Live webchat with Jacqueline Wilson, Tues 10 March, 9-10pm

[GeraldineMumsnet]

We've very chuffed that award-winning author Jacqueline Wilson is joining us for a live webchat on Tuesday 10 March, 9-10pm. Jacqueline needs little introduction - with sales of over 25 million books, she's a massively successful author, up there with JK Rowling and Dan Brown. Her latest book, My Secret Diary, is the sequel to Jacky Daydream and includes excerpts from her own teenage diary. If you've can't join us but have questions for Jacqueline, please post your questions here. Ditto if you want to post on behalf of your children. She'll aim to get through as many as possible before the chat.

oh fabbo!

well done MNHQ.

I will try to think of a really cool and important question, but if I can't (and let's face it, that's a very distinct possibility ) can I just say that I think JW is faberooney!

ta

What she said! Won't know what to say, must think of good question....

Good work MNHQ!

I took DD, a couple of years ago, to hear her give a talk in Belfast, it was very good .

I want to know where does she get her rings from, and was the magazine Jackie really named after her?

DD is a big fan.

How exciting. I will be back with questions from my ds's. (DS1 ran the gamut of ridicule by reading 'pink, girls' books at school because he loved them so, he used to say 'well, who said they were girls books?' )

Actually, that's my question:

Do you think it's a shame that your books seem to be primarily targeted at girls or is that right, are they written for girls?

I was too hasty and forgot to add useful links to my OP So this is Jacqueline's website and you can get the second part of her memoirs - My Secret Diary - here.

oh blimey
am also a fan
will return later

Dd is a massive fan, she would like to know what age you were when you first started writing, and are some of your characters based on people you know in real life, thank you from Abbie (12)

Do you plan on doing any more Tracy Beaker books? (ds1, 11)

Which do you think is your worst book and why? (ds2, 9)

More of a statement than a question - Jaccqueline, my 10 yr old daughter had not read a book before from choice. She would read a couple of pages of her school reader under duress.
She then received the Tracy Beaker trilogy for Christmas and read it voraciously. She has since read 2 more of your books and 5 other random books.
Thanks! Whatever you are doing, you are getting it right!

WOW!!!

I heart JW. Met her when I was about yr7 at high school, she came into our school, did a talk and signed my books for me!

Cant wait til DD1 is a little older and can start reading JW books. The Suitcase Kid is still my fave!!!

No questions though ..... just dont give it up JW!!! x

Hi Jacqueline! Reading, and encouraging children/young people to read, is my passion. I run two popular and successful reading clubs at secondary school, and constantly try and raise the profile of reading for pleasure. But students regularly get teased for coming to reading club or even admitting to being keen readers! It's such a shame. Do you think it's possible to make reading 'cool' amongst teenagers?

Most of my keenest readers are boys, rather than girls. Over-generalisation, but the girls tend to want to stick with one genre or even one author (guess who?) and are less willing to branch out and try something new. Why do you think this is?

well gosh I am excited about this
I have never actually got excited about a webchat before I don't think

Jacqueline, I would like to ask several questions - first, is Cam gay?

At the end of Clean Break, does the dad really come back? Can the family forgive him? Will it work out, or are they doomed to further troubles?

Do any of your characters haunt you? I feel particularly distressed by Mary and her mother in The Diamond Girls

In Midnight, it seems to me there are some S+M sexual undertones to Will's games. Was this deliberate?

finally, who is your favourite character from your books? I am quite taken with the saucy, curvy Miranda from Kiss at the moment I also love Beauty - her vulnerability is very charming

and really I would just like to gush about how wonderful I think your books are
I particularly like The Illustrated Mum, and Kiss
thank you very much

Jacqueline WIlson, hello!

Do you think it is much harder to buy good books for boys these days or do you think boys (and their mums) have a more rigid idea about what a boys' book is?

will also ask dd2 (big fan) if she has a question.

Squonk 'fabbo' Have you been talking to my Ds he comes out with that one and we never say that in this house

Jacqueline WIlson Hello, I've heard great things about your books from friends.
Q If books are then televised, do you think children would then not bother reading the book?
Q Do you think councils should design & maintain children's libraries with better buildings & resources than adults library?
Our local is being renovated but I fear it will just be a lick of paint.

DD (age9) has read all your books and has always been a fan but finds them depressing.
I know you deal with many important 'issues'
but aren't these issues too heavy for children?
Does childrens' literature really have to reflect real life? What about escapism? Fun?

You have said that as a society we expose kids to adult ideas before they are ready.
Do you accept any responsibility for your part in this?

Just wanted to say that i've always been a big fan and that one of the reasons I think this may have been is the presence of real life "issues" in the books. I'm 21 now, but can remember the day we got Vicky Angel into our secondary school library, I was there first to make sure I didn't have to wait a week for it!

Well done for tackling sensitive and important issues in a way which is accessible to children and adults alike.

Some of your books tackle fostering and care issues in a very understanding way. Were these issues important to you personally?
By the way, our six year old is called Lola Rose!

questions from dd2 (10):

1. What is your favourite book that you have writen?

1. What was your first ever prize?

My DD, Maya, (11) loves your books - she reads them in Japanese, and I read the English versions to her. Her absolute favourite is Lola Rose (waves to iamnotimpressed's DD). Her question for Jacqueline is "If you won the lottery (like in Lola Rose), what would you spend the money on?"
Thanks!!

starbear I always say "fabbo" or "fab" or some such variation

Perhaps your ds has been lurking on MN

I still haven't thought of a particularly good question, but I have one from dd1 (15)

She would like to know if you are planning to revisit any of your younger characters so we can see how they have grown up, perhaps into early adulthood?

Squonk We've started using fabbo too as we think it's so cute (no puke emotion when you need one!)