Baby Love: Jacqueline Wilson

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Jacqueline Wilson wrote her first novel when she was nine years old, and she has been writing ever since. It's 1960 and Laura is a fourteen year old girl who is just trying to be a normal teenager despite her overprotective mother.

Baby Love by Jacqueline Wilson (9780241567128/Paperback

Small Role, Big Impact: Leon is barely present throughout the story but is the one who got Laura pregnant. This generation was always remembered as so ‘stiff upper lip’ and trying always to do the ‘decent’ thing but it made me question, decent for who? Laura herself does grow as a character when she thinks about the expectation placed on her vs Leon, but that is briefly stated and then never mentioned again really. The first half of the story allows us to get to know Laura with all her dreams, worries and imaginings. I have read Jacqueline Wilson since I was a child and Tracy Beaker has always been a firm favourite, one that Wilson has not, for me, been able to topple off of the top spot, until now.The first half of the book builds up a realistic picture of 1960s Britain and takes time to develop the characters, which really helps you to understand the decisions Laura makes over the course of the novel. Driven to Suicide: Apparently the windows are nailed shut at Heathcote House because some young mothers-to-be become suicidal. Heathcote House is a home for pregnant teenagers, although Laura is the youngest at fourteen; the others vary from fifteen to seventeen. Big Sister Worship: Moira looks up to and admires Laura a great deal, even stating how much she looks up and not caring that she became pregnant at a young age out of wedlock, while having also always been desperate to see her and be around her, even when she was apparently sick, and says in her letters how much she misses her while also having begged Nina and Daniel to take her with them to Heathcote House to visit Laura. Nina has two brothers, Little Richard (nicknamed after the singer) and older brother Daniel, who is always kind and friendly.

Baby Love by Jacqueline Wilson | Goodreads Baby Love by Jacqueline Wilson | Goodreads

Sibling Yin-Yang: Laura's mother Kathleen and her much younger sister Susannah are polar opposites which appears to be why their relationship is so strained, with Laura's mother being very traditional and having a negative attitude towards anything seen as too "modern" or non-traditional, such as fashion, styles, lifestyles etc, which is why she dislikes Susannah so much, because unlike her she is very modern and trendy in every way, and while realising it isn't ideal, Susannah does not at all condemn Laura for having a baby so young out of wedlock. Everyone Loves Blondes: Belinda is blonde and she's one of the most popular girls at Heathcote House. Jaqueline Wilson has captured all of this brilliantly in her world renown style of straight from the heart, uncluttered, authentic story telling. Once again, Jacqueline Wilson has created a pitch-perfect, heartfelt story for older readers, with emotionally engaging insights into teenage pregnancy and motherhood in the early 1960s, and a timelessly resonant representation of treading that tricky tightrope between childhood and teenhood.Annoying Younger Sibling: Averted with Little Richard, who is a sweet and cheerful kid who tries to cheer his older siblings up when they're unhappy. The winners of The Farshore Reading for Pleasure Teacher Awards 2023, highlighting the work schools are doing to encourage a love of reading, have. Sheltered by her overprotective parents and eager to fit in with new best friend Nina and appear more grown up, you can see how things spiral out of control. Poor Laura ends up being coerced into having sex when she has no idea what's actually going on and her parents are furious on finding out that she's pregnant and send her away to Heathcote House.

Baby Love by Jacqueline Wilson (9780241567104/Hardback Baby Love by Jacqueline Wilson (9780241567104/Hardback

Her examination of class differences is heartbreaking and teens today will identify with Laura even with the book being set in the 60s. Embarrassing Damp Sheets: Happens quite often at Heathcote House whenever a girl's water breaks during the night. Cosmetic Catastrophe: Laura puts on mascara and rouge when going to the movies with Nina and Daniel, and initially struggles with making it look right. It horrified me to think that no one had ever spoken to her about sex, even getting her period was a very short-lived conversation. Parents as People: Laura's mother is incredibly overprotective over Laura and obsessed with keeping a good image but she's also lost two previous children and works hard to give Laura the opportunities that she never had.Night Mayor Franklefink has vanished from the Transylvanian Express - and it's up to you to solve the case! Truly moving, true-to-life, rich in detail that evokes the 1960s setting, and suffused with compassion, the beautiful afterword sees Laura in her seventies, reflecting on the courageous, life-changing decision she made all those years ago, thanks to the help of her forward-thinking aunt.

Baby Love (Literature) - TV Tropes Baby Love (Literature) - TV Tropes

I will always wonder at her ability to understand and translate such tough subjects and emotions into her words so beautifully. Jacqueline Wilson undoubtedly has a talent for writing from the point of view of children/teenagers.

Although there may be some denial as Laura does understand the signs of being pregnant before she's officially diagnosed. However, it was good for Laura and I think Wilson did a great job of showing other not so great endings for other women in the book for us to believe that Laura’s could be one of the good ones. The book looks at quite challenging topics such as consent, abuse and forced adoption yet does so in a way which a younger reader will be able to absorb it without being traumatised. Wilson's afterword and resources for readers affected by the story make it a valuable educational read for teenagers. The book ends up focusing on the bond between mothers and babies, and whilst I didn’t fully believe that Laura had the capacity for some of the realisations she had, I do think that could just be my scepticism.