Queenie by Jacqueline Wilson, reviewed by Catherine

Queenie is a very good book especially if you like cats. The main character is Queenie who is the cat at Blyton ward where Elsie, the second main character, goes to get her tuberculosis fixed. She goes to a hospital called Miltree Orthopaedic Hospital and her best friend there is a boy called Angus. Queenie helps Elsie settle into the hospital when she first arrives because she has been separated from her adored nan.

The book is set in 1953 when the queen is having her coronation. I like that lots of Jacqueline Wilson’s books are set in Victorian times but actually this one is set quite a bit after. The pictures at the start of every chapter are good and they are by Nick Sharratt. He works with Jacqueline Wilson a lot and he illustrates quite a few of her books. I would recommend this book for children 7+ and I would give it four out of five stars. If you enjoy it you should probably try out the Hetty Feather series which is set in the Victorian era. 

I like animals, playing with my sister, and all types of books. I also love playing football, going on walks and identifying birds. My favourite species of bird is a firecrest because I love the orange stripe on their heads.

About the book

It’s 1953, the year Elizabeth is to be crowned Queen of England. Elsie Kettle can’t wait to go to London to see the celebrations on Coronation Day. Elsie lives with her Nan – her mum works as a showgirl, so she’s not around very often. Spirited and imaginative, but often lonely, Elsie longs for a best friend. Luckily, she and Nan are very close; Elsie just wishes she was allowed a cat to keep her company sometimes.

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.

Finally, Elsie is well enough to leave hospital. But before she does, she has one very special, very unexpected visitor…