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The Suitcase Kid
Andrea West’s parents are divorced, and her tiny stuffed rabbit, Radish, seems her only comfort in the world. She must leave the home she loves with the mulberry tree in the front yard and deal with parents who still fight, stepparents, step-siblings, two different bedrooms (neither of which is really hers), loneliness, and an acute longing for the past. Her grades sink, her friends drift away, and she's not quite sure how to fix any of it. Eventually, though, a new equilibrium begins to settle on her life. Honest and true-to-life, Andy’s story shows that dealing with divorce is never easy.
160 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1992
142 people are currently reading
3477 people want to read
About the author
Jacqueline Wilson
399 books5,684 followersJacqueline Wilson was born in Bath in 1945, but spent most of her childhood in Kingston-on-Thames. She always wanted to be a writer and wrote her first ‘novel’ when she was nine, filling in countless Woolworths’ exercise books as she grew up. As a teenager she started work for a magazine publishing company and then went on to work as a journalist on Jackie magazine (which she was told was named after her!) before turning to writing novels full-time.
One of Jacqueline’s most successful and enduring creations has been the famous Tracy Beaker, who first appeared in 1991 in The Story of Tracy Beaker. This was also the first of her books to be illustrated by Nick Sharratt. Since then Jacqueline has been on countless awards shortlists and has gone on to win many awards. The Illustrated Mum won the Guardian Children’s Fiction Award, the 1999 Children’s Book of the Year at the British Book Awards and was also shortlisted for the 1999 Whitbread Children’s Book Award.
Double Act won the prestigious Smarties Medal and the Children’s Book Award as well as being highly commended for the Carnegie Medal. The Story of Tracy Beaker won the 2002 Blue Peter People’s Choice Award.
Jacqueline is one of the nation’s favourite authors, and her books are loved and cherished by young readers not only in the UK but all over the world. She has sold millions of books and in the UK alone the total now stands at over 35 million!
In 2002 Jacqueline was awarded the OBE for services to literacy in schools and from 2005 to 2007 she was the Children’s Laureate. In 2008 she became Dame Jacqueline Wilson.
One of Jacqueline’s most successful and enduring creations has been the famous Tracy Beaker, who first appeared in 1991 in The Story of Tracy Beaker. This was also the first of her books to be illustrated by Nick Sharratt. Since then Jacqueline has been on countless awards shortlists and has gone on to win many awards. The Illustrated Mum won the Guardian Children’s Fiction Award, the 1999 Children’s Book of the Year at the British Book Awards and was also shortlisted for the 1999 Whitbread Children’s Book Award.
Double Act won the prestigious Smarties Medal and the Children’s Book Award as well as being highly commended for the Carnegie Medal. The Story of Tracy Beaker won the 2002 Blue Peter People’s Choice Award.
Jacqueline is one of the nation’s favourite authors, and her books are loved and cherished by young readers not only in the UK but all over the world. She has sold millions of books and in the UK alone the total now stands at over 35 million!
In 2002 Jacqueline was awarded the OBE for services to literacy in schools and from 2005 to 2007 she was the Children’s Laureate. In 2008 she became Dame Jacqueline Wilson.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 495 reviews
September 12, 2019
I think this is the Jacqueline Wilson book I've read the most. It actually may have been the first one I bought, though I'm not 100% sure on that. It's always held up well to my constant rereading!
I think this probably resonates with anyone whose parents are divorced, especially those who felt/feel rather caught in the middle. The way Andy's parents use her as this go between to make digs at each other will be sadly familiar to many, as well as Andy feeling like she doesn't have a real home anymore. Never quite comfortable with either parent in their new family situations, she feels displaced. Her one constant is Radish, her Sylvanian rabbit -- not a toy but a mascot!
One of Jacqueline Wilson's best and still incredibly relevant. It has also always made me want to try a mulberry!
I think this probably resonates with anyone whose parents are divorced, especially those who felt/feel rather caught in the middle. The way Andy's parents use her as this go between to make digs at each other will be sadly familiar to many, as well as Andy feeling like she doesn't have a real home anymore. Never quite comfortable with either parent in their new family situations, she feels displaced. Her one constant is Radish, her Sylvanian rabbit -- not a toy but a mascot!
