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My Secret Diary
In this wonderfully written memoir of Jacqueline Wilson’s life as a teenager, stories about family problems, first love, school life and friends build up a fascinating picture of a real teenager and her inner life. She uses extracts from her real diary to cover issues as diverse as how she created beehive hairdos to her troubled school life.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
309 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
67 people are currently reading
1250 people want to read
About the author
Jacqueline Wilson
399 books5,687 followersJacqueline Wilson was born in Bath in 1945, but spent most of her childhood in Kingston-on-Thames. She always wanted to be a writer and wrote her first ‘novel’ when she was nine, filling in countless Woolworths’ exercise books as she grew up. As a teenager she started work for a magazine publishing company and then went on to work as a journalist on Jackie magazine (which she was told was named after her!) before turning to writing novels full-time.
One of Jacqueline’s most successful and enduring creations has been the famous Tracy Beaker, who first appeared in 1991 in The Story of Tracy Beaker. This was also the first of her books to be illustrated by Nick Sharratt. Since then Jacqueline has been on countless awards shortlists and has gone on to win many awards. The Illustrated Mum won the Guardian Children’s Fiction Award, the 1999 Children’s Book of the Year at the British Book Awards and was also shortlisted for the 1999 Whitbread Children’s Book Award.
Double Act won the prestigious Smarties Medal and the Children’s Book Award as well as being highly commended for the Carnegie Medal. The Story of Tracy Beaker won the 2002 Blue Peter People’s Choice Award.
Jacqueline is one of the nation’s favourite authors, and her books are loved and cherished by young readers not only in the UK but all over the world. She has sold millions of books and in the UK alone the total now stands at over 35 million!
In 2002 Jacqueline was awarded the OBE for services to literacy in schools and from 2005 to 2007 she was the Children’s Laureate. In 2008 she became Dame Jacqueline Wilson.
One of Jacqueline’s most successful and enduring creations has been the famous Tracy Beaker, who first appeared in 1991 in The Story of Tracy Beaker. This was also the first of her books to be illustrated by Nick Sharratt. Since then Jacqueline has been on countless awards shortlists and has gone on to win many awards. The Illustrated Mum won the Guardian Children’s Fiction Award, the 1999 Children’s Book of the Year at the British Book Awards and was also shortlisted for the 1999 Whitbread Children’s Book Award.
Double Act won the prestigious Smarties Medal and the Children’s Book Award as well as being highly commended for the Carnegie Medal. The Story of Tracy Beaker won the 2002 Blue Peter People’s Choice Award.
Jacqueline is one of the nation’s favourite authors, and her books are loved and cherished by young readers not only in the UK but all over the world. She has sold millions of books and in the UK alone the total now stands at over 35 million!
In 2002 Jacqueline was awarded the OBE for services to literacy in schools and from 2005 to 2007 she was the Children’s Laureate. In 2008 she became Dame Jacqueline Wilson.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
January 13, 2023
I could not put this book down! Because I am a Jacqueline Wilson fan, I was interested to read about her life as a teenager. I have been lucky enough to listen to her talking about her childhood and what inspired her as a writer, but there was still lots of new information for me. I felt I could relate to Jacqueline when she was at school because she struggled with maths like I do. I liked being able to read the quotes from her real teenage diary, which was the very first diary that she kept. It really explained her feelings as a teenager and because I'm in my teens, I can relate to this. I would recommend this book to people who are about to start or are in their teenage years.
June 29, 2020
I have read almost everything that Wilson has read, so couldn't resist this title when I was able to obtain it.
Most of her books are written for upper elementary students. This book is an exception. I see it being a book for MS students who were fond of Wilson's writing when they were younger. Most of this book was about Wilson's early teens, describing her school, social and home life. By American standards at the same time I would say that Wilson was rather a precocious teen, talking about reading a number of books which I would say are definitely not appropriate for young girls (Peyton Place, Lolita to name two).
As an adult, and retired librarian, I enjoyed it immensely since I have followed Wilson's career with much enjoyment.
