tand back everybody – I'm going to start off with a rant! Subject: The Vilification of Our Jackie. Here goes. Last week, Jacqueline Wilson commented on a survey carried out by her publisher, Random House. The survey concluded that childhood 'ended at eleven' and she voiced the opinion that it was a shame parents allowed and even encouraged this.

Pretty sensible stuff, really, though it has to be said that some of the survey's findings were so vague they begged more questions than answers. One example being that '71% of parents allow under-18s to drink at home.' But what does it mean by 'drink'? A glass of wine with a meal? Or 10 bottles of WKD before catching the bus to school? Are we talking 17 year olds drinking at home (well, dur) or 9 year olds? But I digress...

Jacqueline Wilson's comments caused an immediate furore, mainly because, it was felt, she of all people had no right to say such things as she was the one responsible for childhood ending at eleven. The Daily Mail on Wednesday March 3rd carried a double-paged feature by Winifred Robinson under the provocative headline 'The Very Hypocritical Ms Wilson'.

The thrust of Robinson's argument were as follows:

• After watching Tracy Beaker on telly, her eight-year old son had begun having 'precocious outbursts' and Wilson's books have 'warped his emotional equilibrium.'
  • Helena says: Turn the telly off then. Wrap him in cotton wool give him a Horrid Henry to read (oh, no, wait – isn't that about a boy who has precocious outbursts? Maybe not...)
• 'Jacqueline Wilson's books are simple enough to be read by an eight year old' (implications: but cover unsuitable topics)
  • Helena says: yes, an average eight year old with average reading skills will be able to read Jacqueline Wilson's books. And the Daily Mail. And The Sun. And most fiction in the junior and teen section. What parents should do is not choose a book by the ease of its text but its suitability for the child's developmental age.
    
    JK Rowling had the same criticism for her Harry Potter series. Yes, the books grew darker and darker as Harry grew older. They weren't aimed at 7 and 8 year olds. Nor are many of Wilson's. So don't choose them. There are thousands of brilliant books for 7-10 year olds that won't 'offend' (Hint: in most bookshops and libraries, there will be an age suitability rating above the bookshelves and carousels – that might help)
• 'Children need no literary introduction to the realities of life' (in other words, they'll find out for themselves and don't need to read about it in children's books. Fantasy stories i.e. Roald Dahl are preferable.)
  • Helena says: No! As Anne Fine once said, children are not childish. They need to make sense of the world in which they live just as a writer reflects the age in which he or she is writing. Literature does this. It always has. The argument that fantasy is a better genre for children than reality is so ridiculous, as is the argument that children's literature in the past was so much better and more suitable.
    
    Where to start on this one? OK, I have just abridged The Secret Garden for OUP. This book, written by Frances Hodgson Burnett in 1911, begins with Mary Lennox, a spoilt child (prone to precocious outbursts) who is totally neglected by her parents, and so emotionally detached she is almost indifferent when they both die of cholera. (Yes, they die! Worse still, nobody even thinks of looking for Mary until they find her by accident under the bed – at least Tracy Beaker would have a case worker from social services at the scene). Then Mary is sent to a remote house in Yorkshire where the only person who shows her any affection is the parlour maid. Mary has a cousin, Colin, who is another neglected child, abandoned by a grieving father and left to get on with it.
    
    It's not exactly heart-warming stuff, is it? But of course it all works out well in the end because the kids unite to show the adults what they should be doing and how they need to be looked after.

My central view is children just want to read a good, gripping story. If they don't like a book, they'll abandon it soon enough, whether it's fantasy, real-life, science fiction or whatever. They also appear to relish a dose of reality fiction, sometimes the harsher, the better. Otherwise Goodnight Mr Tom and The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas wouldn't be so popular.

I once visited a Y6 classroom where the children's choices of reader were on top of their trays for all to see. These ranged from 'Felicity Wishes' to Dave Pilzer's 'A Child Called It' – titles as diverse and wide-ranging in taste as the personalities of the children reading them.

The only good thing I can think might come out this 'backlash' against Jacqueline Wilson is there might be a bit more shelf space in bookshops for me and my grim contributions to warping my readers' emotional equilibrium!

Carry on, Jackie. Millions of kids can't be wrong!

Right, back to me.

Eyes left!
With students after the performance at Waterstone's (Courtesy of the Nottingham Evening Post)

had an ace launch to 'Accidental Friends' at Waterstone's in Nottingham on February 8th. The students from Newark College were magnificent as my four main characters acting out the lift scene from the book and student Ash Meredith left no stone unturned as the director of the piece. Many thanks to everyone who attended, including students from Newark College, Djanogly City College, Ellis Guilford and Bramcote Hills. Thanks also to the Nottingham Evening Post who took the photograph and wrote down that I was 32! Well, who's counting....

Accidental Friends has been getting some cracking reviews, too. Check out websites such as www.thebookbag.co.uk and www.chicklish.co.uk. It was also featured on Radio Two's Aled Jones show when reviewed by Kate Saunders. Go me!

World Book Day (March 6th) found me at Don Valley School, Doncaster with students from Don Valley School and Armthorpe High.

Writing-wise I am still full on with my girls' football series. I can't wait for these to come out but I can't go into too much detail until they're further down the production line. Nearer the time I'll show you all the characters' names, tell you all the team news and so on. Meanwhile I'm still doing as much research as possible. As well as watching the Griffins Lionesses, I've also been treated to the skills of the Griffins Eagles and much admired their snazzy footwear.

I've been watching the big girls, too. Today I was at Sincil Bank, Lincoln FC's ground, watching the semi-final of the Women's FA Cup. Lincoln Ladies 'Imps' met Arsenal Ladies (i.e. the England team) and were beaten 5-1. On Thursday I'll be at the Keepmoat, Doncaster watching Arsenal Ladies... I mean, England, play the Czech Republic in the Euro 2009 Qualifiers. Nobody can accuse me of not taking my work seriously!

Until next time,