What Jacqueline Wilson books?

[Tinks15]

Please can you tell me which Jacqueline Wilson books are suitable for a soon to be 9 year old DD?

I was an avid Jacqueline Wilson fan right the way through (and still read them now when I need some nostalgia), have passed the love on to my DNiece.

The fairly tame ones if I remember rightly:

Sleepovers
Buried Alive
Cliffhanger
Double Act
Best Friends
Lizzie Zipmouth

I would recommend reading any yourself though, especially some of the older ones as the covers etc. don’t really look any different between the tame ones and ones which cover really heavy topics. I chose Illustrated Mum from my school library at about 9 and found it really really upsetting, for example.

The Hetty Feather series was an absolute favourite of DD’s at that age!

They are intended for children, but I don’t think they’re suitable personally. They can be very mature (about relationships) or very upsetting, like Hetty feather.

Hetty Feather has been adapted to an entire TV series on CBBC. If it wasn’t deemed appropriate for that age group of viewers then the BBC would never have commissioned it

I bloody loved reading about upsetting, rebellious or taboo themes when I was younger. I found it fascinating but more to the point I was going through some sad things myself, and was delighted to find I wasn’t alone, rather than just reading tame fluff about girls having sleepovers and living their perfect lives.

Thanks all.

I remember reading some of her books when I was young. I remember reading Cliffhanger & Buried Alive actually but the others I read were quite heavy if I remember rightly. I just want a fun enjoyable read for DD. I’ll look at what you suggested @cherryassam

I'm not familiar with her newer work but at that age I remember enjoying the following:-

Bad Girls
Double Act
The Suitcase Kid
The Bed and Breakfast Star
The Lottie Project
Cliffhanger
How to Survive Summer Camp

Sure, some of the ones listed have slightly upsetting themes (divorce, bullying etc) but nothing totally inappropriate for 9 year olds. They're all aimed at that age group, 8+.

My 9 and 10 year olds have read all of them.

Agree.

All the JW ones I read were quite dark and kitchen sink-ish, and that was what I liked about them, it’s her forte. Kiss, Candyfloss, Dustbin Baby and My Sister Jodie have all really stuck with me (sorry not what you’re after OP!)

I'll be completely honest - I loved them as a kid and was really excited when DD brought some home from the school library but they have aged terribly! Loads of really age-inappropriate behaviours/comments (eg about whether Father Christmas exists), graphic descriptions of bullying including the wording used, parents smacking children etc. I'd remembered them as being brilliant.

In the end I asked school not to send her home with any more books. It's a shame as I loved The Suitcase Kid, Tracy Beaker and read nearly all of them but they are v dated now. I know for a fact too that the reason JW started writing Hetty Feather and the other historical fiction was because she couldn't keep up with modern kids and their tech.

(To clarify, I asked DD's school not to send her home with JWbooks, not no books at all!).

Instead we are reading Clarice Bean, Isadora Moon and the brilliant Hannah Hold books.

The recent modern re-telling of The Railway Children was good ("The Primrose Railway Children") and the also the re-telling of What Katy Did ("Katy"). It was interesting to compare to the original novels.
The recent one called "The Other Edie Trimmer" was good
I love the Hetty Feather ones and the various spin offs.
Some of the older ones are a bit dated now but my favourites of that era are probably The Suitcase Kid, Bed and Breakfast Star and The Lottie Project.
It depends really if you want contemporary novels or historical novels - as many of the newer ones are historical stories.