What inspired me to start reading

Reading begins at a very young age; it begins with nursery rhymes and fairy tales. Reading begins with listening, when you are listening to a story or a song it sparks your imagination. Storytelling is a process we take for granted as children. You can sit down and listen to the story or flick through the pages, but it isn’t until you are fully committed to take a story in, and understand the meaning behind the author's words, that you can honestly say you have read a book. In primary school, I remember going to a very small school library. I had a book to choose for each week, more if you were a good reader. The choice of stories usually consisted of Biff, Chip, and Kipper by Roderick Hunt. Biff and Chip is the beginning of reading for most children, teaching them phonics and spelling providing children the confidence to learn to read on their own.

The first author I read on my own, away from school, was Jacqueline Wilson. I remember asking for her books for every birthday and Christmas; I read Midnight repeatedly. What intrigued me with Midnight was the relationship Violet [protagonist] has with her books. Like many, I use reading as an escape, diving into the unknown, and searching for an adventure. Violet uses her fairies to escape her own world, her favourite author Casper Dream is the creator of her fairy fantasy world. Midnight has adult themes that some may find difficult to understand why Wilson included them in her children’s book. Midnight is in category 9-11 on her website, after reading some reviews on Goodreads, it is understandable why many feel it is not suitable for children. However, I strongly disagree with this opinion.

What I love most about Jacqueline Wilson, she is never afraid to discuss difficult topics within her stories. The issues Wilson brings to light in Midnight such as growing up, body image, making friends, bullying, loneliness, adoption, obsession, and domestic violence. Discussing topics like this is why I respect and admire Jacqueline Wilson as a children’s author. Reading reviews as I look back on the novel now, I can understand why some adults – who loved Midnight as a child – look back and see all the underlined problems Wilson didn’t bring up but merely suggested. As a child reading about domestic violence, you know something is wrong with the picture, but the dark, scary dots don’t have to connect.

Children grow up in all types of situations – if they read something that connects with them – if they recognise retails and patterns; they realise, they are not alone. It is extremely rare to find an author that is not afraid to push the barriers to share what they feel is important. When children read, they are reading to explore different worlds or to find someone they can relate to. Wilson uses topics like domestic violence, death, neglect, grooming, homelessness, and drug abuse to name a few. She isn’t writing for the adults, as adults, we can see and understand the underlining issues Wilson is talking about in much more detail. So, when adults reread Midnight and talk about all the things Wilson should have done, they need to remember, it wasn’t written for them. It was written for children. It was written as a fantasy, a story that could be relatable. It was written to be understood from a child’s perspective, and if they understand the details that are missing, then they know they are not alone. They know that it is ok to speak out and ask for help if they need it.

People feel Will’s story was never told to the extent it could have been. They feel Wilson should have shown Will adjusting to the news of his adoption. Adjusting and recognising that his behaviour towards his sister was unacceptable, to have consequences. Yes, Wilson could have done all of this, but then it wouldn’t have been the story she wanted to tell. The story is about Violet. Midnight is about Violet discovering her self-identity, her ability to overcome her obsession, and her chance to connect with others. Jasmine was not a perfect friend, but in the end, she was the friend Violet needed. Violet discovered her voice and used it. Growing up is hard, it is especially hard when the life you once knew has changed. The ending may not be good enough for those wanting more, but for Jacqueline Wilson, it was about fixing a family that was broken by the news that should have been shared sooner.

I was going to go on and write about many different authors that I loved when I was younger, going from Jacqueline Wilson to YA authors such as Cathy Hopkins, Lauren Kate, Sarah Dessen, and Carrie Jones to name a few. However, as I got more in-depth discussing Midnight, I became more aware of how important her books were to me growing up. Her world became a separate reality for me, I could escape reading her stories, but I could also watch them brought to life.

Jacqueline Wilson was the beginning of my love for reading, so what a better way to begin our literary blog. Two beginnings joining. I hope I have inspired our readers to think about what got them started, and if you haven’t picked up a book yet, what’s stopping you? Our posts are to provoke discussions and to share our ideas with our readers, why don’t you join in.

Maria