FORM 5 Novels :

STEP BY WICKED STEP

ZATI HANANI SMK MERU

SYNOPSIS
It is a wild and stormy night when five British school children from Mordanger School arrive ahead of their classmates for a week-long field trip at "haunted" Old Harwick Hall. With the aid of flashes of lightning, the two girls Claudia and Pixie and three boys, Robbo, Ralph and Colin find a long-abandoned secret room containing a mysterious journal. On the cover, it reads, Richard Clayton Harwick My Story. Read and Weep. From the journal, the children uncover the story of a boy who runs away from the sinister influence of a loveless stepfather. Richard Clayton Harwick's long-hidden journal provides an inner tale that triggers off, one by one, each of the stories of the listening children, all of whom also have "steps," or step-parents, to share their own sagas. And what engrossing, heart-rending stories they are: of hurting but still humorous children picking their way through a minefield of embittered or uncommunicative or just plain immature parents, insecure or reluctant step parents and resentful step siblings. However, the lack of a principal plot is of no consequence as the novel main purpose is to serve as a forum for the various stories. "Step by Wicked Step" proves that all pain eventually heals and that we have the power to change things for the better.

SUMMARY
This novel is really five stories within a story that are induced by a story, like a nesting puzzle. So, we have six stories in the book. There may be a lack of a principal plot here but it is of no consequence as the novels main purpose is to serve as a forum for six various stories of Richard Clayton Harwick, Claudia, Colin, Ralph, Pixie and Robbo. In Step by Wicked Step, five boys and girls find themselves in an old house on a stormy night. In a hidden tower room they discover an old diary, that of Richard Clayton Harwick, who left behind a journal account of his wicked stepfather. Read and Weep, says the spidery writing on the cover of the book. After Richard Clayton Harwicks father passes away, he was sent to Mordanger School for four long years. He wishes to burn Mordanger to ashes as to him, theres no meaner place on earth than this boarding school. When he returns to Old Harwick Hall, he could not get along with his wicked and loveless stepfather, Reverend Coldstone. Being robbed of all his precious tokens from home, Richard makes the decision to leave and become a cabin boy when a great ship strains at the tide. His decision has caused anguish in his mother and sister, who have spent a fortune seeking his return. He did not return to see his mother or sister until he read a square print from Riddle & Flook which requested him to claim his ownership to Old Harwick Hall. By then, Richard knows that his stepfather, mother and sister have passed on. Only then, he realises his decision to leave has changed the lives of his family members.

Harwick's story prompts Claudia, Colin, Ralph, Pixie and Robbo to tell their own tales of stepfathers, stepmothers, and stepsiblings, who are in turn eccentric, beloved, unwelcome, and almost always misunderstood. Each vignette* is a wonderful study of human nature. As the lightning flashes, the children begin to relate their own tales of step parents, stories that are full of warmth and humour, yet with a fair share of sadness. At first it seems the children could have nothing in common. Sports-mad Robbo, quick-witted Ralph, sensible Claudia, fiery Pixie and dreamy Colin seem as different to each other as it is possible to be. Yet they soon find they have one thing in common, and that they are all the products of broken homes and they once have a turbulent relationship with a step- or steps- Below are the five stories in steps by wicked steps spin off from Richard Clayton Harwicks My Story. Read and Weep. As Ralph says, Stories dont have to be written, he reminded Claudia. This is the night for stories. Off you go, he reiterated.

Summary
A group of children are spending the night in the creepy Old Harwick Hall, as part of a school trip. They are placed into certain groups, and Claudia, Colin, Ralph, Pixie and Robbo find themselves together. None of the group members are really best friends, but throughout the night they discover a secret that the old mansion has kept hidden for years, and they suddenly find themselves coming closer together and discovering why they were put in a group with each other. They are all wondering why they are put together, when they discover that they each had two different addresses on their permission slips, one for their mothers home and one for their fathers home. Each child comes from a divorced family. At least one of their parents has married again. Some children have to deal with either stepbrothers, stepsisters, or blood related siblings. They each in turn tell each other about how their parents broke up. It uncovers many mysterious questions.

