the Morning

This week's title: Red Sky in the Morning

Author: Elizabeth Laird

Illustrator: Angelo Rinaldi

Publisher:Macmillan, $13.95

Age Group: 10 years +


It sounded more feeble than it meant to, but I didn't know what to say. I was frightened.

'Course it is,' he said. He was using that awful cheerful voice they use to children when they want to deceive them. 'Just a precaution. Your Mummy's going to be fine. So's the baby, I expect. It all happened just a bit too quick, that's all.'

He patted my shoulder just as if he'd been a relative. i was only twelve then, but I was mature for my age, and it was not surprising that I felt offended.

'I'm quite prepared to give blood, if necessary,' I said. The idea made me feel sick, but if Mum needed my blood, there was naturally no more to be said. He had the cheek to laugh.

'Oh, we won't need your blood,' he said. 'Best thing you can do is be a good girl and keep out of the way. Tell you what, do you know how to make a cup of tea? Why don't you put the kettle on, then? Me and Stan could do with a cuppa when we've finished with this lot.'

If he hadn't put it like that, of course, I wouldn't have dreamed of making a cup of tea. But I knew that if I didn't he'd think I didn't know how to, so I went to the kitchen, and filled up the kettle. But all the time it was boiling, and while I was putting mugs and milk and sugar onto the tray, I kept thinking about Mum and the baby.