One of Jacqueline Wilson's best and still incredibly relevant. It has also always made me want to try a mulberry!
October 28, 2020
A heartbreaking story of a little girl trying to get her own life together in the world of her divorced parents and their new set of children.
Sometimes things are sad, nobody needs you and then you do stupid stuff just to get some attention... So sad that she has to cling to her little toy rabbit for solace...
What's a little girl to do?
In the end she does what all of us do when faced with an impossible situation,
Compromise.
Sometimes things are sad, nobody needs you and then you do stupid stuff just to get some attention... So sad that she has to cling to her little toy rabbit for solace...
What's a little girl to do?
In the end she does what all of us do when faced with an impossible situation,
Compromise.
Read
September 24, 2017I connected on a spiritual level to how Andy loves her little rabbit toy, Radish. Loved the ending so much, even though throughout there's not much hope for Andy finding comfort and happiness.
December 1, 2012
I read this book as a child in year 5 and a few times since then. I remember my whole class fell in love with this book. One thing I liked about it was that it allows children, who may have parents who no longer live together, to identify with the main character Andrea. It could be used by those children as a sort of coping strategy should they have a hard time dealing with such things at home, after all things seem to work out for Andrea in the end. It's a great story about how Andrea deals with her parents divorce and having to live between two new families while seeking solace from her pet toy rabbit Radish.
The reader is left wanting to read more at the end of each chapter to see whether it's possible that Andrea will get the happy ending for her parents to get back together and live in Mulberry Cottage again. Andrea is a great character, despite her stubborn nature, she's strong and brave which gives the reader something to admire.
I would say this book is pretty addictive and can be read by a whole range of children from the ages of 8-13 years. It's a book you tend to remember even as you get older and one you can easily reflect back on. This book can be read to the class so children can listen and discuss the plot with one another or it can be read independently. It may inspire children to be more creative in story-writing by reflecting back on real-life, for instance, children may think to mention a real-life 'conflict' in their stories and then imagine how the conflict was or could be dealt with or 'resolved', thus creating their own story.
The reader is left wanting to read more at the end of each chapter to see whether it's possible that Andrea will get the happy ending for her parents to get back together and live in Mulberry Cottage again. Andrea is a great character, despite her stubborn nature, she's strong and brave which gives the reader something to admire.
I would say this book is pretty addictive and can be read by a whole range of children from the ages of 8-13 years. It's a book you tend to remember even as you get older and one you can easily reflect back on. This book can be read to the class so children can listen and discuss the plot with one another or it can be read independently. It may inspire children to be more creative in story-writing by reflecting back on real-life, for instance, children may think to mention a real-life 'conflict' in their stories and then imagine how the conflict was or could be dealt with or 'resolved', thus creating their own story.
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November 2, 2022
Read as part of The Infinite Variety Reading Challenge, based on the BBC's Big Read Poll of 2003.
Nope.
Nope.
July 21, 2016
This is definitely in my top five favourite Jacqueline Wilson books. As a child, I read it over and over again, I just couldn't get enough of it.
Andy is coping with the divorce of her parents and having to adjust to having two new mis-matched families. Stepbrothers, stepsisters and not all of them nice! As an only child, Andy is pushed pillar to post by mum and dad as they struggle to work out a suitable visitation arrangement.
This book spoke to me on a personal level as my own parents divorced when I was nine. I empathised with Andy and how she felt part of neither family, she just wanted her old family back and her old home.
A sad story, but touching nonetheless and unfortunately, still very relevant to many children today.
Andy is coping with the divorce of her parents and having to adjust to having two new mis-matched families. Stepbrothers, stepsisters and not all of them nice! As an only child, Andy is pushed pillar to post by mum and dad as they struggle to work out a suitable visitation arrangement.
This book spoke to me on a personal level as my own parents divorced when I was nine. I empathised with Andy and how she felt part of neither family, she just wanted her old family back and her old home.
A sad story, but touching nonetheless and unfortunately, still very relevant to many children today.
