Jacqueline Wilson - thoughts?

[whattimeisitrightnow]

Posting in AIBU for traffic and also because there's another thread currently running here that's sort of about her works.
I grew up reading JW obsessively, really loved her work. If I'm honest, I'd probably still enjoy reading some of her books as an adult! However, now that I'm older I'm easily able to identify problems with a lot of them: some of it was my own fault, as I read the ones for teens/mature readers when I was too little for them.

That being said (talked about this on the other thread) there's one book, Love Lessons, based on a student-teacher relationship where said relationship is presented in an almost positive light, in a very romantic way. The female student is pretty much blamed entirely for what happens and is kicked out of the school while the teacher keeps his job. The abuse of power isn't explored at all. Generally, I think JW books really seek to give a voice to children, especially those in extremely difficult situations who might feel particularly powerless, and that's commendable. LL seems to be an exception.

What do people think of JW books? Did you enjoy reading them? Do you think they're too 'dark' for children? Did you even find them helpful at times? (I remember the ones with abusive parents really resonating with me, even before I was old enough to articulate why.) And do you let your own kids read them?

Oh, and which ones were your favourites if you did like them? I loved Hetty Feather and Secrets.

I loved them as a child as well. I grew up in a happy family with financial stability and parents still together, and I think JW’s books did a lot to help me develop empathy for kids who didn’t grow up with the privileges I did. I also really resonated with the characters who experienced bullying, because I did too.

I agree Love Lessons sounds problematic from what I have heard but I haven’t read it so I can’t really form a view.

My favourites / the ones I remember best were Double Act and The Lottie Project.

For some reason, remembering Bad Girls now makes my heart ache for Mandy’s mum. I seem to remember an illustration of her crying on her bed in her petticoat and it breaks my heart, even though I don’t remember the plot point that precipitated it.

My mum hated me reading them, she thought it was awful that every story was about the children of divorced parents, no ‘normal’ families at all (I suppose this may be a selling point to many people, as I imagine most books are written about families with 2 parents!) she also considered them a bit trashy and not challenging enough for me to read. I have to say they were an easy read. I loved them as a kid/teen. I’m surprised at the other thread, for sure there are some which are unsuitable for primary age kids (girls in love series), but I thought suitcase kids and lots of others mentioned would be fine for primary age kids.

I think she's incredible at showing that things in life aren't as black and white as we/the media/society likes to make out. Take Love Lessons as an example - it shows the idea that young girls who have relationships are not always sought out and preyed upon and attacked. Often they are in pursuit of the men, make the first move etc. People hate when this is pointed out so we need unconventional authors like JW to tell it like it is.

I loved JW when I was younger - although I always preferred Judy Blume (even know I can still read her books).

I never read love lessons

I don't really remember her books. But she visited my school many years ago. I remember her being a lovely lady who spoke to us like we were adults. She spent alot of time chatting to us all and seemed interested in what we all had to say.

I loved her as a child, always couldn't wait to read her.

I felt with love lessons though, you really were meant to think it was romantic and not grooming, which is concerning.

Even reading it as an adult, it reads as if it is a tragic love story.

There is no point of realisation for the female character that the teacher's behaviour was not normal.

It ends with her fantasising they will eventually get back together, and I kind of feel like JW absolutely did not view him as the villian of the peice.

As an aside , I knew someone who was just as abusive to his children as the father in love lessons, ( home schooling to shut them away from the world, not allowed friends, not allowed any access to popular culture, dominated /terrified the wife)and just like the parents in Love Lessons got away with it because he was middle class/ outwardly respectable etc

@CluelessBaker YES, that illustration!! She had just lost her job and was struggling to find a new one, if I remember right. I feel bad for her now also because it's implied that she and Mandy's dad may have had fertility issues - it's mentioned several times how much they wanted children and had Mandy later in life, hence being older parents. That's one of those things you don't necessarily pick up on as a kid.

@whattimeisitrightnow oh god that’s it, you’re right. There was something so tender about her portrayal. She wasn’t getting parenting right but she so wanted to and was trying so hard. I’m not sure I picked up on it so much as a kid but as an adult I feel very rawly for her as a character!

