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Children's books

Join in for children's book recommendations.

Original poster

Jacqueline Wilson

44 replies

Auvergnewater · 21/03/2022 15:58

I read a book of hers from the mid 1990s called The Bed and Breakfast Star. I think I read it ages ago, but I was a lot younger then (probably still older than the target audience) and I wondered if anyone else was familiar.

I was quite impressed with the way a chaotic family were shown and how Wilson shows some pretty harrowing themes in a child friendly way.

Anyone else a fan?

OP posts:
waltthedog · 21/03/2022 16:14

I read most of her books up until to the mid-late 2000s when I was growing up. I really loved them. My dd is only 5 but I’ve kept my old JW books for when she’s older. She captures situations brilliantly and makes the characters believable. I can’t remember which book it was but there was one about a chat room (I think it came out when these things were quite new) and she really captured how it affects girls

Legoisthebest · 21/03/2022 16:20

I love Jacqueline Wilson books. I bought her new release on Saturday (Baby Love) and read the whole thing on Sunday. It was such an emotional read. This book is for teens and different to some of her more recent novels.
You will probably get a load of people on here saying her books and characters are dreadful because for some reason Mumsnet doesn't like her books.
I don't know why. Most are stand alone stories - a good solid read and no need to have to buy a whole load more because it's part of a series. My favourites in recent years have been Katy (and modern re telling of What Katy Did), The Butterfly Club and the new Baby Love. Love Frankie - another recent one for older readers was good too.
Jacqueline Wilson Rules Grin

MargaretThursday · 23/03/2022 17:38

I have mixed feelings about JW books.

My dd loved them and they are well written. I think they're quite similar in a lot of ways to the growing up stories by Jean Ur, Judy Bloom etc that I read.

However there have been a couple of her books that I removed from dd-I don't think I've removed more than one other book from her so I'm not particularly fussy. The first was an early book of hers which portrays a romance between a teacher and pupil, very much from the romantic side. I suspect she cringes when she sees it! I hope she does anyway.
The other, one of her Girls in Love series, to me, for my dd, crossed the thin line between educating and glorifying anorexia. I may be slightly sensitive there having had a friend who died due to anorexia though.

Some of the books are great. I think Double Act is a really interesting character study, and The Lottie Project is another great book.

What don't I like? Well, I often find the main character a gobby little brat. Gobby little brat also has a tendency to "get together" (hint of romance in the future maybe) with the bully/unpopular (and often overweight) boy.
But that does mean I don't really care what happens to the main character, which is a bit of a failing in a book. I want to be rooting for them, willing them to win through.

So, yes, I think she does write good stories, but I don't necessarily enjoy reading them.
I don't know how true to life they are and whether a child in those situations would feel understood or not. The child I knew who was in that type of situation was far keener on Enid Blyton because they portrayed a happy life they could dream about, but that's only one child.

They remind me a little of Catherine Cookson books where the adults have issues, the children have issues, they're not totally resolved by the end but may be patched over with a dodgy romance.

lljkk · 23/03/2022 17:45

I suppose the reason I became a fan (broadly) is that they show kids having lots of resilience dealing with very tangible relatable problems -- including some things which are the worst of children's fears (eg., losing a parent or sibling). JW tells stories about kids who deal with these things & still go on in life to have other successes; so those problems don't have to be end of the world.

I wouldn't say they were well-written or super realistic, but they are relatable & engaging, and gave DD a way to make peace with her worst fears.

Chakraleaf · 23/03/2022 17:48

I loved them. Double act was my fave.

IstayedForTheFeminism · 23/03/2022 17:52

I love them. Vicky Angel still makes me weep, and I identify far too much with the mum in The Illustrated Mum.

I think her characters are very realistic. But they aren't happy middle class characters which is why a lot of MNers don't like the books.

MrsGHarrison87 · 23/03/2022 18:02

I loved them. My DD has just started reading them and I've reread a couple.

N0va · 23/03/2022 19:09

I loved them. My favourite was Lola Rose, it really gave me some comfort and was the reason I realised my home life wasn't "normal". I still have my copy even though it was ripped and certain parts circled when someone realised what it was about

Nillynally · 23/03/2022 19:22

Ohh I loved her as a kid. The suitcase kid always got me! I can't wait for my DD to get to the JW reading age

RoostasTowel · 23/03/2022 21:28

@waltthedog

I read most of her books up until to the mid-late 2000s when I was growing up. I really loved them. My dd is only 5 but I’ve kept my old JW books for when she’s older. She captures situations brilliantly and makes the characters believable. I can’t remember which book it was but there was one about a chat room (I think it came out when these things were quite new) and she really captured how it affects girls
There was a chatroom storyline in "Girls In Tears."

