The Austere Academy

Judge A Book By Its Cover

Book Reviews and Synopses

Lemony Snicket

The Austere Academy

Snicket, Lemony. The Austere Academy. HarperCollins Publishers. New York City.

New York. 2000.

The Austere Academy is a book of humor and sorrow written by the author Lemony Snicket. This book is a favorite of many. The creepy/mysterious looking cover opens up to the world of a fun and creative book.

The Austere Academy is about Penelope, her brother Timmy, and their little sister Isis. They are sent to a boarding school where they feel very unwanted and out of place. Penelope is worried that she and her siblings don’t belong here. In this magical and mysterious school!

It was lunchtime and the three siblings were settling in. The Principal, Mr. Longbrow, was lecturing them because of their improper behavior of using the special fork of magic! They were forced to eat with no fork at all. Penelope looked over to the students in her class and thought, “They look nice. I hope they’re not mean.” But then the class frowned at her with disgust. Poor Timmy was too scared to ask where his class sat.

The children are forced to eat in their room. Penelope starts to thinking about her family and friends and if they’re all safe and happy. She starts to cry as she feeds Isis. Suddenly some the students burst in telling them about the fire!

Lemony Snicket’s imaginative The Austere Academy has inspired people to write much more, and have fun with their imaginations. But The Austere Academy is not a single book, it is one of 12.

4 out of 5 stars

Contributed by B. Winn

September 12, 2012.