Most of her books are written for upper elementary students. This book is an exception. I see it being a book for MS students who were fond of Wilson's writing when they were younger. Most of this book was about Wilson's early teens, describing her school, social and home life. By American standards at the same time I would say that Wilson was rather a precocious teen, talking about reading a number of books which I would say are definitely not appropriate for young girls (Peyton Place, Lolita to name two).
As an adult, and retired librarian, I enjoyed it immensely since I have followed Wilson's career with much enjoyment.
March 7, 2014
I have read this many times! As a childhood inspiration, Jacqueline Wilson's book on her life as an early teenager was engaging and insightful. Even though the audience is not my age, I still enjoy it every time I read it. Defiantly recommend!
March 4, 2023
jackie and i would be besties btw. so much of what she said resonated with younger me. no wonder she was able to capture so well what I wanted from stories when I was younger lol. also the audiobook was fun because she read her diary entries in a funny dramatic reading voice which like is literally the same way I look back on my own haha.
February 24, 2013
It was a wonderful book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Wilson painted a clear and vibrant picture of teenage life during the 1960s. The Diary entries from her childhood gave the book added depth and really engaged me as a reader. A great book for both adults and children alike.
For a more detailed review please visit my blog on the link below.
http://myreadinglifebookreviews.blogs...
June 13, 2023
2,5 stars
My Secret Diary is a memoir about Jacqueline Wilson's teenage years and it's cool that Wilson still has her diaries from that time as a reference.
I like the writing style, the tone which is quite nostalgic and the structure where each chapter is dedicated to a particular topic. I appreciate that Jacqueline Wilson dedicates a whole chapter to books and writing, especially because writing is her career.
However, I wasn't drawn into her story until the last two holiday chapters. Those last two chapters are so well-written and read like fiction.
One interesting thing of note to me: the relationship of Wilson's parents has some similarities with the parents of her characters.
Overall, I liked reading about Jacqueline Wilson's teenage years, but unfortunately wasn't drawn into her story until the last two chapters.
My Secret Diary is a memoir about Jacqueline Wilson's teenage years and it's cool that Wilson still has her diaries from that time as a reference.
I like the writing style, the tone which is quite nostalgic and the structure where each chapter is dedicated to a particular topic. I appreciate that Jacqueline Wilson dedicates a whole chapter to books and writing, especially because writing is her career.
However, I wasn't drawn into her story until the last two holiday chapters. Those last two chapters are so well-written and read like fiction.
One interesting thing of note to me: the relationship of Wilson's parents has some similarities with the parents of her characters.
Overall, I liked reading about Jacqueline Wilson's teenage years, but unfortunately wasn't drawn into her story until the last two chapters.
July 29, 2017
Alright, if you like that sort of thing.
As part of the reading challenge over the summer at my school, we are encouraged to read a book that takes us out of our comfort zones. I chose this one because I don't like chick lit and am not fond of Jacqueline Wilson's work, but am well aware that it's immensely popular with young girls (and some boys) and also the reasons why. In fact, I enjoyed reading this a lot more than Wilson's normal books, but think that might be because of a personal interest in history. To be honest, this book is basically a lowest common denominator description of a 1960s childhood if your parents were married and from a lower middle class or comfortable working class background, with the one caveat that I'm pretty sure her dad suffered from depression. Hundreds of thousands of families lived just like the Aitkens (as they were) and as a representation of that, this is basically a time capsule in literary form. For me, books like this have to exist so that novels covering the more unusual family or young lives of the time can actually be compared with something.
The main standout thing is clearly that Wilson was born a talented writer and developed her talent still further by hard work and reading widely, and her adolescent diaries already show this. I think it's important for teen girls to read this so they can understand how they can achieve their dreams. Maybe it's just me being a bitter cynic, though, but I'm going to pose the question - could Wilson have done any of this if she hadn't been a baby boomer and thus born at the right time to take advantage of the chances of a changing society? As the book mentions, 'Jackie' teen magazine was named after her - an astonishing achievement. These days, these kind of chances tend to exist online if at all - and if they exist in the world of physical print, it's normally because you know someone.
