To be horrified by this Jacqueline Wilson book and the message it sends to teens?

[AmyFarrahFowlerCooper]

At the moment in on a bit of a nostalgia kick book wise and have been reading all my old Jacqueline Wilson books. I've just finished rereading Love Lessons. Its about a lonely teenager (14) who falls "in love" with her male teacher who reciprocates the feelings and acts upon them.

Basically she confesses that she "loves him" and when they are alone in his car after babysitting, she kisses him and he kisses her back. He tells her that he has been fantasising about her at night and wishing they could be together. At the end of the book, the girl is asked to leave the school so the teacher can stay. On the walk home, the teacher catches her to say he loves her but he's staying with his wife.

When I read this as a teenager, I thought it was romantic and a really sad love story but now as an adult, all I can think is what on earth was JW thinking?! Teenage girls always get crushes on teachers but its like this book is saying to try and act on it because some teachers might love you back.

And then when the girl is asked to leave the school, the things the head teacher says to her are appalling. Quotes:

"You should have thought of that before you started acting in this ridiculous and precocious manner. If I were another kind of head teacher I would have Mr Raxberry instantly suspended. There could even be a court case. He would not only lose his job, he could find himself in very serious trouble. Did you ever stop to think about that?" --> is complete victim blaming and ignoring (and failing to report) abuse.

The girl says "none of this was his fault." and the head teacher says "I'm inclined to believe you." Again blaming the girl for what happened.

Its like JW is saying that a 14 year old girl could be responsible for an adult male risking his job and taking advantage of a pupil. Like she should have been the one to say no. And she's also saying that people in authority (the people someone abused should confide in) might think that way too. What will girls reading that book think?

At no point does JW use the story to explain that this is abuse, the girl is a victim and that the teacher is responsible for the situation and not the girl.

AIBU to be horrified by this book and disappointed in Jacqueline Wilson?

[GunpowderGelatine]

Oops zombie thread

[GunpowderGelatine]

Before I opened this thread I knew it was going to be Love Lessons. YANBU. It really glamourises abusive relationships. Awful

[Aimee258]

Really, if you read it properly, Prue asks the head to believe her, and not fire the teacher. She acted on the teacher first and really, he hadn't done anything apart from kiss her back. I have read this to my 15 year old daughter who would have a better understanding and she has agreed.

[KungFuPandaWorksOut16]

I loved suitcase kid by JW. Although I wasn't her biggest fan, only read the one due too school.

[Italiangreyhound]

Sounds shite. Thanks for the warning.

[MrsBlennerhassett]

I loved her books when i was young because they were truthful when other books were didactic. Things dont always happen how they are supposed to happen and i do actually think that for older children who read alot it can be damaging to be always fed the same lines on things. Thats propaganda not literature. Things dont always pan out in the correct way, peoples feelings arent always worthy or good, adults dont always behave responsibly or know what they are doing any more than you do- those messages in her books really helped me when i was young.

[SaltyBitch]

ZOMBIE THREAD!

[hancakey]

just stumbled across this. I am 24 years old and was a huge fan of these books when I was a young teenager, as they deal with real issues. I think all the books are in some way raw and can be shocking. But I don't see this as a bad thing as most of these books educate young girls and personally they helped me through some tough times all girls experience growing up. This book is no exception, as I remember at the end the twist was that the schoolgirl had put on a pretence to be much older and the teacher had not recognised her or realised who she was, this sort of behaviour is not uncommon in adolescents. I do plan on reading again however. Very interested in this.

[DogCalledRudis]

I don't know this book, but i think YABU. It is just a book. And illicit romance stories are old as world.

[Rabbitcar]

Not directly on point, but DD2 read some JW books and then got really bored of them. She said they all had the same characters, bullied child, weak mother and mean father. I only read one or two with her, and I had to agree. She found the first couple interesting and then found it samey. Poor writing as well, we read Goodnight Mister Tom straight after, and we both realised how much better it was. Apologies to any JW fans, and it may be that the books we read were not representative of all her books.

But no banning here. Some children/parents will like her books, others won't. I guess DD2 got put off JW before we got on to the teenage books, so we didn't come across this issue.

No idea why JW is so popular though.

Have just realised this is an old thread, but will post anyway!

[Jayne35]

Never read them myself but my daughter did when she was around 14. Just always thought they were Tracey Beaker like...the tv series was awful! Now that she is 18 and reading all those awful true stories (A child called it etc) I think I preferred the JW. The content does sound quite bad for a young teen but on the other hand I was borrowing Dean Koontz and Richard Laymon from the Library at 14, some of those would have 18 rated if films.

[ComposHat]

Sorry flick he's a horrible, horrible man.

[MistressDeeCee]

I stopped buying JW books for my DCs when they were younger as I found the subject matter of some of her books dubious, to say the least. Not appropriate for my DCs in terms of their age anyway, but Im not a great believer into rushing kids into knowledge of ins & outs of adult issues anyway.

[CrayolaCocaColaRocknRolla]

Sorry greyhound it's been a while since I've read her books! thats just what I remember of them, but I wouldn't doubt you in that!

[Andrewofgg]

When was this first published? The imprint will show. I would be interested to know when a publisher felt able to put such crap on the market.

Is it still in print? It wouldn't find a publisher now but of course you can't stop old copies circulating.

[Greyhound]

It's not reinforcing anything. Little girls love romance, and the big thing with JW's "Girls in Love" is letting them get into the character's shoes and imagine themselves in romantic relationships, its like a fairy tale for them.
I thought it was a bit shit.*

I just thought there was a lot in it about deceiving parents, keeping secrets etc. Maybe I picked it up wrong.

I have a bit of a gripe with this kind of thing - when I was a young teen, I used to buy Jackie magazine (didn't we all?) and it was full of photo stories (remember them?!) and articles about dating boys etc. My parents were extremely strict and I wasn't allowed boyfriends, so Jackie and other teen magazines made me feel as though I was rather odd which I probably am

[ComposHat]

Rickman was just incredibly ill mannered and belittling to the person on a theatre desk.

[ComposHat]

Rickman was just incredibly ill mannered and belittling to the person on a theatre desk.

[Mrsdoasyouwouldbedoneby]

I was going to say, "oh how dreadful-think of the children". Then it hit me. I am a parent... Eeek!

Forever by Judy Blume was doing the rounds when I was a young teen... It was in our school library.... Very briefly. Think it might have been one of the more popular books. I had a knack for finding books that suited my hormonal tastes perfectly (I would probably blush to read them now...), things by Noel Barber.... I was encouraged to read 'period' adult novels... So discovered the Meridian trilogy ( I think I was about 16 then tho This was not in my school library mind...). At the same time I had a penchant for Thomas (let's depress ourselves) Hardy. I mean. Jude The Obscure. Seriously, now as an adult I SOB when reading it, can't stomach it.

Oh and I loved gruesome ghost stories... DD"s head teacher read a Michael Morporgo story "Giant's Necklace?" I twigged the girl was dead etc and all I could think was, "how awful, the poor parents etc", while dd was relishing the horror of it all.

I think many of the things I read and enjoyed would shock me as an adult. ;-).

Therefore, JW is just doing the same job teen writers have been doing for years... Satisfying a niche.

(Btw Charlotte Bronte had a crush/emotional affair with a teacher... It has always happened).

[CrayolaCocaColaRocknRolla]

It's not reinforcing anything. Little girls love romance, and the big thing with JW's "Girls in Love" is letting them get into the character's shoes and imagine themselves in romantic relationships, its like a fairy tale for them.
I thought it was a bit shit.

[calculatorsatdawn]

ComposHat What's Alan Rickman done?