Jacqueline Wilson is one of the most beloved children's authors of her generation. She’s written over a hundred books, and in 1991 created the famous character Tracy Beaker, played by Dani Harmer on TV for twenty years. Four of her books were ranked among the 100 most popular books in the UK in 2003’s The Big Read: Double Act, Girls In Love, Vicky Angel, and The Story of Tracy Beaker. Some of her other famous books include The Illustrated Mum, Dustbin Baby, and Hetty Feather. Her memoir for children Jacky Daydream was published in 2007. Long-term collaborator Nick Sharrat usually illustrates her books.
Biography
Wilson was born in Bath in 1945, and grew up in a council flat in Kinston-upon-Thames. She helped launch legendary magazine Jackie when she was seventeen and married a policeman when she was nineteen in 1965. They had one daughter, Emma, and divorced in 2004. She now lives in Sussex with her partner of eighteen years, Trish. She was appointed an OBE in 2002 and became a Dame in 2008. Between these dates, she was the most read author in British libraries. To keep to two novels a year, Wilson makes sure to write 500 words a day before she’s even got out of bed.
Best-Known Books
The Story of Tracy Beaker was published in 1991 and launched Jacqueline Wilson into the stratosphere. It’s told from Tracy’s point of view, who’s been placed in the residential care home “The Dumping Ground” due to her mother’s neglect. She uses her imagination to deal with her unhappiness due to her lot in life. There have been several sequels to the book, and they were adapted into the popular CBBC series Tracy Beaker and its spinoffs.
Dustbin Baby follows April on her fourteenth birthday as she runs through the events of her life and seeks out people from her past. She was found behind a pizza restaurant in the bin and had a tumultuous childhood cycling through foster homes, residential care, and a school for problem girls. It was adapted into a BBC film starring Dakota Blue Richards in 2008.
The Illustrated Mum is about Dolphin, her half-sister Star, and their bipolar alcoholic mum Marigold. Dolphin loves Marigold, but Star is embarrassed by her. After Star’s father comes back onto the scene, their family life becomes increasingly complicated. Dolphin tries to find her old father amid Marigold’s mental breakdown and Star’s desertion to her father.
At Books2Door, we stock several box sets and collections of Jacqueline Wilson’s books. You may also be interested in our pages for other Children’s Laureates, including Michael Morpurgo, Julia Donaldson, and Quentin Blake.
