Author & Illustrators
Jacqueline Wilson is one of the UK’s most celebrated children’s authors, whose storytelling has resonated with millions of young readers.
Known for her ability to portray the complex realities of childhood, Jacqueline Wilson’s narratives address important but often challenging themes such as unconventional family dynamics, bullying, mental health, peer relationships and divorce. Readers enjoy how Jacqueline Wilson’s books resonate with their own experiences, making them feel understood and seen.
Jacqueline’s dedication to children and literacy has been recognised with numerous honours. She was awarded an OBE for services to literacy in 2002, appointed the fourth Children’s Laureate in 2005, and in 2008 became Dame Jacqueline Wilson, a testament to her profound impact on children’s reading.
Among Jacqueline Wilson’s extensive collection, popular titles include The Story of Tracy Beaker (which was very successfully televised), Double Act and The Illustrated Mum. Jacqueline Wilson’s books are typically aimed at readers aged 8-14 (Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3), providing powerful and accessible stories for this age group.
Many of the books are set in modern times, but a number are also historical fiction, with a noted interest in portraying female protagonists living at key moments in Victorian and 20th-century English history, like Hetty Feather and Opal Plumstead. Some of Wilson’s work also enters into the worlds of classic children’s books with new or modernised twists, such as The Primrose Railway Children and Katy.
More recently, Jacqueline Wilson has returned to some of the literary worlds she created decades before, now writing for adults (many of whom may have grown up reading her earlier books!). Think Again was published in 2024 and revisits the now-middle-aged characters of the Girls series, and Picture Imperfect was published in August 2025 as an adult sequel to The Illustrated Mum.
Jacqueline Wilson’s books for children consistently feature on recommended reading lists, including various BooksForTopics selections for KS2 book lists, books about different types of families, books about suffragettes, fantastic females booklist and children’s books about bullying.
Jacqueline Wilson has also been a key supporter of children’s literature research at the University of Cambridge. Notably, BooksForTopics founder Alison Leach was awarded the prestigious Jacqueline Wilson Award by the Dame herself in 2012, for outstanding children’s literature research.
Fans of Jacqueline Wilson will also find useful the BooksForTopics branching out booklist, which helps existing readers see how her stories can lead readers to discover similar genres and authors.
If you’re seeking children’s stories that navigate complex childhood experiences with empathy and insight, Dame Jacqueline Wilson’s compelling works are essential reading.
Author’s Website: https://www.penguin.co.uk/authors/183521/jacqueline-wilson.
If you are new to Jacqueline Wilson’s stories for children, we recommend The Worry Website as a superb book to start with.
One of my favourite childhood books. Twins Ruby and Garnet rely on their grandmother to be a much-needed calming influence when their world is turned upside down.
Lizzie refuses to speak. She doesn’t want to talk to Rory or Jake, her new stepbrothers. Or to Sam, their dad. Or even to her mum. She’s completely fed up with having to join a new family, and nothing can convince her to speak to them. Not football, not pizza, not a new bedroom. That is, until she meets Great-Gran – a member of the new family who is even more stubborn than she is…
Fiction meets political history in this gripping and moving story from popular author Jacqueline Wilson. When Opal’s father is sent to prison, Opal must start work at the Fairy Glen sweet factory instead of following her dreams of going to university. But when Opal meets the legendary Mrs Pankhurst and her fellow suffragettes, she gains a growing awareness of just how far these women will go to pursue their democratic rights. Set during a significant turning point of British history when the Votes for Women movement was gaining traction and WW1 was about to begin, Opal Plumstead is an important book that offers an insight into how the suffrage movement helped to shape British democracy and one that carries a powerful message about fighting for what you believe in.
Mandy is 10 and bullied at school, but finds friendship with an older, streetwise girl who is being fostered by a neighbour. Tanya is 14 and always seems to be in trouble. Mandy’s overprotective parents are not keen on their friendship. This story sensitively deals with issues of friendships, family relationships, loyalty and acceptance.
This story by the popular children’s author Jacqueline Wilson has recently been made into a television series on CBBC.
Hetty Feather tells the story of a Victorian orphan girl called Hetty and the adventures she has under the strict rule of the matron at the Foundling Hospital, where she is sent to learn to become a maid. Also available is Hetty Feather’s Christmas.
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