One point I was interested to read was that Wilson is quite dismissive of fantasy novels, and also was when she was a teenager. As she rightly points out, adolescent fiction (which is actually a misnomer because adolescence lasts from 12-23, ho hum) hasn't really existed as a genre for very long. What did use to exist was incredibly patronising and filled with two-dimensional characters. I read fantasy novels a lot as a teenager, interspersed with very heavy-going adult fiction and factual books, because they offered a glimpse into an 'other' adult world where the same problems existed, but they were dealt with via magic or religion etc. From this book, I have the ovewhelming sense that Wilson would not fully understand this or would not have understood it at the time. She also disliked adventure stories (which I loved and love, due to their expanded horizons beyond the humdrum existence of the home) and basically preferred kitchen sink dramas - apparently, though her favourite novel as a teen was Gone with the Wind, which obviously IS an adventure story as well as being a document of war and a bodice-ripper. This is a literal print confirmation that books like hers aren't aimed at 'people like me.' Which is absolutely fascinating.
As part of the reading challenge over the summer at my school, we are encouraged to read a book that takes us out of our comfort zones. I chose this one because I don't like chick lit and am not fond of Jacqueline Wilson's work, but am well aware that it's immensely popular with young girls (and some boys) and also the reasons why. In fact, I enjoyed reading this a lot more than Wilson's normal books, but think that might be because of a personal interest in history. To be honest, this book is basically a lowest common denominator description of a 1960s childhood if your parents were married and from a lower middle class or comfortable working class background, with the one caveat that I'm pretty sure her dad suffered from depression. Hundreds of thousands of families lived just like the Aitkens (as they were) and as a representation of that, this is basically a time capsule in literary form. For me, books like this have to exist so that novels covering the more unusual family or young lives of the time can actually be compared with something.
The main standout thing is clearly that Wilson was born a talented writer and developed her talent still further by hard work and reading widely, and her adolescent diaries already show this. I think it's important for teen girls to read this so they can understand how they can achieve their dreams. Maybe it's just me being a bitter cynic, though, but I'm going to pose the question - could Wilson have done any of this if she hadn't been a baby boomer and thus born at the right time to take advantage of the chances of a changing society? As the book mentions, 'Jackie' teen magazine was named after her - an astonishing achievement. These days, these kind of chances tend to exist online if at all - and if they exist in the world of physical print, it's normally because you know someone.
One point I was interested to read was that Wilson is quite dismissive of fantasy novels, and also was when she was a teenager. As she rightly points out, adolescent fiction (which is actually a misnomer because adolescence lasts from 12-23, ho hum) hasn't really existed as a genre for very long. What did use to exist was incredibly patronising and filled with two-dimensional characters. I read fantasy novels a lot as a teenager, interspersed with very heavy-going adult fiction and factual books, because they offered a glimpse into an 'other' adult world where the same problems existed, but they were dealt with via magic or religion etc. From this book, I have the ovewhelming sense that Wilson would not fully understand this or would not have understood it at the time. She also disliked adventure stories (which I loved and love, due to their expanded horizons beyond the humdrum existence of the home) and basically preferred kitchen sink dramas - apparently, though her favourite novel as a teen was Gone with the Wind, which obviously IS an adventure story as well as being a document of war and a bodice-ripper. This is a literal print confirmation that books like hers aren't aimed at 'people like me.' Which is absolutely fascinating.
June 22, 2016
I read this book because I'm a big fan of Jacqueline Wilson writings; and decided to buy this since I would love to know her personal life more, what she was like when was a teenager. And this book turned out just okay for me. There are times that I just want to put it on shelf and continue reading like a week later, because the story was not more interesting than her usual children books. But if we consider this as a diary/journal not a story book yet it actually is, Jacq's life was pretty incredible back to nowadays. The best thing in this book for me would be the knowledge I got about 60's teenager lifestyle & stuff from this book. However, if you're a fan you'll enjoy reading this.Jacq pulled this book as best as she can to be interesting to read. Well, she nailed it. The book is as hilarious as the title 'Dating,Dancing,Dreams, and Dilemmas' :)
p.s. its my first review!sorry for bad and boring writing haha
p.s. its my first review!sorry for bad and boring writing haha
June 18, 2024
2024 re-read. Bumped it up a star because why not?