Synopsis
This novel is a tale that is both funny and moving. Five children are stranded together for the night in a tower of creepy, dark old Harwick Hall. In that stormy night, the children uncover the story of Richard Clayton Harwick which is very disturbing. It is a tale of a boy who of many years ago learned what it was like to have a truly wicked stepfather. Richard Clayton Harwicks long hidden journal provides an inner tale that triggers off, one by one, each of the stories of the listening children. It turns out eventually that they all have step parents, some kind, some bad, some just plain wrong and so they tell each other their stories. After listening to Richards story, each of the five tells his or her own. Their stories are powerful and intensely moving tales of children struggling with change and shifting family conditions. Claudias story shows things well on the way to a happy ending. Claudia feels disloyal to her mum whenever she has a good time with her father and his new girlfriend, Stella. Thus, she is unfriendly towards Stella. Finally, in front of her Dads friends who are rude to Stella, she compliments Stella and makes everyone notice the lady. Colins story is moving. Colins seems the saddest. He had someone he thought of as his father and now he misses him so badly that it hurts. Colins mother leaves the only father Colin has known, a man she lived with for many years, and in her attempt to create a new life for herself does not see that Colin has been torn from a man he loves. Colin loves his stepfather, but hasnt seen him for five years, and is obsessively determined to find him. Ralphs story, though merry, is as complicated as a maze. He has three stepmothers to deal with. All of them are different in their ways. In addition, he has a lot of stepbrothers, stepsisters, half brother and half sisters to accept in his life. Ralph cannot keep track of which parents house he should go to after school

each day, so his parents develop a lunchbox system: the Dumbo lunchbox means Dads house after school; the Mickey Mouse one directs him to his mothers.Towards the end, we can see that he is anxiously waiting for his little half sister or half brother to be born. Pixie has to deal with two really irritating sisters. She hates to go over her dads house twice in a month. She feels that everyone is pretending to be in a happy family when thay are actually not. She has to deal with two really irritating stepsisters and father who pretends he doesnt notice how difficult things are for her.Soon, Pixie discovers that her stepmother and stepsisters arent any happier about the situation than she is. She learns to adapt to the situation. One of her step sisters teaches her mathematics and in return she tells ghost stories. Robbo and his sister, Callie find that their half sister, Dumpa is the problem. Both their Mum and stepfather, Roy keep on arguing. The arguments are mainly due to Callie. Callie never seems to see eye to eye with Roy. Both Mum and Roy are committed with each other just because of Dumpa, their three year old son. Eventually, Callie moves out to her Dads place and that solves the problem. Each of their stories is different, but through the act of telling, and through the responses of the other children, each one learns more about his or her life.

STEP BY WICKED STEP PART 1

It is raining. Mr. Plumley and five pupil from Stagfire School are going to a haunted house in a minibus. Ralpha, Claudia, Robbo, Collin and Pixie have been picked out by Miss ODell and herded into the minibus with Mr. Plumley. When they reach Creepsville, they think it is haunted. The last group tells tales of strange shadows and footsteps and eerie figures in white gown melting through the walls. There are no lights and Mr. Plumley is horrified to settle the pupils in pitch dark. They go upstairs as they pass by oil painted portraits of Harwicks of all ages staring at them. As it is a rainy night, Pixie preferred safety in numbers. They have a rule each bedroom is for either girls or boys. Mr. Plumley does not know the rule. He tells the pupils to settle in while he goes to look for the housekeeper. Robbo decides to explore two or three more stairs. He finds two more beds and a bathroom. The boys take the present room meanwhile Claudia and Pixie take the other. Colin points at the wall. He insists there is a door on the wall. When there is lightning, all of them see the wall papered door meeting the wall papered wall. As they enter the room, cobwebs indicate no one has been there. A tower off a tower. The shelf, desk and chair are filled with dust. Claudia sees a wooden cow balancing on three legs. She strokes its nose. Suddenly, she hears a soft sound behind her. Robbo sets a globe of the world to spin on its axis. By looking around, they came to a conclusion that the last child who slept in it came from a rich family. They find out it is a boys room. Claudia notices a dusty green album in spidery writing on the cover. Richard Clayton Harwick My Story. Read and Weep. They hear the faint rumble of the bus. The other children have arrived. The 5 children rush to their rooms and pretend to be fast asleep. They do not want to miss the chance to read the album. Not many get a chance to peep into someone elses life and not many people are brave enough to tell you their story. By the time Miss ODell and Mr. Plumley come to the first tower room, they think that the children are fast asleep due to tiredness. Miss ODell continues to say that the five children have something in common.

Mr. Plumley is puzzled as nothing seemed to be common in the five. Pixie is a trouble maker. Claudia is sensible. Ralph is quick-witted and hardworking unlike Colin who likes to daydream. Robbo is soccer-mad. As Miss ODell goes down, the lights come again. She shuts the tower door leaving the five children who have been listening to their conversation.

