By James Fox (author)
"A timely story about the impact of child poverty that will make you laugh, cry and think."
Paperback In Stock £7.99 £7.19
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September 2024 Debut of the Month
Chosen by Guest Editor, Lisa Williamson as her Book of the Month.
With money tight, 10 year-old Solo’s mum Morag is forced to come up with imaginative solutions to their money woes, like crashing funerals for a free meal! Solo meanwhile is desperate to fit in and be normal for a change – not easy when you’ve just gone viral for all the wrong reasons.
With the cost-of-living crisis affecting more and more of the population, this book could not be better timed. Honest, funny and touching, Solo’s story will stay with you long after the last page.
This compelling and engaging debut tells the story of ten-year-old Solo, an endearing, funny and unforgettable character, who is fighting a losing battle to just be ‘normal’. Unfortunately, in the current cost-of-living crisis, there will be children like Solo in every class, with not enough to eat and without proper clothes and shoes.
Solo’s lack of uniform gets him into trouble at school, and he is a target for bullying. Solo’s mother, who insists on being called Morag, really struggles to conform and to provide any normality for her son. Solo has not seen his father for years and is led to believe that his father wants nothing to do with him.
Morag lost her job, and her mental health is fragile. Her solution to feeding them has been gatecrashing local funerals as mourners and stocking up on buffet food. Dressed in an ill-fitting black suit bought at a charity shop, Solo is dragged to event after event. Although grateful for the food, Solo is shamed and embarrassed and he knows what he and his mum do is wrong, but he is terrified of getting his mother in trouble or provoking an attack of what Morag calls the ‘Big Bad Reds.’ There is a rapid escalation of his troubles when they get caught at a celebrity funeral and become a news sensation.
Adults are continually telling him that if there’s anything wrong, he should speak up and ask for help, but he just doesn’t know how. Then Morag, unable to cope, abandons him and his brave efforts to find her eventually bring matters to a head.
Having suffered every step of the way with Solo, the reader is immensely relieved to see him properly cared for at last, reconciled with his father and Morag eventually found and receiving the treatment she needs. Sensitively and honestly shining a light on those ‘invisible’ children, who can so easily slip through the cracks, this is an important and empathetic must-read that will provoke lots of discussion as well as encouraging compassion, kindness and understanding.
It's not easy to fit in when you're the boy in the suit...
Ten-year-old Solo - embarrassingly, that isn't short for anything - just wants to be normal . He wants a name that doesn't stand out. He wishes he had a proper school uniform that fitted him. He dreams about a mum who doesn't get the Big Bad Reds, like his mum Morag. But most of all he longs to stop crashing funerals for the free food.
But when Solo and Morag crash the funeral of a celebrity and get caught, the press are there to witness their humiliation. The next day it's splashed across the papers. Before Solo knows it, he becomes a viral sensation, and life may never be normal again.
Solo's uphill pursuit of security, community and connection will break your heart and then mend it.
Page-turning, moving, but ultimately life-affirming, this story is perfect for fans of The Boy at the Back of the Class, The Goldfish Boy, Wonder and Jacqueline Wilson.
In the cost of living crisis, this huge-hearted, generous, sensitive, empathetic books has never been more timely.
This extraordinary debut will make you laugh and cry.
"A really lovely book, so tender and truthful." - Jacqueline Wilson, bestselling author of The Story of Tracy Beaker
"A tender, moving story beautifully capturing life in all its light and shade" - Hannah Gold, author of Waterstones Children's Book Prize Winner The Last Bear
'It is a beautiful, heartfelt gem of a book, I loved it.' - Tom Vaughan, author of Hercules
' This story is full to the brim with heart' - Helen Rutter, author of The Boy Who Made Everyone Laugh
'A moving...and thought-provoking story' - Cath Howe, author of Ella on the Outside
'A wonderful story...It moved me to tears' - Jen Carney, Autor of The Accidental Diary of B.U.G
James Fox works in the international division of a children's publisher. He has previously worked as a children's and YA buyer for retail. He has picked up writing credits for the Huffington Post, Lyra Magazine, Door is A Jar Journal, and Flash Fiction online, and has taken writing courses with The Poetry School and City Lit. The Boy in the Suit is his debut novel.
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It's not easy to fit in when you're the boy in the suit... Ten-year-old Solo - embarrassingly, that isn't short for anything - just wants to be normal.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed The Boy in the Suit and determined it is suitable for children aged 9-12 years old
The Boy in the Suit features in the following genres: Books of the Month, Recommendations, Debuts of the Month, Featured Books for 9+ readers, Gritty Reads, School Stories, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Stories about Family and Friends, Featured Books for 11+ readers
Paperback. £7.19, down from the £7.99 cover price. In Stock.
The Boy in the Suit was written by James Fox and published by Scholastic
The Boy in the Suit has 376 pages
£7.19, reduced from £7.99. In Stock.
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