Take a Good Look

by Jacqueline Wilson

Mary, a young blind girl, fed up with the way her family treats her, decides to go down to the sweetshop on her own. But on the way she is kidnapped. Mary must use all her ingenuity to find a way of escaping - and proving to everyone just how capable she is, even without being able to see.

Genres: Childrens, Young Adult, Fiction, Disability

96 pages, Paperback

First published August 30, 1990

About the author

Jacqueline 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.

Reviews

[Akshata]

This is an interesting book about a girl who cannot see very well and is kidnapped at a shop near her house. The rest of the book is about how she manages to get out of the situation by thinking out of of the box.

I recommend the book because it shows us if we keep calm, we can focus on getting out of a tough situation. My favourite part of the book was when she got back to her family.

[Lauren]

Jacqueline Wilson produces a story, slightly different to her older novels. The story focuses on a girl who is partially sighted, yet she wants to be treated the same as other children and be able to make her own decisions, without her disability stopping her. She travels to the corner shop alone, going against her families' wishes and becomes involved in a robbery and is kidnapped. I did not like this book at all. I was quite shocked and surprised by the storyline. I found it quite scary and unrealistic. It seemed more like a cautionary tale to stop children from ever venturing outside without their parents. The graphic description of the knife and how Mary is physically treated , emphasised the old phrase of 'stranger danger'. I also found Jacqueline Wilson's remarks derogatory and unnecessary, such as when Mary was being teased by the other children and robbers, for being partially sighted. I feel that by the author using this kind of language in the book, it is made to seem that teasing is acceptable and should be expected for anyone with a disability. I do not believe this book will provide its readers' with encouragement or confidence, just fear. I would have preferred if Jacqueline Wilson chose a more hopeful and positive ending, as although Mary escapes from the robbers. She does not want to go to the corner shop on her own anymore and is clearly traumatised. The only positive comment I have about this book is that, I did not want to put it down. I was desperate to find out if and how Mary escaped from the robbers. Due to the content of this book, I believe it would be appropriate for a year four class. It could be used for independent reading or topics such as safety and the role of the police, or when learning about children who have disabilities.

[Alexa]

dame jackie is sooo unserious for writing this barely disguised cautionary tale haha this is not one of her best work i fear. a little... heavy-handed? though i did like the robber without the knife. he offered the kid he essentially kidnapped coke and chocolate and justified that he doesn't want to starve the poor little kid because they already scared him half to death. he and the other robber bicker like an old married couple, too. it's strangely wholesome

[Louise]

Remember reading this several times as a child and loving it , one of Wilson’s best

[Connor]

A book for young children with a blind character. While I applaud the aim of the author to include disabled characters in fiction, I think these days it's possible to find much more realistic depictions of disability elsewhere.

[Lila]

If Dame Jacqueline Wilson writes it, I’ll read it - no questions asked. I haven’t read many of her earlier works (as in pre-Nick Sharratt works) and I’d love to read more.

This was definitely not her best work but I enjoyed it all the same! I would have liked to read a longer version of it, and I’d love to see how Jackie would write it now with all her years of experience under her belt! Mary was a sweet little character, I’d love to know if Jackie consulted any people with vision impairment before writing her.

Also, (although there is no better author-illustrator partnership than Jackie and Nick) I thought the sketchy little illustrations were super cute, very reminiscent of Enid Blyton illustrations!

Definitely would recommend to anyone who loves a good Jacqueline Wilson read, and I think I would have really enjoyed this when I was 9 or so 🫶🏻

[Katie Sapphire-Star]

I'm currently rereading all my Jacqueline Wilson books one last time before giving them away.

This is one of her shorter ones, took me just half an hour to read.

The story of a visually impaired girl getting kidnapped. Nothing too scary or shocking but definitely a good representation of the blind community.

[Megan]

Even though this was the first time of me reading this book, I loved the sense of nostalgia that came with reading one of Jacqueline Wilson's books. A gripping read and I am glad that I read it for my readalong

[Hol]

Read this as a kid and it is pretty scary for a kid's book! But it's still an enjoyable read!

[Meen]

Overall it's great, but the ending falls flat.

[Jesse Simon]

Not Jacqueline Wilson's best but I'm probably biased because I'm too old to be reading it for the first time anyway.

[Shahrun]

This book surprised me how good it was. The subject matter was different and interesting. It kept me griped and I read it in one sitting.

[Alice Hannah Bates]

Nah

[Holly Young]

NAH MY FAV

[Lottie]

Read on the Archive. Will someone save me from these books?

[Éabha]

if i was 7 i’d eat this up

[Sal A. Mann]

Took an excellent turn, but the ending was far too abrupt.

[Fatima]

Mary is a girl who is almost blind but she could see things that are really close. She decides to go to the shop by herself even though she's not allowed. She gets kidnapped on her way out of the shop and has to try to escape. I didn't really like this story because it gives the reader the wrong picture of blind people and their families. Yes the parents of a blind person might be more protective but not to the point where they don't let their child out of bed or down the stairs. I know because i'm blind myself and my parents aren't like that

[Disability in Kidlit]

The main character is blind. Holly Scott-Gardner reviews the portrayal of this condition at Disability in Kidlit.

[Jasmine]

quite a scary book. very exciting!!!!!

[Alsie]

Exciting kidnapping story, quite scary

[Panha]

Not Bad...

[Mia]

This was very boring, even when I was about 7 or 8 years old. The plot was basic and extremely unrealistic.

[Indah Threez Lestari]

237 - 2015

[Alfie]

scary

[Amy]

This was an exciting story, scared me a bit when I was younger.