John Clark
Excerpts from
Charlie, the Evacuee
From Chapter 3:
“There!” shouted Charlie, and he pointed to half a dozen planes that had just appeared from behind a cloud.
“Heinkels!” the man yelled.
“What are Heinkels?” asked Charlie.
“Haven’t they taught you anything at school? German bombers!” he replied frantically. “And a couple of Stukas – dive-bombers, I expect. Get back to your compartment and tell everyone to take cover under their seats – now!”
He turned and rushed down the passageway, flinging open compartment doors and shouting at the top of his voice.
“Air raid! Take cover!”
As Charlie sprinted along the passageway, he dodged panic-stricken teachers and heard screams and cries from children in the compartments.
From Chapter 1:
Charlie opened the door to the spare bedroom and wrinkled his nose. No one had slept there for a long time. It looked really old-fashioned, with peeling green wallpaper and scratchy vintage bedspreads. Spooky old toy soldiers stood frozen in battle poses, their eyes seeming to follow Charlie around the room. This was the room Grandpa had once shared with his brother – Charlie’s Great-Uncle Phil.
Charlie stepped into the room and saw that Granny had arranged a variety of historical treasures on the bed nearest the door. Charlie grinned – this was a history lover’s dream.
There was an old suitcase, a gas mask, a pile of coins, letters, a wooden yo-yo, and some clothing.
He went straight to the coins – not because he knew much about them or had a special interest – but because he liked how they felt. There was something satisfying about the smooth, worn texture of old coins, shaped by years of handling.
After feeling each coin and checking the dates (mostly from the 1940s), Charlie ran his hand over the gorgeous brown leather suitcase. He unbuckled the straps and opened it.