Synopsis
This novel is a tale that is both funny and moving. Five children are stranded together for the night in a tower of creepy, dark old Harwick Hall. In that stormy night, the children uncover the story of Richard Clayton Harwick which is very disturbing. It is a tale of a boy who of many years ago learned what it was like to have a truly wicked stepfather. Richard Clayton Harwicks long hidden journal provides an inner tale that triggers off, one by one, each of the stories of the listening children. It turns out eventually that they all have step parents, some kind, some bad, some just plain wrong and so they tell each other their stories. After listening to Richards story, each of the five tells his or her own. Their stories are powerful and intensely moving tales of children struggling with change and shifting family conditions Claudias story shows things well on the way to a happy ending. Claudia feels disloyal to her mum whenever she has a good time with her father and his new girlfriend, Stella. Thus, she is unfriendly towards Stella. Finally, in front of her Dads friends who are rude to Stella, she compliments Stella and makes everyone notice the lady. Colins story is moving. Colins seems the saddest. He had someone he thought of as his father and now he misses him so badly that it hurts. Colins mother leaves the only father Colin has known, a man she lived with for many years, and in her attempt to create a new life for herself does not see that Colin has been torn from a man he loves. Colin loves his stepfather, but hasnt seen him for five years, and is obsessively determined to find him. Ralphs story, though merry, is as complicated as a maze. He has three stepmothers to deal with. All of them are different in their ways. In addition, he has a lot of stepbrothers, stepsisters, half brother and half sisters to accept in his life. Ralph cannot keep track of which parents house he should go to after school each day, so his parents develop a lunchbox system: the Dumbo lunchbox means Dads house after school; the Mickey Mouse one directs him to his mothers.Towards the end, we can see that he is anxiously waiting for his little half sister or half brother to be born. Pixie has to deal with two really irritating sisters. She hates to go over her dads house twice in a month. She feels that everyone is pretending to be in a happy family when thay are actually not. She has to deal with two really irritating stepsisters and father who pretends he doesnt notice how difficult things are for her.Soon, Pixie discovers that her stepmother and stepsisters arent any happier about the situation than she is. She learns to adapt to the situation. One of her step sisters teaches her mathematics and in return she tells ghost stories. Robbo and his sister, Callie find that their half sister, Dumpa is the problem. Both their Mum and stepfather, Roy keep on arguing. The arguments are mainly due to Callie. Callie never seems to see eye to eye with Roy. Both Mum and Roy are committed with each other just because of Dumpa, their three year old son. Eventually, Callie moves out to her Dads place and that solves the problem

Each of their stories is different, but through the act of telling, and through the responses of the other children, each one learns more about his or her life.

Introduction
Exposition One stormy night, five children are thrown together in a creepy tower, dark old Harwick Hall. RisingAction They explore the tower Climax The discover Richard Clayton Harwicks room which is in a tower off the tower. FallingAction The find the long hidden journal that belongs to Richard Clayton Harwick. Resolution They decide to read the journal as they never get the chance to peep into other peoples life. (Richard Harwicks Story) Exposition Richards father had fever and eventually he died. RisingAction Richards mother remarried. She married Mr. Coldstone who was a cruel man. Climax Richard left home as he was not happy with the situation. FallingAction Richard found the note on the captains table. He realized that his family was looking for him. He returns home and finds a letter written by his sister, Charlotte. In the letter, Charlotte reveals all the difficulties they had had to undergo. He realized that his mother was searching for him. Resolution He has to make a decision whether he should leave again. (Claudias story) Exposition Claudias Mum and Dad quarrel a lot RisingAction Dad leaves the house to stay with Granny and later moves to Stellas. Claudia is sent to Stellas house all of a sudden and on that day Dad and Stella are having a party. Claudia excuses herself politely to be in her room during the dinner. Climax Wearing the green pyjamas given by Stella, she parades and makes a grand appearance at the party. She informs Stella that she likes the pyjamas.

FallingAction Everyone starts noticing Stella and make a conversation with her. Resolution Claudia is happy for Stella. (Colins Story) Exposition Colin lives with his mum and a man he assumes to be his father. He calls him Dad RisingAction Colin and his dad spend a lot of time together. His dad walks him to and fro from school and takes him to the park. Colin loves his dad very much. Climax Colins mum leaves the house and moves to another place. She finds a job at a canteen FallingAction Colin misses his dad very much. He even pretends to talk to him. Resolution He waits for the day when he will be able to find his dad. (Ralphs Story) Exposition Ralph has a big family. He has three stepmothers to deal with. RisingAction He manages to tolerate all of them Climax Flora, Stepmother number three is pregnant FallingAction He plans to help Flora to take care of his half sister or half brother. Resolution With the help of Mum, he sorts out the babys clothes.