January 4, 2023
I actually got this book from buying a magazine when I was a kid. I hadn't been really into reading at the time so I kind of dismissed it.
One day I was going for a long drive with my family so I decided to bring a couple of books and I brought along 'The Suitcase Kid'.
I started reading it and was captivated by the story. I loved the descriptions and how the story flowed.
It became my favourite book for a while.
The story really stuck with me. I think because I'd never been in that kind of situation and was totally new to the concept.
This is not a book I would have picked up at the time but I'm glad it fell into my path as it really changed the way I perceived things.
One day I was going for a long drive with my family so I decided to bring a couple of books and I brought along 'The Suitcase Kid'.
I started reading it and was captivated by the story. I loved the descriptions and how the story flowed.
It became my favourite book for a while.
The story really stuck with me. I think because I'd never been in that kind of situation and was totally new to the concept.
This is not a book I would have picked up at the time but I'm glad it fell into my path as it really changed the way I perceived things.
July 4, 2021
Citlivá a strašne smutná knižočka o striedavke očami 10 ročného dieťaťa. V tejto knihe nikto nie je ten "zlý" - rodičia sú ešte sami hlboko v emočnom zmätku, učitelia nechápu a na Andreu je to celé prirýchlo. Výborná kniha, skvelá na predčítanie a rozhovory pod dekou.
August 6, 2012
'The suitcase kid' tells the story of 10year old Andrea. Andy, as she is known shares her experiences of divorce and broken families. Andy's parents share custody of her when they split up and start their new families. Andy is torn from Mum's house one week and them Dad's the next. Not only does Andy have to come to terms with her parents split; the only child now has five siblings and nowhere to call home. Jacqueline Wilson uses the 10year old narrator to spill. Her inner most thoughts and fears to her young audience in a language they can relate to. Andy slowly overcomes her feeling of not belonging and finds friends at Mum's, Dad's and her old house, Mulberry Cottage where she finds a warm embrace from the new residents. 'The suitcase kid' was the one book, as a child, that I clung to. I read it over and over again. This book is a fabulous read for older children around KS2 age. This book can help children from broken families to understand that they are not alone and other children also experience the same struggle. Children who have not experienced divorce can also learn from this book. They can develop a greater understanding of life of their peers; this awareness can reduce school bullying. This book can be used as a long term group read in a KS2 class at story time. Chapters are short so one chapter can be read aloud to the class each story time. The book could also be used as inspiration for a writing task about family or to motivate a short story writing exercise. Jacqueline Wilson effectively teaches children about the ups and downs of life and teaches useful morals that children can carry into adulthood and all around the world.
January 2, 2022
This is the first Jacqueline Wilson book i've ever read, and no wonder she's been so popular all these years! How amazing to write a story simple enough for kids to enjoy, but about really complex emotions while still feeling really natural and enjoyable.
I can't wait to pick up another one of her books.
I can't wait to pick up another one of her books.
April 16, 2010
Also LOVE this book, it's a subject I would not normally relate too or be drawn to in a novel, yet somehow everything that happens to Andy hits me right in the gut. I love the realistic way she writes about Andy's feelings to her knew sister, her distrust of the professionals sent to help her, and her quirk of her sylvanian friend is very relatable for me (as a child I had an obsession with those, and for a while started carrying a sylvanian family otter around in my pocket trying to be like andy )
December 17, 2007
It Is A Great Story With A Fascinatinn Story Line The Book Is Very Interestinn Becausee Of The Way Is Is Set And It Is Told Like It Is Based On A Real Story. It Is Aboutt A Girl Whos Mum And Dad Have Split Up And She Is Given The Choice To Live With Either Her Mum Or Dad And Choses Both So Each Week She Stays At Her Mums House And The Next Week She Stays With Her Dad ...But It Doesn't Turn Out All As Planned.
December 13, 2008
I've literally read this book about a 1000000 times. It's great how she writes it and the humourous situations are something we could all relate too. Some people may think this has sensitive subjects for young readers who are going through difficult times but i think differently, it kind of helps them get through it.
