The Boy in the Suit

Author: Fox, James

Interest age: from c 8 years

Published on 12 September 2024 by Scholastic in the United Kingdom.

Paperback | 384 pages
196 x 129 x 26 | 272g

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“A funny, tender, poignant debut with a believable,

sympathetic protagonist.” - The Guardian

“Tender, truthful and touching.”

- The Times“A really lovely book,

so tender and truthful.” - Jacqueline Wilson, bestselling

author of The Story of Tracy Beaker“Fox

writes with great warmth and humour: his triumph

is to turn this story of modern domestic strife into an uplifting

read, with plenty of surprises en route.” - Daily Telegraph

“An urgent, nuanced book...[James Fox writes

a] deceptively breezy tale of austerity and mental illness with

deft compassion; would that real kids in Solo's battered shoe should

be so lucky” - Observer“Addressing

complex real-world issues (the cost-of-living

crisis, mental health, friendship problems...) with honesty, clarity

and compassion.” - Teach Primary“Expect

to have your heart broken and mended in one

reading of this must-read novel.” - Belfast Telegraph“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

“Honest, funny and touching, Solo's story will

stay with you long after the last page.” - Lisa Williamson“A

moving...and thought-provoking

story” - Cath Howe, author of Ella on the Outside

“Heart-wrenching and heart-warming.”

- Editor's choice, The School Librarian

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.

A sensitive, empathetic, timely portrayal of a family struggling

during the cost of living crisis.

This extraordinary debut will make you laugh and cry.