Queenie

Product Information

In this book, a girl called Elsie Kettle is sent to a hospital to be cared for because of TB in her leg, where she meets some new friends, like Martin and Gillian. Jacqueline Wilson wrote her first novel when she was nine years old, and she has been writing ever since. She is now one of Britain's bestselling and most beloved children's authors. She has written over 100 books and is the creator of characters such as Tracy Beaker and Hetty Feather. More than forty million copies of her books have been sold.

Then tragedy strikes. Nan and Elsie both fall ill with tuberculosis, and Elsie finds herself whisked away to the children's ward of the hospital. Confined to bed for months on end, Elsie finds it very hard to adapt to the hospital's strict regime. But she invents astonishing ways of entertaining the other children on the ward, and for the first time finds herself surrounded by true friends -- including Queenie, the hospital's majestic white cat. Elsie is taken to a specialist hospital in the countryside with other children with joint problems, some as a result of TB as well. This book is set in 1953 and it tells the story of Elsie Kettle, who lives with her dear nan in a council flat. She has no dad and her promiscuous mum is nearly always working faraway, but Elsie doesn't mind because she loves her nan much more. One day her nan falls ill with tuberculosis and is taken away to hospital, and Elsie has to grow used to her mum being around again. But then Elsie develops TB too, and before long she is in hospital herself, strapped up with a leg splint. Will she ever see her nan again... and what will be of their long-anticipated trip to see the Queen's Coronation together?

Queenie is a heartwarming tale about Elsie Kettle, a girl in 1953, who desperately wants to see the Queen's Coronation. She lives with her Nan in a little but cosy basement flat. When her Nan gets very poorly, Elsie's life is turned upside down. Her Mum comes to look after her but when Elsie gets ill, she is taken away from everything she ever knew. Now she will have to make new friends and this leads to a friendship with a majestic white cat called Queenie but will Ever ever be reunited with her Nan?

Book number 10 of my 2021 pledge! Yes, guys and dolls for the first time in history I have fulfilled my Goodreads pledge, after a number of flop shows!!!! Her Mum was, in my opinion unredeemable for running off to Canada with her boss/boyfriend and leaving Elsie to go to foster care (after saying earlier in the book she wouldn’t want that to happen again, as it’s mentioned this was the case when Elsie was very little). My youngest is always begging me to read more of her recommendations, and while I try to comply - and often read at least one a month - she's never satisfied. As a result, she's taken to reading them to me at every opportunity. One of my favourite comfort reads as a child! The beginning does a great job of introducing Elsie as an imaginative, lonely young girl that adores her nan and has a complicated relationship with her mother. The writing is straightforward, as is the plot, and effectively captures the mind of a 9-year-old.I love this book and all, and I understand why it's people's favorite JW books, but this one isn't mine. Then tragedy strikes. Nan and Elsie both fall ill with tuberculosis, and Elsie finds herself whisked away to the children’s ward of the hospital. Confined to bed for months on end, Elsie finds it very hard to adapt to the hospital’s strict regime. But she invents astonishing ways of entertaining the other children on the ward, and for the first time finds herself surrounded by true friends – including Queenie, the hospital’s majestic white cat. As well as winning many awards for her books, including the Children’s Book of the Year, Jacqueline is a former Children’s Laureate, and in 2008 she was appointed a Dame. It did get very repetitive, and I know this was because she was bed-ridden, but I think Wilson could have really made it more engaging.

It was disappointing that Elsie didn’t make any true friends there, I feel that would have added some much needed development. I enjoyed this book so much, it was such a lovely, heartwarming and heartbreaking read, that I found myself really absorbed in, eager to find out what would happen next in each chapter, being an ultimately moving, gripping read, which is the best kind of read you can have! Amazing, touching book! One of the things I liked most about 'Queenie' when I was younger is the detailed description, particularly the stories Elsie tells to the other children in hospital, based on Enid Blyton's Faraway Tree. And, just as it did then, the book swept me in and I could scarcely put it down. Double Act won the prestigious Smarties Medal and the Children’s Book Award as well as being highly commended for the Carnegie Medal. The Story of Tracy Beaker won the 2002 Blue Peter People’s Choice Award.A brilliant and moving story from bestselling author Jacqueline Wilson, set in the children's ward of a 1950s hospital.

It's 1953, the year Elizabeth is to be crowned Queen of England. Elsie Kettle can't wait to go to London with her beloved nan to see the Coronation Day celebrations. Then tragedy strikes. Nan and Elsie both fall ill with tuberculosis and Elsie is whisked away to the children's ward of Miltree Hospital. Confined to bed for months, Elsie misses Nan desperately, and struggles to adapt to the hospital's strict rules. But every night after lights-out she tells magical tales of adventure to the other children on the ward. For the first time, Elsie finds herself surrounded by true friends - including Queenie, the hospital's majestic white cat.She was very inconsistent: sometimes she was bold, sometimes she was meek, or rude, or selfish, or selfless… I feel like Wilson wasn’t entirely sure who her character was, and made a mis-mash of her depending on the situation. I didn’t feel like I truly knew Elsie. Nan and Elsie both fall ill with tuberculosis, and Elsie finds herself whisked away to the children's ward of the hospital. Confined to bed for months on end, Elsie finds it very hard to adapt to the hospital's strict regime. But she invents astonishing ways of entertaining the other children on the ward, and for the first time finds herself surrounded by true friends - including Queenie, the hospital's majestic white cat. I felt sorry for Elsie - her mum not visiting her for weeks, months on end and choosing yet another new boyfriend over her own daughter and mother, not to mention being taken away from her nan and not being able to see the Coronation together. I'm glad it wasn't a sad ending. This was a reread; to try and get me out of a reading slump, which is definitely did. Can always rely on a childhood classic to help you out of the slump. She has had quite a few jobs, including one at Butlins, as a showgirl, and as a secretary for Mr Perkins.