Kids into books - The Gap

This weeks title: The Gap

Author: Marie Gibson

Publisher: Scholastic, $11.95

Illustrator: Kim Baird

Age group: 8-11 years


Yes, Matthew liked having Mum in charge.

But yesterday Grandma had gone down with the 'flu and couldn't take Rosie. Annabelle was right. He had said Rosie would be no trouble. But then it was either take her with them or miss the trip, and this was the last time the train would be running before they closed down for the winter.

Grandma insisted they take a harness for Rosie, even though Annabelle complained that people would think they treated her like a dog.

When they arrived at the station they had to park a long way from the platform. Rosie cantered at the end of her lead towards the train, dragging Matthew behind her, his camera swinging by its strap from his neck.

"I'm a horse," she insisted. Mum carried Nicholas in his car seat, and Annabelle came along behind lugging the bag full of baby gear. She tried to look as though she was nothing to do with the rest of the family.

They scrambled into their carriage just as the whistle blew, and the train jolted forward. Nicholas woke and began crying. When Mum picked him up to feed him, Annabelle dumped the bag beside her and went off to sit at the far end of the carriage.

"Take Rosie and go and with with her," Mum said to Matthew. "She's been a bit upset lately and I'm worried about her. See if you can cheer her up."