Secrets

Josie Lawrence reads Jacqueline Wilson's Secrets in this unabridged four-cassette pack.

Wilson is bang on form with this stirring story of two young girls from opposite sides of the tracks and the effect they have on each others' lives.

India lives in the lap of luxury on a posh housing estate. Her mum is a famous children's clothes designer and her dad is top man at a top company. But India is far from happy with her life. Her uptight anorexic mother does little to hide her disappointment in her chubby offspring, and her dad is decidedly distracted these days, so India follows in the footsteps of her heroine Anne Frank and reveals all in her secret diary.

Treasure lives in a council flat with her glamorous, line-dancing Nan but is scared she may one day have to go back to live with her mum. She, too, keeps a diary but hers is called the Terrible Terry Torture Manual and is filled with all the things she would like to do to get her own back on her bullying stepfather.

Treasure, the floppy-haired stringbean, and India, the rotund red-head, meet by chance and against the odds forge a friendship that is tested to the limit when Treasure runs away to avoid having to go and live with her mum and Terry again. The frightened little girl takes refuge in her new best friend's attic, while India relishes the chance to take care of a real Anne Frank...

Told via alternating entries from the two very different diaries, Secrets brims with the stuff of pre-teen childhood (best friends, secrets, diaries and the allure of other people's families) while cleverly combining the swift realism of class barriers, broken homes and society's deep-rooted suspicions.

Wilson does it again in a story that will undoubtedly win her new fans, but will also be warmly welcomed by anyone who has read (or heard) The Illustrated Mum, The Story of Tracy Beaker, Vicky Angel, The Bed and Breakfast Star or any of the other superb award-winning titles this remarkable author has tucked safely under her belt. Ages eight and over.

Running time is five hours. --Susan Harrison

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View books by Jacqueline Wilson.

Very secretive - Rated
Jacqueline Wilson has created a masterpiece which is one of my favourite books. Secrets is about a friendship between two people from two different backgrounds. India lives in the lap of luxury on a posh housing estate. Her mum is a famous children's clothes designer and her dad is top man at a top company. But India is far from happy with her life. Her uptight anorexic mother does little to hide her disappointment in her chubby offspring, and her dad is decidedly distracted these days, so India follows in the footsteps of her heroine Anne Frank and reveals all in her secret diary. Treasure lives in a council flat with her glamorous, line-dancing Nan but is scared she may one day have to go back to live with her mum. She, too, keeps a diary but hers is called the Terrible Terry Torture Manual and is filled with all the things she would like to do to get her own back on her bullying stepfather. Nan takes her to hospital where she lies to keep Terry out of trouble and then Treasure stays with her Nan for a while. Treasure meets India one day while coming back from school, at the bike park. They become good friends and see each other often. Treasure, the floppy-haired string bean, and India, the rotund red-head, meet by chance and against the odds forge a friendship that is tested to the limit when Treasure runs away to avoid having to go and live with her mum and Terry again. The frightened little girl takes refuge in her new best friend's attic, while India relishes the chance to take care of a real Anne Frank...

Good but not great - Rated
I found this book OK but some of the chapters were a bit boring.
I didn't really like India because she was always whining, I liked Treasure though.
My favourite part of the book was when it's New Year's Eve and Treasure's Nan had a party.
If you're thinking of reading this book don't buy it, go to the library and borrow it, and see if you like it.

*[[ Secrets ]]* - Rated
jacqueline wilson has done it again, produced a fabulous,account of the lives of two young girls who become friends, from very different backgrounds they share the one thing they both need...someone to listen. every chapter is written out as though a passage from alternately treasure's and india's diary. a funny, well-written, encouraging story of how two people from different backgrounds and extremely different personalities confide theyre biggest and darkest secrets.

recommended and reviewed by shannah berry,12.

One of Wilson's Best - Rated
I think that this is one of Wilson's best books--it introduces a traditional role model throughout the story, and has a significant parallelism to the life that this role model led. I think it is good that this runs through the story.
Also, Wilson has also once again succeeded in showing children emotions--there is also the issue of overcoming class within the story, which becomes the actual moral at the end.
Overall it shows how friendship can help with many problems such as family violence and over demanding something off someone, which helps to contribute to a very good story.

Lola Rose - Rated
I think Lola Rose is a really good book for a book review. It gives you all the values you need to learn, it makes an excellent text response and the themes are something we can discuss in class. The way JW brings in The Diary of Ann Frank is also really nice. I think that it really is a book worth reading and everyone should consider it. It is such a page turner for kinds from 8-18... you'll all love it! Really!
Give it a go!
Another great job Jacqueline Wilson!
Ps. Great Illustrations by Nick Sharatt
Ps, Excellent illustrations by Quienten Blake