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May 15, 2021Going to leave this without a numbered rating because although I found it really dull and boring, I feel like it COULD be a great book for a kid who's parents have separated - but I can't speak for that!
May 28, 2022
Relatable and in the perspective of a child of divorced parents, Jacqueline Wilson’s “The Suitcase Kid” is an incredible book of realistic fiction. The book is absolutely amazing and is now one of my favourite books as it handles the situation of divorce in a child’s perspective which can teach a younger audience how to treat children who have divorced parents as it provides an insight in how these children think. Even children who are angels can act cantankerous like Andy who narrates this story in a 1st-person perspective when they are between their warring parents’ sour divorce. Not only can I empathise with Andy in this story because of her opinions of her divorced parents, her other thoughts and feelings are also understandable as I have had these same exact thoughts myself. It is as if Jacqueline Wilson was in my mind when she wrote this! 😆
The Suitcase Kid follows the new life of 10-year-old big and feisty Andrea “Andy” West who lives with her Sylvanian Family rabbit called Radish in her life of living with recently-divorced parents. Radish is 4cm tall and is Andy’s only accomplice as she is an only child when she lives with her Mum and her Mum’s new family - noisy 14-year-old Paula, calm 12-year-old Graham, annoying and spoilt 10-year-old Katie who is tiny and pretends to be little for sympathy and Bill, Andy’s mum’s new husband Bill “The Baboon”, each of whom she cannot stand (especially Bill, who she does not understand what Mum sees in him, and his daughter, Katie) - and Dad’s new family: twins, violent Zen and caring Crystal and Dad’s new wife, Carrie, who is pregnant with Andy’s dad’s child. Although Andy does not mind Dad’s new family as much as Mum’s, she still wishes to keep dad close to her, just like how their relationship was before in Mulberry Cottage, Andy’s family’s previous home.
Throughout the book, Andy misses Mulberry Cottage and desperately hopes for her family to get back together again and move back into their little home. She starts to lose concentration at school, causing her to get horrible grades, and her relationship with her best friend, Aileen, begins to disintegrate. Andy becomes more and more isolated every day which makes her play imaginary games with Radish.
However, Andy finds a new spot for her and Radish to play in, which reminisces her about Mulberry Cottage. As the story proceeds, Andy reluctantly realises that she has to accept that her parents will not reunite and she begins to think that she has to move on like her parents did. By the end of the book, Andy has befriended her step-siblings, found honorary grandparents and has accepted the sudden drastic change of her parent’s bitter divorce will not stop her from doing well in her own life.
Wilson’s descriptions of mulberries make them sound ever so delicious and her books are amazingly addictive. I’ve read the whole book only today and have found myself willing to read multiple more times. I would recommend this to a whole range of children from the ages of 8-13 years. It will probably be a memorable book as I find that during the climax of any Jacqueline Wilson book, there is always a part you would never expect to read. I think that “The Suitcase Kid” can be read as a class to explore realistic children’s fictional literature and may inspire children to be more realistic in their creative stories by writing about their own life and any common problems found in it.
Overall, I rate this book 5 stars and Jacqueline Wilson has once again caused me to be addicted to another one of her book. A wonderful piece of realistic fiction in British children’s literature! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Suitcase Kid follows the new life of 10-year-old big and feisty Andrea “Andy” West who lives with her Sylvanian Family rabbit called Radish in her life of living with recently-divorced parents. Radish is 4cm tall and is Andy’s only accomplice as she is an only child when she lives with her Mum and her Mum’s new family - noisy 14-year-old Paula, calm 12-year-old Graham, annoying and spoilt 10-year-old Katie who is tiny and pretends to be little for sympathy and Bill, Andy’s mum’s new husband Bill “The Baboon”, each of whom she cannot stand (especially Bill, who she does not understand what Mum sees in him, and his daughter, Katie) - and Dad’s new family: twins, violent Zen and caring Crystal and Dad’s new wife, Carrie, who is pregnant with Andy’s dad’s child. Although Andy does not mind Dad’s new family as much as Mum’s, she still wishes to keep dad close to her, just like how their relationship was before in Mulberry Cottage, Andy’s family’s previous home.
