Not to want the DDs to read any more dismal, turgid, depressing shit written by Jacqueline Wilson?

[MrsSchadenfreude]

I can't stand it any longer. Death, destruction, broken families, mum's boyfriend beating her up. Happy just doesn't exist. If parents are married, they are disfunctional, or have ishoos.

I wouldn't mind the odd one, interspersed with other stuff, but it's like fucking drugs in this house. Anything else is read perfunctorily before rushing back to worship on the altar of Saint Jacqueline of the Sorrows.

Cory, you're right.

The book I was thinking of was The Graveyard Book and that's Gaiman. The Morpurgo I've read was something about a cat on the Titanic, which I felt was a bit of a let down for what could have been a good story. (or maybe that was someone else again, and I haven't actually read any Morpurgo at all!).

Why was there an outcry bruffin? I thought when I looked at the JW lists that it would be v sensible to put the age ranges on the books.

The problem, earwicga, is that children vary so enormously in both reading ability and maturity. What is suitable reading for your dc might be far too grown-up for mine. And different children are upset or troubled or struggle to understand different things.

Imo there really is no substitute for someone who knows the child having a quick skim through in the shop. Trying to second guess what all 9yos should be able to cope with is pretty hopeless.

Because it's DICTATING to children what they should and should not read, and slower readers would be embarrassed apparently to be seen with a book with a lower age range. Bollocks as far as I could see, and actually lots of publishers do now have suggested age ranges on the back, but JWs books still don't AFAIK.

There were a few threads on here and I think the author Phillip Pullman got involved started a campaign. They felt having an age guidance would put children off reading and children would get laughed at if they were reading books with lower age guidance.All nonsense really. It is so difficult trying to find out how suitable books are.

Thanks - that all makes sense. Pullman really irritates me. He was so irate at having to be asked to have police checks when he went into schools. Didn't seem unreasonable to me tbh.

One of the ones I recognised from the older list was Dustbin Baby and having looked at what it's about on Wiki the stuff about suicide seems a little disturbing. I suppose I should take more of an interest in what my children are reading but I had kinda thought that JW is known for dealing with stuff sensitively, and my kids read so many books. Argh!

I think that it depends what your DC wants to read-I liked reading things that parents didn't like! Not all Jacqueline Wilson is depressing 'Cliffhanger' is quite funny.

I was all for Philip Pullman resisting CRB checks in schools-it was utterly ridiculous! At no point was he left alone with children. PC gone mad!

But as I recall he wouldn't have needed a CRB check anyway - at no point in the initial proposal was one required for one off visits with no unaccompanied contact, but he decided to go off on one anyway.

I just don't understand the vehement feelings against JW or any other author.

Some people like to read pacy, simplistic stuff. Some people get great enjoyment from it. And so what?

Some people love books in all their different hues and in all their different complexities and want to encourage that love of broad reading in their childrne.

I just don't see it as a problem if children (or adults) choose to read action-packed simple stuff for their own pleasure.

JW is not a particularly good writer but she is a very good story-teller.

I love Jaqueline Wilson books, as does my 9 year old niece, and her dad! On occasion, after choosing some adult books from the library I will go to the children's section to see if there are any JW books there that I haven't read yet! So I don't think it's true that kids will grow out of them! Lol, or maybe they will when they're teenagers, when it's not 'cool' to read kids books, but will come back to them as adults when they don't care about being 'cool' anymore!

I just wanted to add that I felt a bit let down by JW when I read 'Love Lessons.' Granted, I imagine it's aimed at teenagers not little girls, but even so, what got me is that lots of girls go through having a crush on a teacher, and should be taught that it's ok, but that nothing will come of it. But in this book, the teacher reciprocates!! I thought that was a bad message to give to kids - that if they love a teacher enough they could have a relationship together. Could gets kids and teachers into a whole lot of trouble!

Morpurgo and King-Smith are both lauded as Great Writers but often I get little enjoyment from reading their books.

I am ahppy for people to point me in the direction of new authors and books but I strongly rail against anyone telling me what I shouldn't read because it is crap.

It's similar snobbery to that directed at dear old Enid.

And just as misplaced.

If a child wants to read enid, let her.
If she aants to read rainbow fairies, fine.
If she wants to read Potter, ok then.
If she want s to read Wimpy Kid, goodo.
If she want s to read Wilson, that's dandy.

Quite.

Let them ramble and browse and choose for themselves. Their tastes will vary and change and develop and grow, just as they should.

You didn't enjoy Stig of the Dump pointydog? I have no idea now what it was about now but remember feeling it was a very good book.

I think I enjoyed stig, I can't really remember it now.

I like good bokks as well, you know .

I love her.

DD loved her.

She is great.

There are loads of other books to read if you dont like her.

People get so worthy! Half the joy of reading as a DC is reading subversive things that your parent's get sniffy about-well understood by Roald Dahl.
DCs are like adults and they read for all sorts of reasons-I am not going to list them, but one is an easy read-pure escapism and a good story-which is why Enid Blyton is still popular, despite being banned by libraries at one point.
DCs also like to read about people very unlike themselves. If Jacqueline Wilson didn't write a good story she wouldn't be popular.
You can introduce them to good literature (I love Stig of the Dump) but that doesn't mean that you have ban anything. Forbidden fruits are the best! I used to read things under the bedclothes with a torch-although that was more because I wanted to carry on after my mother thought lights should be out. I can't remember her banning things or censoring my reading.
I have just finished a long, rather depressing book and I am relaxing with the sort of chick lit that I don't normally read. DCs are no different. Just be pleased that they enjoy reading!

My dd (9) loves reading anything, from JW to The Hobbit, I don't mind what she reads, I remember reading about the bombing of Hiroshima(very grim and upsetting) at her age. I think if a book bores her she won't read it - she isn't fussed about Michael Morpurgo books.

Dd would choose a book with humour over anything else, Roddy Doyle's Rover Adventures, Andy Staunton's Mr Gum series, any Horrible Histories (which have inspired her to read other history books) and she has read two of Terry Deary's Fire Theif books since the weekend and begged to start the third one before she going to sleep tonight. I wouldn't like my book choices being limited, so I try to respect her choice too... I am happy that she loves reading, just wish I could find some books to make her love maths!?

And do any of JW's books have a positive male role model? Or are they all wife beaters, bullies or wimps? Because I can't recall any.

And I wouldn't mind her reading these misery tomes if she would read something else as well.

I couldn't stand people limiting mine so why limit a DCs? If it is in the children's library it is suitable IMO. Quite honestly, with 2 DSs who don't read for pleasure ,I would be grateful if they read anything at all! My mother telling me that Jacqueline Wilson wasn't suitable would have me borrowing from friends and reading in secret!

If you are a DC you want a good story-you couldn't care less about role models!

I have never read a book for good-role-model reasons. And I have never considered whether the books my children read have good role models.

That's quite a specific motivation to have.

dd loves JW. Though she did say the last one made her feel sad (the newest one that's just come out) and she had to read a happy book afterwards lol.