(Pixies Story) Exposition Pixie goes over her fathers place twice in a month RisingAction Pixie hates her stepsisters habits Climax

Hetty moves in Pixies room FallingAction Pixie and Lucy tells each other their feelings Resolution Pixie learns to adapt to the situation (Robbos Story) Exposition Robbos parents have splited up long ago RisingAction His sister Callie hates Roy, their stepfather. Frequent quarrels are seen in the house. Climax Roy is very adamant and refuses to speak or do things for the step children as before FallingAction Callie decides to move to Dads place. Resolution Mum helps to set up Dads home so that it would be comfortable for Callie. Conclusion The children feel proud to relate their stories. Everyones story is different. The message is not about solving the problems, but about simply dealing with them. Several of the stories are quite poignant, one is funny, and none reach a final resolution by the endone, in fact, is left hanging rather ominously. But all of the children have had a chance to express what theyre feeling, and to realize (along with readers) that they are not alone.

STEP BY WICKED STEP (PART 2)Richards

The five children are waiting in an old house for the rest of their school group to arrive. They come across an old manuscript written by a boy who ran away when his mother remarried after his fathers death. Richards StoryMaster Richards father had a fever. His mother tried her best to coax his father to eat something- but it was of no use. Richard asked George the gardener about his father. Richard calls him Mr Digby. Mr Digby did not answer him but hugged him hard instead. Lucy the maid sat by Richards bedside. When Richard asked if it was going to be today,she placed her finger on his lips and said Hush! Dont even speak of it. Little Charlotte called out to Richard and told him that Papa wanted to see him. He dashed as fast as he could. He came across Reverend Coldstone but did not stop although he was asked to. The reverend was angry. His mother was waiting at the doorway and reminded him not to cry. His father asked him to be good to his mother and sister. His last words were Obey your mothers wishes to the letter. At the chapel, Mr. Coldstone consoled his mother. Richard heard him say -When you are mine. Richard studied at Mordanger school. He hated it there. Now he was home. Charlotte realized that Richard hated his stepfather. Richard accuses that Charlotte had forgotten about their father. Charlotte denied it and advised him not to accuse Mr Coldstone as the murderer when their father died of fever. Nevertheless, Richard had decided to leave the three of them.

Richard wrote in his diary that he worked in a ship. Whenever he wrote about Mr Coldstone, he refered to him as the black bat. Twice his ship stopped at his hometown and he visited his home only to stand like a trespasser. It had been a long time since Richard had been home. Suddenly, he saw a note on the Captains table. He found out that his mother and stepfather had died. Charlotte wrote him a letter. In the letter, Charlotte wrote that things had been difficult as their mother spent a lot of money looking for him and they all suffered Mr Coldstones anger. Charlotte married Charles Devere although she did not love him because he had money and was willing to spend it to look for Richard. This would be the only letter from her.

STEP BY WICKED STEP(PART 3) Claudias Story: Green Pyjamas

Claudias Mum and Dad quarreled a lot.One day, her Dad was gone to Grannys house. However, he dropped by for tea. Claudia overheard the name Stella. Her Mum and even Granny had a row with Dad. Dad usually met Claudia at Grannys. She missed her Dad so much. The times spent with her Dad kept flooding back. She wanted things back the way they used to be. For the first time, Claudia had a separate Christmas. Later, she was introduced to Stella who was just plain and mousy. Claudia thought her mum was a whole lot better-looking than Stella. Claudia was rude when they went for a walk. Once back, they quarreled and the next day, Dad moved out of Grannys house straight into with Stella. Claudia met her Dad off and on. Stella stayed out of it. She only made some light conversation with Claudia like asking about her friends and school. Those moments she would be thinking of her mum doing the house chores. After talking to her friend, Shreela, Claudia stopped blaming Stella. Dad and Stella arranged a party for their friends. Claudia was sent there for the day. Politely, she excused herself from the party and stayed in her room. Stella was relieved. Out of curiosity, Claudia decided to eavesdrop. She wore the green pyjamas given by Stella as it was the exact shade of green of the giant fern. She sat beside the fern and listen to everything the adults downstairs were talking. The guests spoke about everything except about Mum, Dad, Stella or Claudia. Nobody praised Stella for the food nor even spoke to her. Claudia found that very rude as her Mum was not there. Claudia, unable to stand the treatment Stella was getting, made a grand appearance at the party and thanked Stella for the beautiful pyjamas she had brought for her. Finally, everyone started noticing Stella. As for Claudia and Stella, this was the starting point.Stella would teach Claudia how to quilt, read maps, change electric plugs and how to skate.