Throughout the book, Andy misses Mulberry Cottage and desperately hopes for her family to get back together again and move back into their little home. She starts to lose concentration at school, causing her to get horrible grades, and her relationship with her best friend, Aileen, begins to disintegrate. Andy becomes more and more isolated every day which makes her play imaginary games with Radish.
However, Andy finds a new spot for her and Radish to play in, which reminisces her about Mulberry Cottage. As the story proceeds, Andy reluctantly realises that she has to accept that her parents will not reunite and she begins to think that she has to move on like her parents did. By the end of the book, Andy has befriended her step-siblings, found honorary grandparents and has accepted the sudden drastic change of her parent’s bitter divorce will not stop her from doing well in her own life.
Wilson’s descriptions of mulberries make them sound ever so delicious and her books are amazingly addictive. I’ve read the whole book only today and have found myself willing to read multiple more times. I would recommend this to a whole range of children from the ages of 8-13 years. It will probably be a memorable book as I find that during the climax of any Jacqueline Wilson book, there is always a part you would never expect to read. I think that “The Suitcase Kid” can be read as a class to explore realistic children’s fictional literature and may inspire children to be more realistic in their creative stories by writing about their own life and any common problems found in it.
Overall, I rate this book 5 stars and Jacqueline Wilson has once again caused me to be addicted to another one of her book. A wonderful piece of realistic fiction in British children’s literature! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
March 12, 2021
We are ready to do anything to get back our beautiful past, isn't it? But what ever happened has happened, we cannot erase it & start again! ⚡
THE SUITCASE KID by Jaccqueline Wilson (@jacqulinewilson ), is a children's novel which portrays the life of Andrea, sweetly called as Andy. She had a perfect life in mulberry cottage with a dad & mom, once. But not anymore. She craves to be with her parents in mulberry cottage, her dream home, but she knows it cannot be. He soul companion during her good times, tough times & always is Radish, her toy rabbit.
Her mom's new husband and daughter Katie annoys her, she calls her mum's new husband a baboon in mind. His other kids Paula & Grahan are good to her. Her dad too is married again, his wife's name is Carrie, her tow kids crystal, sweet girl & zen annoying and on top of that Carrie is pregnant again. She badly wants her parents back but it is not possible. So she secretly starts to visit mulberry cottage, now someone else's property. And plays there with radish. It's a sweet story of a child who had to go through a lot due to her parents divorce. It is a lot to take in for a child. Yet parents too are not just parents they are human beings too. All Jacqueline Wilson's books are good but the endings are so good. In a children's book, endings should be a bit more happy, I think. But then maybe she wants kids to learn the realities of life.
Rating : 3.9
#thesuitcasegood #jaccquelinewilson #childrensnovel #childrensbook #family #divorce #happiness #sadness #stepmom #stepdad #stepsisters #stepbrothers #counseling #familyissues #parentsfight #child #lives #review #readerssnapshot #reviewofabook #novelreview
THE SUITCASE KID by Jaccqueline Wilson (@jacqulinewilson ), is a children's novel which portrays the life of Andrea, sweetly called as Andy. She had a perfect life in mulberry cottage with a dad & mom, once. But not anymore. She craves to be with her parents in mulberry cottage, her dream home, but she knows it cannot be. He soul companion during her good times, tough times & always is Radish, her toy rabbit.
Her mom's new husband and daughter Katie annoys her, she calls her mum's new husband a baboon in mind. His other kids Paula & Grahan are good to her. Her dad too is married again, his wife's name is Carrie, her tow kids crystal, sweet girl & zen annoying and on top of that Carrie is pregnant again. She badly wants her parents back but it is not possible. So she secretly starts to visit mulberry cottage, now someone else's property. And plays there with radish. It's a sweet story of a child who had to go through a lot due to her parents divorce. It is a lot to take in for a child. Yet parents too are not just parents they are human beings too. All Jacqueline Wilson's books are good but the endings are so good. In a children's book, endings should be a bit more happy, I think. But then maybe she wants kids to learn the realities of life.
