By: Siti Aisyah

Book Response Form

Book Title: The Suitcase Kid

Author : Jacqueline Wilson

Publisher : Doubleday
Date Published : 1992 Number of pages: 140 pages
Genre : Fiction, Children's literature

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 Summary
Andrea West, known as Andy in the story, is a tall, awkward and feisty 10 years old whose
parents have recently divorced. Andy cannot choose between living with her Mum and her new
family, or her Dad and his new family, so the social worker suggests she lives one week with
Mum and one week with Dad. This leads to Andy feeling as if she lives out of a suitcase. Her
mother has remarried a man called Bill, (whom Andy calls "Bill the Baboon"). Andy has a strong
dislike for him, as well as his other three children (especially Katie, a spiteful girl five days older
than Andy, who Andy is forced to share a bedroom with and calls Andy "Andy Pandy"). Her
father has remarried Carrie, who has twins Zen and Crystal and is pregnant with her dad's new
baby. Andy doesn't mind Carrie and her kids, 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 previous little house, named Mulberry Cottage. Andy loses focus at school, getting poorer
results, and loses touch with her previous best friend, Aileen. As she becomes more and more
isolated. She draws comfort from her spotted 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. As she feels her life unravelling, she spends longer and longer in the garden.
One day, startled by the owners of the garden, she accidentally drops Radish down a tree
and can't get her out. She is forced to flee and leave without Radish. Currently on a "mum's
house week", Andy runs away in the middle of the night to get Radish after being tormented
by Katie. Her parents are very worried but soon find her. Andy insists that she must go and
find Radish, and they meet the owners of the garden, Mr and Mrs Peters, who soon befriend
Andy, acting as honorary grandparents, giving kind gifts to her and Radish.

By the end of the book, Andy has befriended her step-siblings and has reluctantly accepted
that her parents are not getting back together.
 New words: feisty, unravelling, tormented, reluctantly

1) Feisty
(of a person, typically one who is relatively small or weak) lively, determined, and
courageous.

2) Unravelling
(something complicated or puzzling).

3) Tormented
or torture, torment, persecution
great mental or physical suffering, or something that causes such pain.

4) Reluctantly
in a way that shows that you are not willing to do something and are therefore slow to do it.
 New phrase: I haven’t got a home any more.

“Katie calls me Andy Pandy and she sings Time to Go Home in this sweet little
voice but it’s as if she’s spitting at me. Because she knows I haven’t got a home
anymore.”

 New phrase: I live out of a suitcase

“My family always lived at Mulberry Cottage. Mum, Dad, me - and Radish, my
Sylvanian 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.”
New Expressions/ Special Expression

 When my parents split up, they didn't know what they had to do with me.
(page 7)

 It's easy, as easy as A B C. Everyone says that. But what I want the most is
just going home - back to Mulberry Cottage ...
Why did you decide to read this book?

I decided to read this book because the synopsis is good and also have a
interesting cover, this book tells about the divorce of parents.

Were you glad that you decided to read it? Explain.

Yes, because it's an interesting story. JW raised the theme of family and child-
parent problems through this novel. Most parents tend not to consider how the
child feels when they divorce, as happened to Andy in this novel.

What did you like best about this book?

Its a feel good story, I loved this book. The reality for Andy is not as beautiful as she
hoped. The Suitcase Kid provides a rich story. Not only the story of Andy's life
struggle in making her life balanced again, but also the complex problems in the
family that usually occur after divorce.
What did you like least?
When her school uniform was often not ironed by Carrie when she was staying
at Dad's house. And the fad of her half-sister, Katie was very annoying. All this
makes Andy feel depressed and sad. Andy felt herself homeless. She doesn't
have her own room and everything must be shared with her stepsister.

Would you recommend this book to a friend?Explain

Yes, The Suitcase Kid has a story about the divorce of parents who often have an
impact. Whether it's a psychological change, routine habits, or even dreams. Andy is
a child in general who just wants to go through her usual days, having happy times,
accompanied by parents who are complete, and loving each other, and living in her
own home. Unfortunately, that beautiful things didn't happen to Andy.
In my opinion, this novel is good to read not only by children, but also by parents to
better understand what the child's desires are. This novel will help parents to better
understand their children.

On a scale 1-10,how difficult was this book for you? Why?

I will give 5, because there aren't many difficult words. Jacqueline Wilson
always uses words that are easily understood by children in each of her
books.