To ban all things Jacqueline Wilson in my house

[Normalisavariantofcrazy]

Off the back of the shit that is Tracey Beaker?

I've yet to hear positive things said about her books by any parent.

I'm happy to be convinced otherwise (although the kids are non plussed about her books)

I don't think age-banding books is a good idea. Children vary very widely in their reading ability and ambitious, confident 8 year olds will want more sophisticated material than ones who are only just being able to deal with complex vocabulary. And a slower 8 year old reader will definitely not want to pick up a book labelled for 5-6 year olds. It can end up putting everybody off reading.

Children's book publishers are pretty responsible about ensuring that when more 'adult' issues are dealt with in teenage fiction, this is flagged up. And by that age young people will be reading what they like.

As a teenager I was reading - and rereading -literature about paranoia, torture, obsessive jealousy, violence and abuse. (That was just my GCSE and A-level set texts....)

Takver: "I was very meh about Michael Morpurgo, on the grounds that (a) he kills off his animals gratuitously in books for small children resulting in too many tears in this household"

Yes - me too! Michael Morpurgo seems to be generally adored but my DD was so upset by a couple of his books in which animals were bumped off for no good reason that she refused to read any more. Jacqueline Wilson has unhappy situations in her books, but they are usually things that many kids will experience (divorce of parents, other kids being mean to you, fighting with your siblings etc) whereas he just seems to introduce misery for dramatic effect. There's one book of his in particular about a dog, can't remember the name, in which the father of one of the characters turns out to have been killed while going for a pint of milk. It was pointlessly upsetting. AND then one of the dogs is killed too.

Oh dear. Worked in libraries for years and found JW books a bit distasteful. Got stuck at Six Dinner Sid and Slinky Malinki. I like lots of pictures with my stories. I can recommend Superworm

Age banding is more for the content/subject matter than the ability of the reader. I think it's a guide, but it is only a guide. DD1 was a free reader from Y1, I am quite happy that they steered her away from the blue band books at that point which are aimed at Y5 and Y6, but as the Y3 teacher realised she had a mature head on her shoulders, she then allowed her to choose some blue banded books, with caution, and asked me to check I was happy with them as well.

I was a very very advanced reader in terms of language but I found it difficult to read books aimed at children much older than me as I wasn't interested in the content.

Fox Friend was the M Morpurgo book that put dd off. To be fair, I think it is aimed at low reading age older children, but she was sent home with it from school in yr 2 (in the story, a child nurses an injured fox back to health, then right at the end of the book almost as a postscript her father shoots it.)

Apart from Anne Fine my favourite children's author is Hilary McKay. She wrote an absolutely wonderful series of books - starting with 'Saffy's Angel - about the Casson family. Probably suitable for 10+

I think age banding would be a huge mistake, children are so different.

Takver: "in the story, a child nurses an injured fox back to health, then right at the end of the book almost as a postscript her father shoots it."

Oh god. What sort of sick mind would come up with that as a story for children?

It's interesting - a few years ago the author Nicola Morgan wrote about how the difference between children's and YA fiction was that YA fiction had an 'invisible safety net' whereas in fiction for younger children the safety net was more visible.
Not only is there no longer a safety net at all in much YA, there doesn't seem to be in a fair bit of literature for younger children either.
Jacqueline Wilson always does have a safety net though, IME - awful things happen but the kids have people to help them cope.
When I read Hetty Feather dd found me sobbing because of the bit where she gets sent from her foster home to the Foundling Hospital.
DD: 'Why are you crying?'
Me: 'Because it's so awful - it's so sad - she has to leave her foster mother-'
DD (in patient tones): 'Yes but it's all right because she makes a friend.'

I'm really tickled to see Mark Reads mentioned a couple of times on here. I think he's fantastic. LOVE his Twilight reviews!

JW is great. Modern life challenges and opportunities explored from a girl / young woman perspective. Literature is a safe place to learn through the experiences of (fictional) others.
We're so lucky in the west that our children by and large have 'a childhood'. Reading about some of life's challenges and dilemmas at an early age isn't going to hurt them. In fact I would suggest that the children from the securest backgrounds will benefit from the exposure to the alternative presented in JW books.