I loved them so much I still have them all I grew up in an extremely dysfunctional family (divorced parents, abusive and chaotic relatives, mental health issues galore) and the characters really spoke to me and made me feel less alone. I have read love lessons, and it is definitely more of a controversial one. If I recall correctly, her art teacher is never even formally investigated either But I still lurveee the others

@DrPatient but it doesn't really matter that the student wasn't the one to initiate - the teacher had a responsibility, a duty of care, to say 'no' and probably also to tell his headteacher. I also disagree that she wasn't preyed upon - not in the conventional sense, but it was very clear that she was from a sheltered background (Homeschooled, abusive dad who was now in hospital, money problems) and enjoyed the attention that the teacher gave her as his 'favourite' student. There's also the fact that she babysat for his family. I think it was quite clearly grooming on his part, which is well done really, as it shows how subtle and harmless it can seem. It's just a shame that the rest of the story doesn't follow through by showing how inappropriate it all was.

Cookie was one of my favourites. Cookie and her mum end up escaping her violent dad and end up living happily by the sea side. Lola Rose, too.

Ive read her books from very young. I agree I really think they helped me develop empathy for others, I really enjoyed her books, they are clearly for primary aged DC. I also read love lessons and enjoyed it, although I agree it has a dubious message I dont think that means you shouldnt read

I dont think theres anything wrong with a bit of trauma in a childrens book. I read books like goodnight mister Tom, the boy in the striped pajamas, pretty much every micheal morpurgo book, these are all much more traumatic and no one complains about them. Its just because JW books deal with unsavoury themes like divorce, foster care etc. But they generally arent depressing

I loved her books when I was young, she gave a realistic view of life (I was going through issues similar to families in the stories so it helped me) but now my eldest is into them I’ve realised how dark some of them are that you don’t notice until you’re an adult. I’m still a fan and allow my children to read them, they love them and speak to me about anything that stands out. When you know a book is age appropriate I think it’s good for children to understand the world isn’t all happy and perfect all the time and JW tells it in a child friendly way.

I mean they start out depressing but most have a happyish ending. Or at least a peaceful endimg

I don't rate them highly at all, my DD brought one home from school and didn't finish it as the content was inappropriate - her teacher agreed and threw the book in the bin.

@Sootyandsweep2019 the subplot with the father was one of the reasons that I was so disappointed with LL, because that was actually very effective. He controlled every aspect of their lives, especially because they had a family business so the mother couldn't go to work/out during the day to escape, plus the homeschooling obviously.

@bettsbattenburg Really? Do you remember which one?

I loved Jacqueline Wilson - the Illustrated Mum and the Breakfast Kid were my favourites, though I did like Girls in Love series too.

A PP mentioned Judy Blume and they were great too - I liked the ones that featured Rachel Robinson and her friends Stephanie and Alison. I think there were a few that centered around those three.

@Inthebelljar I loved that the mum in Cookie was able to basically re-invent herself after leaving her abusive husband by developing her confidence, starting her own business, living the way she wanted to live. That was a really positive message

I adored her books when I was around 8-10. Yes, some of them aren’t the happiest but I think that it’s important for kids to have a realistic view on the world, and I certainly don’t believe they had any bad effects on me. My favourites were the Hetty Feather series and Lily Alone!

In terms of propriety, I went to primary school in Botswana and at the tender age of 8 was set a reading book in which the first chapter was a vivid depiction of a boy’s village being burned to the ground and the graphic, bloody slaughter of his entire family by a different tribe. That was definitely not age-appropriate reading material! My mum did complain about that one, if I recall correctly.

I loved Jacqueline Wilson books as a child. I came from a broken family myself and there was domestic violence in the home so I felt I could relate to some of her characters. They were often much more interesting than the perfect girls and families you saw in other books.

I loved The Diamond Girls and Lola Rose. I felt the same about Love Lessons, the teacher was a creep. I did feel it showed how the girl had been so protected and controlled and kept at home that she then did not understand a normal teacher-pupil relationship and creating relationships with her peers.

My 6 year old son is currently enjoying watching Tracy Beaker and reading the book, I have read him The Bed and Breakfast Star too and it did teach him a little about how hard it must be for children that do not have a proper home.