I might reread some JW books this year. I haven't read one since 2004. I did enjoy most of them but I couldn't stand Tracy Beaker. What an annoying little sod she was.

Legoisthebest · 23/03/2022 21:34

Roostas if you haven't read any since 2004 you've got about 30 books to catch up with Grin

FatPatsCat · 23/03/2022 21:39

@waltthedog

I read most of her books up until to the mid-late 2000s when I was growing up. I really loved them. My dd is only 5 but I’ve kept my old JW books for when she’s older. She captures situations brilliantly and makes the characters believable. I can’t remember which book it was but there was one about a chat room (I think it came out when these things were quite new) and she really captured how it affects girls
The Worry Website?
HailAdrian · 23/03/2022 21:41

I loved JW as a pre-teen !

pucelleauxblanchesmains · 23/03/2022 22:25

The Girls book about anorexia actively triggered some disordered eating for me, it was basically a how-to guide. Can't remember which specific ones did this for me but reading some other JWs as a preteen/young teen also helped me to realise to some extent that my household situation was abusive.

DisappearingGirl · 23/03/2022 22:31

DD has been loving them.

We've recently read the Hetty Feather books set in the Victorian era, and Wave Me Goodbye about an evacuee. They were brilliant. Some of JW's books written in the 90s now feel a bit dated to me in terms of language, but the historical ones avoid that I think.

RusticCharminglyCrumbled · 23/03/2022 22:35

Bed and Breakfast Star was my favourite. I think the books are good, some topics are quite adult but children live in a world of adult themes, not unicorns. If they can learn about the world by reading a story and bring safe in their house, it's a whole lot better than learning when it's too late

purpleme12 · 23/03/2022 22:37

I never read any of hers for some reason
Perhaps I should read them before I read any to my child. Going by some of the comments they might not be suitable

What age are the suitable for?
(It would be me reading them to her, I'm just thinking about how enjoyable for her and age appropriateness)

BottleOfSun · 23/03/2022 22:38

I loved them when I was young! Especially double act and illustrated mum.

sunshineandshowers21 · 23/03/2022 22:44

i love them! i still have every one of her books. i’m thirty now and my mum still buys me every new book that comes out! i bought the dvd of the girls in love tv series a few years ago and binged them over lockdown, followed by re-reading the books.

Keladrythesaviour · 23/03/2022 22:50

I'm going against the grain - I hated them! I found then really dull as a child/young teen. I didn't like reading about chaotic and 'difficult' families, and I found the main characters not at all likeable! I was an avid reader as a child but these were not for me at all.

Legoisthebest · 24/03/2022 02:23

purpleme12 JW writes for different age groups. Some would be suitable from the age of 6/7 (The Mum Minder, Lizzie Zipmouth, Sleepovers) - others are for teens. Her latest 'Baby Love' is for teens and has "not suitable for younger readers" on the cover and when I bought it from WHSmith it was with the adult hardbacks not the children's.
You just need to read the plot synopsis and check online if there is a recommended age.

Kanaloa · 24/03/2022 03:05

I read them as a child. Not too keen on them as an adult. I think maybe because I read her autobiography and was a bit put off my her sort of romantic notions about ‘chaotic’ families. Maybe because I grew up in and out of care etc, I was never keen on the characters she wrote. They always felt quite flat to me, and sometimes I wondered if she had spoken to anyone in these situations for an actual realistic view of how these things work. Stuff like a child asking a visiting writer to adopt her then that writer doing a push/pull with the child for about 10 years, fostering her then sending her back then fostering her again etc. Just not really for me.

Kanaloa · 24/03/2022 03:08

I also felt like sometimes her books are written in very young language but with older topics if that makes sense? The plots feel like they don’t match the babyish/immature writing and pictures. Also sometimes they feel a bit dated. Like someone’s middle class gran or auntie trying to write as they imagine an 11 year old things. Like if Marcus’ mum from about a boy wrote her version of a preteen in care. Tracy just wants to go to MacDonalds and have a sundae and tells people to bog off etc. Lots of girls wearing ‘strappy sandals.’

Legoisthebest · 24/03/2022 03:26

Kanaloa of course some will seem dated - because they were written years ago. Tracy Beaker was published 30 years ago.

Kanaloa · 24/03/2022 04:53

I meant even the more modern ones, not just the oldest ones. I’m thinking of one that came out fairly recently (not too recently but when I was a teen). I don’t think they’ve moved on/modernised very much. And I still stand by what I said about them not being particularly age appropriate, written in a very babyish way. As if she can’t decide whether she’s writing for 14 year olds or 8 year olds. Maybe it’s my sensitivity to the fact that she’s writing about things that I have personally experienced and I think doing it not in the best way!