The Austere Academy: 5

The Baudelaire orphans face their most dismal chapter yet at Prufrock Preparatory School, where the motto is "Memento Mori" and happiness goes to die. Between dreadful carpool music, crab-infested shacks, and a gym teacher who believes in special punishments, Violet, Klaus, and Sunny must outwit Count Olaf's latest disguise. Lemony Snicket's fifth instalment delivers deliciously dark humour and vocabulary lessons wrapped in misfortune. Perfect for young readers who relish clever wordplay, eccentric characters, and cheerfully gloomy adventures.