The Suitcase Kid

by Jacqueline Wilson

Book Overview

MEET TEN-YEAR-OLD ANDY. THE SUITCASE KID.

"When my parents split up they didn't know what to do with me. My family always lived at Mulberry Cottage. Mum, Dad, me - and Radish, my lovable toy rabbit. But now, Mum lives with Bill the Baboon and his three kids. Dad lives with Carrie and her twins. And where do I live? I live out of a suitcase."

Andy has always lived at Mulberry Cottage with her mum and dad.

But when...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0440867738
• ISBN13: 9780440867739
• Release Date: October 2007
• Publisher: Corgi Books
• Length: 160 Pages
• Weight: 0.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 5.1" x 7.8"
• Age Range: 9 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 4 to 7

Customer Reviews

When the parents split up, where do you fit in?

Andy West's parents have divorced and have started new lives with other partners. Andy is to spend one week with her mother and the "Baboon" and his miserable children. While there, she is forced to share her step-sister Katie's room, and Katie goes out of her way to make Andy miserable. On the weeks Andy stays with her dad and his "new agey" wife Carrie, she shares a room with 5 year old twins Zen and Crystal, and their mess. To add to the misery, Carrie is pregnant. The only one who understands's Andy's confusion is her constant companion Radish, a tiny toy rabbit. Radish understands how Andy misses the tiny cottage she and her parents shared. Radish understands how hard it is to make people you barely know, your family. Radish understands how hard it is to remember all your schoolwork and belongings when you stay at two places. All Andy wants is a place for her and Radish to feel at home. One day she and Radish discover a tiny, hidden garden, that they long to make their own. This is a sensitive story of divorce and one child trying to cope with events out of her control. Once again, Jacqueline Wilson has displayed an uncanny understanding of the needs of a child, and a true ear for dialog. This is a sweet book and a must read for anyone you know who has been touched by divorce.

Bags of fun - The Suitcase Kid review by B O'Problem

Andrea is a ten year old kid on the move. It's a tough decision between Mum with the Baboon or Dad and Carrie. Will she be on the move forever? The answer lies in the story. A delightful one to please the kids.

Very Realistic

This book is about Andrea (Andy) West. It is a funny, realistic and usually quite moving story! I would advise it to anyone who would give The Lottie Project 5 stars!

The Suitcase Kid

This story is about a girl called Andy who tells how her parents split up. She now spends one week living with her Mum and the next with her Dad. She used to live in a place called Mulberry Cottage, which was her dream cottage. Her step-parents both have children but she hates her step-Dad's kids. He has got this really mean daughter called Katie who just picks on Andy non-stop. And then there's Graham who is very quiet and just sits in his room playing on his computer. And eldest one (? ) just hangs out at bars with her mates all the time. Her step-Mum has two twins called Crystal and Zen. Crystal is quite nice but Zen is just annoying. This books covers many different themes - anger, jealousy, meanness - as Andy tries to cope with her two new families. Some of it is quite sad but most of it is funny. Most of it is based on Jacqueline Wilson's life when she was a kid, and I think it is the best of her books. It appealed to me because it is a bit like my family.

It's my favourite book in the world

I am Kate Roberts aged 8, from Wellington, New Zealand. I felt sorry for Andrea when she moved. She didn't have many friends. It was an exciting book because Andrea went from one place to another and I thought her rabbit, Radish, had good adventures which kids would like to read about.