STEP BY WICKED STEP (PART4) : The Bluebird of Happiness

Colin describes his stepfather whom he calls dad. He has thought of him as his biological father all the while. His dad looks like him. His dad has dark hair with some grey patches around his ears. His dad used to roll his own cigarettes out of tobacco in a tin. His dad calls him by many nick names- Col, Collie, Sonnyboy, Buster, Mr Bluebird. Colins mum works in a shop. His dad walks him to school and back. His dad got him his tea and took him to the park. At the park, he used to swing as high as the bar, he swings back in such a way that his dad would call him The Bluebird of Happiness. Then, Colins mum took him and moved away. It happened when Colins father had gone to spend a day with his sister. Two friends of his mum came with a van and packed everything. Then they went off. At first, he thought his dad will join them later. Colin was not happy- school mates would snigger when he did not understand things. Mum found a job at a canteen. She would be busy doing household chores when she came home. Mum was too busy to listen to him. He compared her with his dad- his dad used to talk to him and remembered names of his friends and teachers. Colin asked his mother many times about his dad. He wanted to know when his dad will come home.

His mother did give him a hint about his father not having a proper job. He realized later that his mother did not leave any clues for his dad to follow. He then wrote a letter to his dad. But there was no reply. Every night, Colin would take the tobacco tin out of the toe of his boot and put it under his pillow. Then, he would hum his favourite song which was also his dads favourite. He would stay awake for hours talking to his dad. He pretended that his dad was there. Colin said that it was as if his mother thought that whatever is happening is actually happening only to her. Then one day when he returned home from school, he realized that his mum had thrown away his boots. The boots were too small for him but she did not know that there was a tobacco tin hidden in there. He did not bother to tell her because she wouldnt have liked it. It has been five years, eight months and seven days and Colin still remembers hit dad. He secretly writes his dads name and his old address on the forms at school. Colin also tries to save money- he does three paper rounds. He will not try to look for his dad now- perhaps someday when he has enough money. Colin hums slowly and when asked to sing, he says that he is saving the words till he finds his dad. It was his favourite song- The Bluebird of Happiness. His friend Ralph consoled him by saying that someday Colin will find his dad.

STEP BY WICKED STEP (PART 5) : A Tale of Three Stepmothers

Ralph has two brothers, two half-brothers, one half-sister, three stepbrothers, one stepsister,three stepmothers, one stepfather, two step-grandmothers and a step-grandfather. Living in a big family is no joke. After school on Mondays and Thursdays, he goes directly to Dads place. His mum or his step dad, Howard sends him. On Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, he goes straight to his Mums place. At times, he will be lost not knowing where to go. The lunchboxes help. M for Mickey Mouse and Mum, D for Dumbo and Dad. If he is lost, he has to look at his lunch box to confirm his destination. Edward and George are his brothers. The boys liked Annabel, stepmother No. 1. The only problem was she never left the boys alone with their dad. Edward and George hated this. Dad and Annabel spent all their time kissing and cuddling. Annabel was always on a diet. She disapproved of coffee. So the boys had to drink Dandelion tea every morning. She loved to read out her star sign forecast in the mornings and again in the evenings. Sometimes, she even tried to look at Edward and George to tell their aura. However, the boys would deny anything she said. Yet, their dad would not feel embarrassed. One day, Brandy, Ralphs cat was sent over as their Mum was varnishing the hall. The three boys took Brandy in a cage. Edward had made it from a broken milk bottle crate and bits of wire. Annabel was annoyed and blamed them to be cruel as Brandy did not have room to breathe. Dad distracted her by pointing out that they were out of bread. Annabel insisted in baking. The poor boys were starving to death. So, they went to the shops. They boys ate three large loaves and before they came home, they brushed away the crumbs. Dad was praising of how the dough had risen. When Annabel left it on the table, Brandy leapt up on the table and sniffed the dough. Then, Brandy lifted its paw and patted the dough. Next, Brandy curled himself comfortably into the dough. Annabel went mad. Dad tried to stick up for Brandy. The spell between Annabel and Dad was broken. In the end, Annabel ran off with someone and Dad searched high and low to get the divorce papers signed. The boys did not miss her as she was more of dads girlfriend than a real stepmother. Dad then focused his attention on Janet, who was more keen on rules. However, Dad liked it. Edward and George did not mind as they were able to spend ample time with Dad. On the other hand, Janet was busy rushing her children to the doctors, dentist and school.