This was a nice re-read of one of my favorite books back when I was younger, Jacqueline Wilson was my undisputed number one author when I was 8-13ish and even now I still find that her books are fun to re-read.
This is her 2nd book that is about her own life growing up, the first being Jacky Daydream which follows her from birth to around age 11 I think.
I love this, it's such a nice cosy read and it's nice reading about life as a young adult during the late 1950's/early 1960's.
I'm also still pining for a follow up book to this that follows her next few years. *cough cough* :D
This was a nice re-read of one of my favorite books back when I was younger, Jacqueline Wilson was my undisputed number one author when I was 8-13ish and even now I still find that her books are fun to re-read.
This is her 2nd book that is about her own life growing up, the first being Jacky Daydream which follows her from birth to around age 11 I think.
I love this, it's such a nice cosy read and it's nice reading about life as a young adult during the late 1950's/early 1960's.
I'm also still pining for a follow up book to this that follows her next few years. *cough cough* :D
October 30, 2023
Jacqueline Wilson will always be one of my favorite writers, a woman whose contagious passion for reading, writing and Anne Frank is impossible not to be swayed by.
“My Secret Diary” made me admire Jacqueline Wilson even more, she is so real and the stories of her youth are so relatable to us, children who grew up reading her books. The diary is extremely funny, sweet and kind, it feels like reconnecting with a good old friend who you haven't seen since you were 15, but who you've always loved and always will.
Must-read to all J. Wilson’s fans irrespective of their age, this diary is a gem 💎
“My Secret Diary” made me admire Jacqueline Wilson even more, she is so real and the stories of her youth are so relatable to us, children who grew up reading her books. The diary is extremely funny, sweet and kind, it feels like reconnecting with a good old friend who you haven't seen since you were 15, but who you've always loved and always will.
Must-read to all J. Wilson’s fans irrespective of their age, this diary is a gem 💎
December 18, 2014
I learnt lots more about Jacqueline. It has her diary entries she wrote,boys,her family,holidays and even one of her stories she wrote at fourteen. I hope there's one about when she was an adult. It did have 'to be continued' at the end!
January 12, 2011
horrible!! very extremely BORING. zzZZ didn't even bother to finish because too boring.
November 30, 2017
This book was great, but Jacqueline Wilson wrote a lot of better books.
March 31, 2021
I’ve lost count of the amount of times I’ve read this book over the years; it’s literally falling apart, clinging together with sellotape now. Jacqueline Wilson has always been my favourite author and I adored her as a child, so it was incredible for me to read her life story as a kid. It’s equally exciting now, each chapter riveting and detailed, providing lots of insight into what life was like as a teenager in 1960s England. It’s funny, because it’s so different to nowadays yet in some ways it’s not. I definitely think if you’re a fan of Jacqueline or even just curious about the 60s, you should read this book. It’s suitable for any age, though there are very mild sexual references so probably not best for young kids.
August 10, 2022
This is a short autobiography about some of Jacqueline Wilson’s experiences growing up as a young teenager.
I adore reading about life in the 50s and 60s so I found the passages very engaging. I once aspired to be a writer and filled up notebooks with various stories, so the many diary entries and descriptions of her passion for writing were very relatable. It also touches on her parents’ rocky relationship and her obsession with boys - which was quite amusing to read about considering she has come out since then!
I read Jacqueline Wilson books almost exclusively as a child and looked up to her immensely, and I still love this book as an adult.
I adore reading about life in the 50s and 60s so I found the passages very engaging. I once aspired to be a writer and filled up notebooks with various stories, so the many diary entries and descriptions of her passion for writing were very relatable. It also touches on her parents’ rocky relationship and her obsession with boys - which was quite amusing to read about considering she has come out since then!
