Abstract

First possible thesis /research question:

One key idea that could undoubtedly explain the popularity of Jacqueline Wilsons
works among children ever since the publication of her first book The Story of Tracy
Beaker in 1991, is how relatable her characters and stories are. In this way, when
reading one of her books, children are able to connect with the characters and their
stories in such a way that they feel Wilsons narrating their own experiences as kids
or young teenagers. A similar phenomenon takes place when older readers come
across her stories in the sense that through them, they are able to go back and
remember how they felt at that particular age. Probably the most essential
characteristic of Wilsons books, that differentiates them to other books aimed for
children, is the fact that she deals with topics that children find difficult to deal with.
In this context, one topic worth analyzing is how Wilsons books could work as
guidelines on how to deal and overcome difficulties such as divorce (The
Suitcase Kid) or lack of self esteem (Girls collection -->particularly Girls in Love).
Analyze how her books have a moralistic or didactic nature.

I consider this project relevant for the research and study of Childrens literature
because even though Jacqueline Wilson has been regarded and praised as one of the
most important writers for children, on the preliminary research that I carried out
there were not many works and literary analyses dedicated to her works in particular.

Second possible thesis/ research question:

A strange phenomenon occurs when analyzing Jacqueline Wilsons books: given the
controversial topics presented in her books - divorce, anorexia, abuse, mental illness-,
her books should probably not be aimed exclusively for children, but to readers of all
ages, because everyone can relate to the characters and their stories.

Third possible thesis/research question:

Given that in her works Jacqueline Wilson presents controversial and adult topics
such as divorce, anorexia or abuse, her books go against the typical conception that
people in general have regarding the topics that are dealt with in childrens literature.