Janets own children, Tom, Joe and Doug and Ann moved in with the three boys. Tom and Ann could get along with Ralph but not Joe and Doug. Mum and Howard though Janet was wonderful. Janet could draw up proper schedule and Mum hardly bothered as she found Janet was easy to deal with. Due to the rules, Ralph knew he could pick up rules in no time if he was ever anywhere. Finally Janet left. She got fed up with Mum and Dad as they were taking advantage of her. Dad kept fixing up work trips on the days the boys were there. He told Janet that she had four children and another three would not make any difference. Mum started sneaking Victors romper suit hoping that Janet would come across them and get the stains out before sending them back. So, Janet left. The boys had a wonderful time after that. Unfortunately, it was only for a short period of time. Stepmother Number 3, Flora, came into the picture. Edward met her lying on Dads patio with hardly any clothes on. She had the cheek to tell Edward to cover up as she was enjoying the sun. George met Flora when they went shopping. Flora was dumping treats like strawberries, kiwi fruits, waffles, Belgian chocolates into the trolley. Dad was looking into the wallet, gloomily. Ralph went the next day. When he rang the bell, Flora opened and enquired. Ralph introduced himself. Flora blew her top as she did want to be a nanny. She took Ralph out for a Chinese Dinner and to watch a film. Then she met some friends and went to a coffee bar. At that time, Ralph informed his Dad of their whereabouts. Dad was furious and scolded Flora. Flora was cool and told him not to dump the children on her before checking her schedule. Ralph thought she was wonderful although she did all sorts of terrible things to him. Flora was pregnant and she ate only mint sauce sandwiches. Ralph was worried that his half sister or half brother would not be well taken care off by Flora. She did not know how and Ralph decided to help her out. The others usually teased Ralph. Most probably, Flora would settle in with this family.

Example : Comparison of Character

The novel I have chosen is Step by wicked step written by Anne Fine. Colin and Claudia are the two characters I have chosen to compare and contrast. Although they are two differing characters, they also have some similarities. Both Colin and Claudia come from broken or separated families. They both have step parents. Colins mother has left his biological father and `took up with Jack. Jack is the only father figure Colin ever know. However, Colins mum leaves Jack after a while. This causes him to miss Jack so badly that it hurts. On the other hand, Claudias father has left her mother for another woman, Stella. She feels disloyal to her mum whenever she has a good time with her father and Stella. Both Colin and Claudia really want their parents to reconcile as they pine for how it used to be when they were happy. Colin and Claudia also do not adapt to the drastic changes their families undergo. Colins unwavering loyalty and want for his dad to be back and Claudias misguided loyalty to her mother shows that these two characters find difficulties dealing with changes. There are frustrations, fear and sadness. Furthermore, both Colins and Claudias mothers do not take their emotions into consideration. It is as though everything is only happening to them, and will never have an impact on the children. However, Colin and Claudia are markedly different individuals. They deal with the changes in their respective families differently; Colin is portrayed as a boy always pining for his father even after five whole years. However, Claudia becomes hostile towards the new lady in her life, Stella, disregarding all the latters efforts to warm up to her. Both Colin and Claudia have different personalities too. Colin is a dreamer who dreams of an ideal life where his dad and mother will be together forever and happy. He secretly keeps his fathers tobacco tin and saves money so that he can look for him one day. This makes him too depending on his stepdad and emotionally attached to him. This is probably due to the fact that he needs love from a man called father. Claudia is more of a sensible and rational person. After seeing her dads friends ignoring Stella and judging it as rude, she goes to compliment Stella on her stellar choice of green pyjamas. Claudia is more independent and is not afraid to voice her opinions. Unlike Colin, Claudia is brave in coming to terms with her parents separation. She is independent and not afraid to voice her opinions. Even though they experience broken family relationships and find it difficult to accept changes, the way Colin and Claudia accept new additional member of the family is different. They have different views in accepting reality and this has made the story more inspiring and colourful.