The Suitcase Kid

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Jacqueline Wilson

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Pages: 160 (Paperback)

Reading Level: Ages 9-12

ISBN: 0440867738

Pub: Corgi Yearling Books

Pub date: 2006-10-05

Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 13720

Editorial Review:

Lesley Dunlop reads The Suitcase Kid in this unabridged three-cassette pack.
Although there are many children's books about divorce, few move beyond bland therapeutic preaching into the realm of well-told stories. This one does. A hard look at joint-custody life, The Suitcase Kid follows Andrea West and her tiny stuffed rabbit, Radish, through the painful adjustment of being a kid with divorced parents. She must leave the home she loves with the mulberry tree in the front yard, and deal with parents who still fight, step parents, 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.
Wisely, Jacqueline Wilson doesn't offer instant solutions; rather, she chronicles Andrea's journey to the beginning of equilibrium in her new life. Things will never be the way they were, but, as the book suggests, they'll get better over time. And because it's well written and honest, The Suitcase Kid will appeal to any child who enjoys realistic fiction, not just those who "need" to read a book about divorce. (The publisher recommends the The Suitcase Kid for ages 8-12, but it could well appeal to children who are a couple of years younger or older.)

Running time is three hours five minutes. --Susan Harrison

Reader Reviews:

BRILL BOOK (2/2 people found this helpful)

This is a sad book because she is unhappy and cannot have what she wants most. I do not like divorces and I would not like to be in her place. I wish her parents and all parents really would think harder before they decide to get married in the first place and have children because it is very upsetting for the children if they change their minds and split up!

Some bits are funny too. Jacqueline Wilson always writes in a funny way and her arguments and quarrels have funny insults in them.

I did enjoy the book but I do not know why really because it is upsetting. My favourite parts were when she was playing with Radish in the pretend home she made for her by some elderly people called Mr and Mrs Peters.

I would definitely rate this book 10/ 10 and would recommend this book to older children - maybe 8 or over, because younger ones might find it very upsetting and also some of the insults are a bit rude. It is a lovely book, a classic Wilson, and is now one of my favourites. The Suitcase Kid has won many awards and was a special book for Coventry, where I live, for the end of last year.

If your parents are divorced I guess it might be upsetting but then again maybe it would have some good ideas on how to get along for you or maybe it would make you feel better.

Suitcase Kid (0/0 people found this helpful)

This book is about a girl who's parents had split up and she had to go in a suitcase back and forward to see her mum and dad one week she was going to her mums house the next week she was off to her dads house, it was a hard life for her. If you like 'THE DUSTBIN BABY' book by Jaqueline Wilson you will like this book. Happy reading!

Suitcase kid - superb (1/1 people found this helpful)

Brilliant, the book is about Andy and the upheavals in her family due to her parents splitting up. The book is well written and is easy to read. It deals with a very serious matter in a gentle and constructive manner. Even though the story is a sad one it does end on a happy note - a very enjoyable read.

Beautiful... (1/2 people found this helpful)

I read this book over and over when I was younger. It's a fantastic story about Andy, a young girl who is trying to cope with her parents' divorce, and her irritating new stepfamilies. It's brilliantly written and the emotions and thoughts of Andy are so realistic. Anyone who has felt out of place in their own home will understand immediately the feelings Andy has.

As well as being realistic and helpful, this book is also really funny and very easy to read. It's not at all preachy. Not just for children coping with divorce, this is a great book in its own right.

It will definitely appeal to anyone who has had trouble dealing with the things life throws at them, and who has ever felt that the only world which won't disappoint them is the one they create in their imagination. Heartwarming, enjoyable and at times tearjerking, this book is a refuge from all the people who don't understand you.

highly recommended (4/4 people found this helpful)

I chose to review this book as part of my children's literature project and found myself unable to put it down! The structure is somewhat unusual (though clever) as each chapter takes the reader through the alphabet ('A is for...Andrea'...etc). This may be quite intriguing for young readers, encouraging them to finish the book and discover what each letter stands for in Andrea's life. When approaching the content, some readers may feel the book paints a negative picture of step families, though i must say I don't agree. It simply outlines how difficult it can be to adjust and I am certain that young readers will find the book helpful. While many will be able to relate to the character 'Andrea' (the 'suitcase kid', whose parents have divorced), the story may also help children unfamilliar with divorce to understand what friends may be going through.
Highly recommended!

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