Rating : 3.9
#thesuitcasegood #jaccquelinewilson #childrensnovel #childrensbook #family #divorce #happiness #sadness #stepmom #stepdad #stepsisters #stepbrothers #counseling #familyissues #parentsfight #child #lives #review #readerssnapshot #reviewofabook #novelreview
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 9, 2020
An adept portrayal of non-nuclear families which also explores themes of acceptance, friendships, family and the theme of hope. Wilson really was a pioneer in adopting to explore realistic and often sensitive themes aimed at young readers. It's also interesting how Wilson uses illness to convey child anxiety
August 9, 2020
This was an enjoyable read and children whose parents are separated would be able to identify with the character Andy who spends her time between her mum and dad's houses. It could also teach children who live with both parents about the experiences of other children and it could link to topics such as families in PSHE. It's most suitable for children in KS2.
July 28, 2021
this was the first JW book i read as a child (or had even heard of) and so i have a certain amount of nostalgia for it. as always she doesnt shy away for tough subjects which i love in a kids book.
August 24, 2023
In my dreams
I am as small as my rabbit
and I am safe
at home.
Really tame for a Jacky Wilson! Obviously Andy's situation is far from perfect, but it's still a great story. I loved that the Peters couple of the Larkspur Lane garden took such a shine to her and even Graham later on.
I am as small as my rabbit
and I am safe
at home.
Really tame for a Jacky Wilson! Obviously Andy's situation is far from perfect, but it's still a great story. I loved that the Peters couple of the Larkspur Lane garden took such a shine to her and even Graham later on.
January 1, 2020
Super
Fantastic
Fantastic
July 4, 2025
listen, when're leaving uni what else are you supposed to do except go and find the uni library children's fiction section and read some of your old favourites???
August 7, 2010
Well, I read it, so I guess I can put it my "read" shelves.
This is actually a major first. It's my first "book to read before I let my child read it" book. Marcus picked it up at the library and when I asked it turned out it was because he liked the name. I didn't take much notice at the library, but when he picked it to read tonight I thought I better take a look.
This isn't a book for a six year old boy and I won't be giving it to him to read. But it's a good book for an older girl dealing with parents who have separated or divorced, or indeed any girl who wants to try to understand this issue.
As an adult reader of fiction, I wanted a more significant ending. Andy is unhappy when her parents split and wants them back together. As both have new partners this isn't going to happen. By the end of the book, Andy has found her way to acceptance of the situation more than anything. Which is probably a very realistic result and totally appropriate for children reading this ho might be in a similar situation.
As a parent in a stable relationship, I thought the parents' behaviour was terrible - both were more caught up in arguing with each other and focusing on their new partners than taking time to understand how Andy was coping. I'd have liked to give them both a good shaking or a sharp slap up the head.
However, sadly I realise that this may well be a realistic situation and this i s a better book for a child reading for sticking with a much less than perfect situation. I'm also grateful that I haven't had to deal with such things myself, either when I was a child or now that I'm in a solid and happy marriage.
Marcus won't be reading this, but I'm actually rather glad I did and it certainly gave me a new perspective. I can see why Jacqueline Wilson is well thought of as an author for children. When Marcus gets a bit older, I hope I remember her as someone for him to try. I just really, really glad he doesn't need this one.
This is actually a major first. It's my first "book to read before I let my child read it" book. Marcus picked it up at the library and when I asked it turned out it was because he liked the name. I didn't take much notice at the library, but when he picked it to read tonight I thought I better take a look.
This isn't a book for a six year old boy and I won't be giving it to him to read. But it's a good book for an older girl dealing with parents who have separated or divorced, or indeed any girl who wants to try to understand this issue.
As an adult reader of fiction, I wanted a more significant ending. Andy is unhappy when her parents split and wants them back together. As both have new partners this isn't going to happen. By the end of the book, Andy has found her way to acceptance of the situation more than anything. Which is probably a very realistic result and totally appropriate for children reading this ho might be in a similar situation.
As a parent in a stable relationship, I thought the parents' behaviour was terrible - both were more caught up in arguing with each other and focusing on their new partners than taking time to understand how Andy was coping. I'd have liked to give them both a good shaking or a sharp slap up the head.
