Step by Wicked Step - Moral Values

Family is everything

This is the main message in all the five stories from Claudia, Ralph, Colin, Pixie and Robbo. Love is the factor that binds the family together but sometimes the family unit breaks down due to a lack of understanding between parents. Most of the time, children are not prepared for such a situation and this lands them in an awkward and painful situation. It is important to minimize the impact of divorce on children and to make sure they do not feel unwanted or unimportant. Parents must always try to keep the family together despite the breakdown in their relationship.

Step by Wicked Step - Claudia

Claudia is a gentle person. Listening to Richard's sad story, makes her weep. She is loyal to her mother. She tries not to sound too happy when speaking to her father because she does not want to hurt her mother's feeling. She rejects Stella and refuses to enjoy her time with her father out of loyalty to her mother. She knows that her parents break-up is serious even though her mother sounded cheerful.

Step by Wicked Step - Richard Harwick

Richard is a loyal person. He is too loyal to his father that he becomes so angry with his mother for betraying his father's memory by marrying Coldstone. He hates his stepfather and calls him a black bat. He also thinks that his sister is disloyal for getting along with their stepfather. He refuses to listen to his sister's advice to make peace with their stepfather.

Step by Wicked Step - Themes and Settings

Themes:

Step by Wicked Step - Synopsis

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 novel's main purpose is to serve as a forum for six various stories of Richard Clayton Harwick, Claudia, Colin, Ralph, Pixie and Robbo.

Step by Wicked Step - SUMMARY Chapter 5

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 Dad’s place. His mum or his step dad, Howard sends him. On Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, he goes straight to his Mum’s 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 three stepmothers his brothers.

Step by Wicked Step - SUMMARY Chapter 4

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 usedto roll his own cigarettes out of tobacco in a tin. His dad calls him by many nick names- Col, Collie, Sonny- boy, Buster, Mr Bluebird. Colin’s mum works in a shop. His dad walks him to school and back. His dad gothim his tea and took him to the park.

Step by Wicked Step - SUMMARY Chapter 3

Claudia’s Mum and Dad quarreled a lot.One day, her Dad was gone to Granny’s house. However, hedropped by for tea. Claudia overheard the name “Stella”. Her Mum and even Granny had a row with Dad. Dad usually met Claudia at Granny’s. She missed her Dad so much. The times spent with her Dad keptflooding 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 Granny’s house straight into with Stella.Claudia met her Dad off and on. Stella stayed out of it. She only made some light conversation with Claudialike asking about her friends and school. Those moments she would be thinking of her mum doing thehouse chores. After talking to her friend, Shreela, Claudia stopped blaming Stella. Dad and Stella arrangeda 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.

Step by Wicked Step - SUMMARY Chapter 2

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 father’s death.Richard’s Story-Master Richard’s 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.

Step by Wicked Step - SUMMARY Chapter 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 O’Dell and herded into the minibus with Mr. Plumley. When they reach Creepsville, they think it is haunted. The last group tells tales of strangeshadows and footsteps and eerie figures in white gown melting through the walls.