My DN(11) however who has experienced acrimonious parental split, abusive step dad and some bullying at school is currently enjoying JW for other reasons. When we talk its clear that they have given her hope in the realisation that she is not somehow to blame for the challenging things she has experienced in real life and that other people experience bad or sad things too. She's learned coping strategies and more from JW.

The girls banned from the house any of the current vampire rubbish themselves ... Thankfully !!!

I asked dd (11) what she thought of JW, and her vote was 'rubbish, terrible, dreadful books' though it emerged on further discussion that her reasons were 'too girly, they're all the same, nothing happens in them, very boring' and that they would be improved by some dragons or monsters attacking the heroines, so I'm not sure it is really reasoned literary criticism

The important thing is that she was able to form her own opinion, she wasn't told what to think.

Takver.

I think your dd's criticisms are perfectly reasoned. She's entitled to prefer dragons and monsters if that's what she likes. After all, it's not like grown-up literary criticism doesn't also often involve absolute judgements about what fiction ought to contain....

No, I'm quite happy for her to form her own opinions on books aimed at children / young adults.

I do censor (in so far as I would discourage her from reading, rather than outright ban) adult books with extreme violence / pornography and particularly sexual violence. (No problem with happy consensual - or even angst-ridden - sex between teenagers a la Judy Blume or K M Peyton back in the day, no doubt there is an equivalent now.)

I don't think JW books are of enormous literary value, but I have been very grateful for them as a "way in" for students to talk about difficult issues such as divorce, bereavement, eating disorders, parents with mental health issues, many times over. I have had many students tell me that reading her books made them feel less alone, less ashamed, and also helped them empathise with others. And this at a "leafy" girls' grammar school.

Probably better if I don't get started on the racist, eating disorder inspiring, "the only love worth having is painful love" mess that is Twishite, though.

My dad is an author and editor and I practically grew up in a book. But my 8yo hasn’t been through puberty and is fairly innocent but wants to know what sex is because a few JW characters have it or talk about it and a handful of books she’s been reading at school. One question was: “What does it mean to use someone for sex?” Thanks, Girls in Love. Although that might be a relevant conversation when she has the mental maturity to discuss puberty, she’s not there yet.
We talk about a lot of real-life things at home including current events on the news every day, but alcohol-induced sex (Dustbin Baby), rape, and other topics of sex (news) aren’t topics we delve into, while still respecting questions. She’s too emotionally and mentally immature.
I just don’t like that the books are proffered to kids as young as 7 with no vetting or notice, but that’s something to talk to her school about rather than a stringent ban.

Just because someone can reflect culture doesn’t mean it must be read. There’s a time and place, if at all, for each person.

My daughter (our family, really) has been through a lot of trauma, including homelessness due to sudden illness, so wanting to protect my daughter until she’s ready, rather than life and topics forcing their way in unexpectedly, isn’t privilege. It’s parenting.

Seems like you’re a big fan of zombies though, @Emjmc

Sorry if I've missed it, but not clear what your beef is with JW?

YABU.
JW books were my absolute favourite books growing up some I could relate to and some really opened my eyes to the lives of others. I have such fond memories of getting a Jacqueline Wilson book each Christmas and loved the 'Girls in tears' 'girls out late' etc books when I was abit older!

I like JW and I think it is really vital for books that are windows and mirrors of real life. JW is also concerned about the transitioning of children and thinks society is the problem not an individual’s body, so for that I think she is an important voice for young people today.

Emjmc your 8 year old has obviously been given access to JW’s books for teenagers. That’s really not any fault in JW’s writing. I’d definitely be taking it up with the school if I were you. My own girls loved JW but didn’t read anything like Girs in Love until well into their teens.

DD1 met JW at a book signing once. She spent ages making a gorgeous card with lots of the characters drawn on, Nick Sharrat style, and wrote Thanks for all the Stories in it, and I was really worried that JW would just glance at it and move on. She didn’t, she spent ages examining it minutely, chatted to DD about her love of art and wrote a lovely message in her book about keeping on with her art because she was really talented. Really kind, lovely interaction.

Rainbow fairy books are the mills and booms of the primary set.

Same bloody story, new character’s names same outcome every time.

Mills and boons.
Instead of a half naked guy there is a posing fairy on the cover.