However, sadly I realise that this may well be a realistic situation and this i s a better book for a child reading for sticking with a much less than perfect situation. I'm also grateful that I haven't had to deal with such things myself, either when I was a child or now that I'm in a solid and happy marriage.
Marcus won't be reading this, but I'm actually rather glad I did and it certainly gave me a new perspective. I can see why Jacqueline Wilson is well thought of as an author for children. When Marcus gets a bit older, I hope I remember her as someone for him to try. I just really, really glad he doesn't need this one.
July 23, 2012
‘The Suitcase Kid’ by Jacqueline Wilson is a book you can enjoy as an adult or as a child! When I was a child I enjoyed reading various books by Jacqueline Wilson such as ‘The Story of Tracy Beaker’ and ‘Bad Girls’, and as an adult I have come to appreciate how she captures issues such as divorce, death and fostering through emotional dialogue and gripping characters.
‘The Suitcase Kid’ is about a 10 year old girl called Andrea who has to come to terms with her parent’s recent divorce. She alternates her time between her Mum and Bill (her Mum’s new partner) and his three kids and her Dad and Carrie (his new wife) and her twin daughters. She experiences a rollercoaster of emotions during the story, which affects her performance in school and her friendships. After the hope of her parents getting back together frizzles out, she finally accepts they have parted ways and becomes more positive after realising that she has a bigger family and more people who care about her.
The book is great for children to understand about family issues and is written in such a way that we can easily identify with the main character and what she is going through regardless of the age of the reader.
This book would be ideal for upper KS1 – KS2 and would suit being in the class book shelf or for a PSHE activity, where each child in the class can write about their family, to help children identify that all families are different (good for inclusion, touching upon everyone having a family regardless if the child lives with Grandparents, Mum or in a Care Home, and that there is no ‘perfect’ family, but important to realise that our families love us and care for us). Children can also draw a picture of their family/bring photographs in for all to see.
‘The Suitcase Kid’ is about a 10 year old girl called Andrea who has to come to terms with her parent’s recent divorce. She alternates her time between her Mum and Bill (her Mum’s new partner) and his three kids and her Dad and Carrie (his new wife) and her twin daughters. She experiences a rollercoaster of emotions during the story, which affects her performance in school and her friendships. After the hope of her parents getting back together frizzles out, she finally accepts they have parted ways and becomes more positive after realising that she has a bigger family and more people who care about her.
The book is great for children to understand about family issues and is written in such a way that we can easily identify with the main character and what she is going through regardless of the age of the reader.
This book would be ideal for upper KS1 – KS2 and would suit being in the class book shelf or for a PSHE activity, where each child in the class can write about their family, to help children identify that all families are different (good for inclusion, touching upon everyone having a family regardless if the child lives with Grandparents, Mum or in a Care Home, and that there is no ‘perfect’ family, but important to realise that our families love us and care for us). Children can also draw a picture of their family/bring photographs in for all to see.
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September 11, 2025childhood re-read!! 🥹 her parents’ approach to the divorce and the little girl was AWFUL (painfully reminding events of 2017 🤭xx?)
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April 8, 2012Jacqueline Wilson- The suitcase Kid
As a young teenager I had the whole Jacqueline Wilson book series! The suitcase Kid was my favourite by far!
What spoke to me throughout reading this story again, was that it is written through the eyes of a child going through the realities of having two homes, when their parents separate and divorce from each other. I felt if I was a child reading this and was going through this in real life this would have been very comforting for me to know that I wasn’t the only one in this situation and wasn’t the only one feeling like I don’t have my own home any more. Reading the Suitcase Kid you really feel empathy for the character and they way Jacqueline Wilson presents this story you really feel that you are reading a diary of a young child in an upsetting time of their life.
I would suggest that this story and the other Jacqueline Wilson stories would be appropriate for children who are in the years of five onwards. I would also like to add that I think this story would attract a female audience due to the main character being a girl and the events in the story for instance finding a new best friend would appeal more to girls in my opinion.
As a young teenager I had the whole Jacqueline Wilson book series! The suitcase Kid was my favourite by far!
What spoke to me throughout reading this story again, was that it is written through the eyes of a child going through the realities of having two homes, when their parents separate and divorce from each other. I felt if I was a child reading this and was going through this in real life this would have been very comforting for me to know that I wasn’t the only one in this situation and wasn’t the only one feeling like I don’t have my own home any more. Reading the Suitcase Kid you really feel empathy for the character and they way Jacqueline Wilson presents this story you really feel that you are reading a diary of a young child in an upsetting time of their life.
I would suggest that this story and the other Jacqueline Wilson stories would be appropriate for children who are in the years of five onwards. I would also like to add that I think this story would attract a female audience due to the main character being a girl and the events in the story for instance finding a new best friend would appeal more to girls in my opinion.
May 9, 2012
The suitcase kid is a book about a ten year old girl named Andy who is struggling to cope with her parent’s divorce. She is forced to leave Mulberry cottage her family home and decide which parent to live with permanently. Andy decides to choose both. 1 week she goes to her mother, and the next week she goes to her father. This book cleverly outlines the Andy’s emotions, fears and neglect as a result of her new family situation. Andy feels as if she is living out of a suitcase. Finding a new mulberry tree and making friends with Graham helps her cope in this situation. I was really impressed how this book was laid out with each chapter using a letter of the alphabet to introduce the next topic or character. This book deals with real life situations that man children can either relate to or have had to deal with. This is a very engaging and realistic book and I would wholly recommend it to children in upper key stage 2.
October 22, 2012
This book follows Andy whose parents have divorced and who is now being forced to move between both their homes and come to terms with her parents gaining new partners and step families. I first read this book in Primary School, the same year my Mum and Dad separated, and being in a class with only 2 other children with separated parents, it was both a comfort and a relief to read something that was so mainstream that involved something so personal to me, and that was written in such a delicate and tactful way. Wilson, as always is hugely insightful concerning the way children feel in these circumstances. For children in the latter years of Key Stage 2 who perhaps have gone through similar situations this book will be of great interest, however even for children without first hand experience of divorce and separation it addresses universal feelings of feeling lost and uncertainty which all children have felt at one time or another.
December 28, 2018
When I was a youngster I loved this book. As a child from a broken home myself, I found it spoke to me in ways a book had never done before and I felt so much like the main protagonist Andy. Reading it again now, it makes me sad to realise how succinctly this book captured the essence and emotion of my own childhood.
The story itself may be rather brief but there is so much beneath the surface, to be discovered by inferring and reading between the lines, which is perhaps the beauty of children's books and indeed Wilson's own storytelling ability.
Reading this as an adult has shown that whilst Wilson's writing is not necessarily the best or by any means without fault, it is her ability to engage with and understand young audiences which make her so fantastic. I do have to say though that the characters Wilson creates come across like caricatures but then that's probably a requirement of children's fiction. Despite this her main character is well-written and down to earth.
The story itself may be rather brief but there is so much beneath the surface, to be discovered by inferring and reading between the lines, which is perhaps the beauty of children's books and indeed Wilson's own storytelling ability.
Reading this as an adult has shown that whilst Wilson's writing is not necessarily the best or by any means without fault, it is her ability to engage with and understand young audiences which make her so fantastic. I do have to say though that the characters Wilson creates come across like caricatures but then that's probably a requirement of children's fiction. Despite this her main character is well-written and down to earth.
December 12, 2011
The Suitcase Kid by Jacqueline Wilson is a story about a 10 year old child called Andy and her struggle in coping with her parents’ divorce. Andy is desperate to return to her old life and family home where she was once happy. Unable to decide which parent to live with permanently, Andy moves between her mother and fathers house each week. The story shows the physical and mental strain this has on Andy as she copes with her parents arguing as well as having new step siblings thrust upon her. I really enjoyed reading this book as it deals with real life situations that many children face. I feel it would be very appropriate to read to a class or could be used in circle time. I believe this book would be suitable for KS2 children however it could be read to younger children.
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