Ben and Anna

Chapter 1: A New School Day

The sun is shining. It is morning. A small alarm clock rings. "Beep, beep, beep!" Ben opens his eyes. He is seven years old. He is in his bed. His room is blue. He has toys on the floor. He has a poster of the solar system on the wall.

Ben gets out of bed. He goes to the window. He looks outside. The sky is blue. He sees a big tree and a red car. He sees a black cat on the fence. It is not his cat.

"Ben! Anna! Time to get up!" his mother calls from the kitchen.

Ben walks to his sister's room. Anna is five years old. She is still in bed. Her eyes are closed. "Anna, wake up," Ben says. Anna does not like mornings. She is always sleepy. "No… five more minutes," she says and hides under the blanket.

Ben goes to the bathroom. He washes his face with cold water. He brushes his teeth. The toothpaste is minty. It is fresh. He looks in the mirror and combs his brown hair.

Then, he goes back to his room. He takes off his blue pyjamas. He puts on his school uniform. His shirt is white. His trousers are grey. His socks are blue. He puts on his black shoes. Now he is ready for school.

Ben and Anna are in the kitchen now. The kitchen is bright and warm. Mum is at the table. She drinks coffee and reads the news on her tablet.

"Good morning, my dear children," Mum says with a smile.

"Good morning, Mum," Ben says.

Anna is quiet. She sits on her chair and rubs her eyes. She is wearing her school dress. It is blue and white. Her hair is messy.

Mum puts two bowls on the table. "What do you want for breakfast? Cereal or toast?" she asks.

"I want cereal with milk," Ben says.

"I want toast with jam," Anna says. She is a little more awake now.

They eat their breakfast. Ben eats quickly. Anna eats slowly. She looks at her spoon. Mum drinks her coffee. "Don't forget your milk," Mum says to Anna.

After breakfast, Ben and Anna brush their teeth again. They go to the hall. Their school bags are there. Ben's bag is green. Anna's bag is pink. They are heavy. There are books, pencils, and lunch boxes inside.

Ben packs his favourite book about space. Anna packs her colouring pencils and a doll.

Dad comes into the hall. He is ready for work. He wears a black suit and a red tie. He has a big bag in his hand.

"Are you ready for school, team?" Dad asks. He is always cheerful in the morning.