I read Jacqueline Wilson books almost exclusively as a child and looked up to her immensely, and I still love this book as an adult.
March 30, 2018
This was the perfect book to read when I was off work with the sickness bug.
I loved Jacky Daydream and re-read it before I read My Secret Diary. This book covers Jackie's years at junior school and goes up to when she is 14. It uses a lot of her diary entries and she makes fun of her teenage self with many dry anecdotes.
This was an easy read which made me laugh out loud in places and remembered the awkwardness of being a teenager. I don't think she was any sillier over boys than most of us at that age and I would love to read more of her autobiographies. Hint hint!
I loved Jacky Daydream and re-read it before I read My Secret Diary. This book covers Jackie's years at junior school and goes up to when she is 14. It uses a lot of her diary entries and she makes fun of her teenage self with many dry anecdotes.
This was an easy read which made me laugh out loud in places and remembered the awkwardness of being a teenager. I don't think she was any sillier over boys than most of us at that age and I would love to read more of her autobiographies. Hint hint!
July 2, 2021
I used to be a big fan of Jacqueline Wilson’s books when I was much younger - and whilst her diary encapsulated her witty style of writing, and is an incredibly interesting insight to her life growing up, at times I did feel it rather boring. Overall I was mildly bored whilst reading - however the last chapter had me hooked ! I fell in love with the last chapter and all the people involved, and reading it felt like it’s own special story - it’s crazy to think it real !
I would recommend this book to 13/14 year olds, purely for the last chapter !
I would recommend this book to 13/14 year olds, purely for the last chapter !
October 11, 2023
If you are a teenage girl who loves Jacqueline Wilson then you will love this. It’s like an extra little insight into her life and childhood. Her parents were interesting and you can see where some of the inspiration for her characters came from! But I would definitely recommend this if you wanted that extra insight into the life of Jacky. Also, it was interesting to see the differences between life then and now (even some of the shops - Woolworths!), but it was refreshing to see that some things never change (boys!)
November 10, 2020
I enjoyed this book it was good interesting readMy Secret DiaryJacqueline Wilson
June 18, 2022
Jacqueline Wilson has always been my favourite author. I started reading her books when I was 6. Since then I’ve read a lot of hers. She is the author who got me into reading and writing, and it was nice to know that she had a favourite author that helped her towards that goal too.
This book was amazing, I have read it a few times before as I’ve had it for years. I had to read this again.
This book was amazing, I have read it a few times before as I’ve had it for years. I had to read this again.
April 12, 2023
Moje první knížka od Jacqueline. Všichni o ní doslova ''básní''. Tak jsem si chtěla něco od ní přečíst a sáhla jsem po jejím tajném deníku z jejího života. Knížka se mi líbila, ale né, že bych z ní zas byla na větvi. Byl to takový průměr.
October 29, 2017
Even though it may seem like a juvenile read, my teenager-self enjoyed it immensely.
October 28, 2018
Quite good. It is a book that has some parts from her diary and she then writes about how she thinks of them now that she is a grown woman. I think it is a good book for people in year five and six.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 2, 2019
Not as good as her first autobiography.
Read
June 20, 2019Fantastic because i love autobiographys
September 12, 2020
This book was all about the author's adventures.
February 25, 2021
Grade: B+
I am basing my rating for these childhood books on how much I enjoyed them when I read them as a child.
I am basing my rating for these childhood books on how much I enjoyed them when I read them as a child.
August 26, 2021
I remember reading Jacky Daydream and thinking 'I wish this had a sequel'... Imagine how happy I was when I discovered this. It actually managed to exceed my expectations... 5/5*, naturally.
March 22, 2022
haven't read any Jacqueline Wilson since I was a pre-teen, but I remember enjoying Jacky Daydream as a kid, so I read this. It was fairly interesting but nothing groundbreaking
August 17, 2024
I genuinely think Jacqueline and I would have made great friends and probably still would
Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews