The coal miner

  During the school holidays, my uncle and aunt bought me a lovely storybook, called 'The Coal Miner'. It is written by Jeremy Hunt. The story is a mixture of mystery and adventure.

  The story is set in 16th century London. It is about a very poor family. The father is a coal miner and the mother is a tailor. They work very hard everyday to feed their five children. The oldest child is sixteen-year-old girl, called Betty. She is cheerful girl who loves to look after her younger siblings. The youngest child is one-year-old baby boy, called John.

  Every night, before she goes to bed, Betty hears her parents speak in low voices. Every time they speak, they mention her name. She also hears them mentioning the name of Mr Kruger, the meanest man in their town. Betty is terrified. She thinks her parents are going to send her to Mr Kruger's house to work there, like many other poor children. She also knows that Mr Kruger ill-treat the children under his care. Betty runs away from home before her parents can send her away. She spends the night in Mr Kruger's garden shed because she plans to run away with her friends, Jenny, who is working there. Fortunately for the girls, Mr Kruger's son finds them and promises to help them.

  I enjoyed reading the story. The main character, Betty, portrays the value of kindness. She also witty and playful. Despite being poor, she tries to be cheerful. This shows that it is good to be optimistic and positive when facing difficulties.