Oaks Park LRC

The 13th The night was cold and wet, but in the parlour of Beaumont manor the blinds were drawn and the fire burned brightly. The Arnolds were apprehensive, for it was the evening of the 13th. The two girls, Elizabeth and Judith, sat quietly in the corner. Beside them, Mr and Mrs Arnold stood absently holding empty glasses; which were not so long ago filled with fine aged tasting brandy. Though not the superstitious type, many fearful tales of unfortunate happenings on this ‘cursed’ night, led them to ponder whether or not sinister forces grew powerful on this day. Each creak, scrape or knock echoed throughout the house, causing sudden jerky movements and fresh waves of unease. Elizabeth surveyed the grandfather clock at the far end of the room. The hands struck eleven and the chimes that followed resonated like eerie footsteps. Nervously glancing at her family, she stood up to pour herself some water; perhaps that would help wash down her fears. Making h

34 Compelling First Lines of famous books

The Very Marvellous and Talented Roald Dahl Matilda  Illustration: Quentin Blake This book came out in 1988, but I still swallowed it whole. It is so funny with Miss Trunchbull hammer-throwing children by their plaits through windows and Matilda’s thrilling combination of intelligence, coolness under pressure and flair for the dramatic. So much power concentrated in one tiny mind. It was the last full-length children’s book Dahl wrote and he seems to have given himself permission to put a little bit more heart in it than he had done in anything since The BFG. The Enormous Crocodile The enormous crocodile has but one thought on its mind: to eat as many children as he can via the adoption of various, not-quite-impenetrable disguises. One for the very youngest readers, and I can say no more without creating infant spoilers, a low to which I will not stoop. Fantastic Mr Fox When kids are a very little bit older, they can move on to this immensely satisfying story of