Tower and Town, September 2022 (view the full edition)Why I Love Reading Jacqueline WilsonI still remember the first Jacqueline Wilson book I read, The Cat Mummy. The story follows a young girl called Verity who, after learning about the ancient Egyptians in school, decides to mummify her dead cat. While the story confused me a little, it also drew me in. Verity, like many of Jacqueline Wilson's characters, seemed very real and seven-year-old me found her very relatable. It was this book that got me into reading. I remember asking for Jacqueline Wilson books for my birthday and Christmas every year since then. Another reason that I enjoyed Jacqueline's books so much is that the families were so real. Their families cared for each other and fought with each other in a way that endeared me to the characters. As I got older and started to gain a deeper understanding of what was going on in the world, Jacqueline's books helped me. The diversity of the characters also drew me in. Each book has a unique story line, and every protagonist is different. From hot-headed Tracy Beaker in The Story of Tracy Beaker to quiet, introverted Tina Maynard in The Butterfly Club, I always grew to love them and tried to empathise with their different situations and dramas. Books such as Hetty Feather and Clover Moon, set in Victorian London, sparked my interest in history. One of my favourite pastimes in primary school was to pretend to be a Victorian street urchin with my friends (also huge Jacqueline Wilson fans). The child-like writing style of Jacqueline Wilson, mixed with the harsh realities of working-class Victorians, gave me a strong feeling of empathy for the character but also a deep fascination with all things Victorian. Jacqueline Wilson's books played a key role in my primary school years, not just because I enjoyed her books but because they gave me a thirst for reading that I think I will have for the rest of my life, and I hope that her books will continue to do that for thousands of other children across the world. Georgie Fry |