The Suitcase Kid is a children's novel by written by Jacqueline Wilson

Jacqueline Wilson

Dame Jacqueline Wilson, DBE, FRSL is an award-winning English author, known for her vast and diverse work in children's literature. Her novels have been adapted numerous times for television, and commonly deal with such challenging themes as adoption, divorce and mental illness...

. The story focuses upon a young girl caught between her warring parents' bitter divorce, and the determination the girl has to get her parents back together, as is common amongst children whose parents are divorcing. However, as the young girl proceeds, she realises that she has to accept that her parents will not reunite and that she must move on like they did.

Plot

Andrea, known as Andy in the story, is a tall, awkward ten-year-old whose parents have recently divorced, much to her dismay. Her mother remarries Bill, who Andy takes a strong dislike to, as well as his other three children (especially Katie,a girl her own age but is five days older). Her father remarries Carrie, who has twins Zen and Crystal and is pregnant with her dad's new baby. Andy doesn't mind Carrie and her kids as much as Bill and his, but she still wishes she could have her dad to herself.

Throughout the book, Andy wishes that her parents would get back together and move back into their little house called Mulberry Cottage. Andy loses focus at school, getting poorer results, and loses touch with her previous best friend. As she becomes more and more isolated, she draws support from her Sylvanian Families rabbit, Radish, often playing imaginary games with her.

One day she finds a secret garden with mulberries growing in it, and she begins to go there after school. She accidentally drops Radish down a tree and can't get her out. Andy runs away in the middle of the night to get Radish. Her parents are distraught but soon finds her. Andy insists that she must go and retrieve Radish, and they meet the owners of the garden, Mr and Mrs Peters, who soon befriend Andy, acting as honorary grandparents.

By the end of the book, Andy has befriended her step-siblings, (including Zoe, her father and Carrie's new baby daughter) and accepted that her parents are not getting back together.
Andy lost her toy rabbit in a tree hole (radish).

Format

The chapters of the book are in alphabetical order:

• A is for Andrea
• B is for Bathroom

• D is for Dad
• E is for Ethel
• F is for Friends
• G is for Garden
• H is for Haiku
• I is for Ill
• J is for Jelly
• K is for Katie
• L is for Lake
• M is for My Mate Graham
• N is for Night
• O is for Old People
• P is for Photograghs
• Q is for Questions
• R is for Radish
• S is for Starlight
• T is for Time To Go Home
• U is for Unconscious
• V is for Vagrant
• W is for Welcome
• X is for Xmas
• Y is for Yacht
• Z is for Zoe.

Character List

• Andrea (Andy) - main character and protagonist
  
• Radish - Andy's beloved Sylvanian Family rabbit who she can talk to about problems
  
• Mum (Carol) - Andrea's mother
  
• Dad (Simon) - Andrea's father
  
• Bill (The Baboon or Un-Uncle Bill) - Andy's mother's new partner, a painter and decorator
  
• Graham - Bill's shy son from a previous marriage and Andy's new mate
  
• Paula - Bill's outgoing daughter from his previous marriage
  
• Katie - Bill's sly and spoiled youngest daughter from his previous marriage
  
• Carrie - Andrea's father's new partner, a dreamy hippie
  
• Zen and Crystal - Carrie's two five-year old twins from a previous marriage
  
• Aileen - An old friend of Andy from whom she has drifted apart since the divorce
  
• Fiona - A girl whom Aileen becomes friendly with
  
• Miss Maynard - The headmistress of Andy's school
  
• Mr Roberts - The owner of a sweet shop that Andy, Graham and Katie visit at the weekends
  
• Mr and Mrs Peters - A kind elderly couple whom Andy befriends toward the end of the book
  
• Zoe - The new born daughter of Andy's father and Carrie, born at the end of the book, whom Andy takes a shine to.