SuitabookCosima Unfortunate Steals A Star
Laura Noakes
- Reading
- Read alongside the child if cliff-hangers or the institutional history feel intense. Pause after the opening situation to distinguish historical prejudice from the girls’ abilities, then revisit whether the heist changes their circumstances once the ending is known.
- Themes
- Disability, identity and belonging: Cosima and other girls live in a Victorian home because disabled children are described as being hidden from society or judged unfit for ordinary society. They have distinct personalities, hobbies and skills. The situation exposes discriminatory treatment while presenting the girls as capable, varied individuals; the full range of characterisation and the ending are not established.
- Friendship and collective problem-solving: Cosima and her friends pool their skills and creativity to plan a heist, after earlier cake-stealing scams and pranks. The group includes girls with different disabilities and personalities. The book presents this favourably.
- Historical power and exploitation: A mysterious visitor offers to adopt all twenty girls for an Empire Exhibition, an offer described as dubious and linked to the planned exposure of a villain. The book’s stance on this remains unclear.
- Worth knowing
- The adoption offer is described as dubious, and the heist and unresolved parentage mystery may create suspense or emotional concern.