Joined in 2023 
82 
63 About this deal
When Mab comes into school with a new fairy dress on her birthday, her teacher gives her a book all about Victorian fairies. She reads it with her mum and her little brother Robin, and she's surprised to see the drawings inside are nothing like the sweet fairies she imagined. When Mab finds an old flower squashed in a book about fairies she pops it in a glass of water as it looks very wilted. Much to Mab's surprise the flower turns into a rather bad tempered and very opinionated and talkative fairy called Bindweed. Now Mab has to look after Bindweed while keeping her secret from her mother, who is mad keen on a quite different kind of fairy, her younger brother who could easily hurt Bindweed by mistake and, most importantly, the horrible girls in her class who already sneer and scoff at her. Mab and Bindweed's growing friendship demands navigating practical difficulties which also help Mab find confidence and happiness in her own life. I shall be giving talks about my new book Project Fairy this month and next. Perhaps all good-natured children will clap their hands for me.
Another lovely book from Jacqueline Wilson, an easy 4.25 stars from me. I've read all her new books and absolutely adore Rachael Dean's illustrations, and this was no different for me... and definitely the kind of book I would have loved to read as a child, filled with fairy magic and history and all the heartache and family angst you'd expect from JW. She calls a boy out on making a sexist remark, too. Is she an avatar, a proxy, of JW trying to be feminist and sensitive nowadays after all? I can only tell when a character is not white by the illustrations. Did JW have a hand in that? A magical, captivating story about fairies, families and friendship from the brilliant, award-winning Jacqueline Wilson. Read more Details The ending felt a little rushed. Some character arcs where never resolved and some plot points felt a little shoved in with a "it's magic!" but overall the plot flowed well enough for a kids book.
LoveReading4Kids Says
I really love how realistically the storyline with Mabs' dad comes across, too. Without spoiling the plot, he doesn't serve as some fairytale prince coming to whisk Mabs' mum off her feet, but for what he is... a coward, and a failure. But it doesn't really matter, because Mabs' mum is trying her best to stay happy and healthy, and the kids are well-rounded and have everything they need. The illustrations and depictions of their lives are just so cosy. Project Fairy' ended up being no different. But on the whole, it is a harmless little light fantasy read. 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! I kind of wish there was a mention, like a suggestion, of whether Mum was taking any kind of medication, any antidepressants, however. What about therapy? Asking for help when dealing with mental health problems big enough that you had to be institutionalised and separated from your children for a while is a good thing to represent in children's lit! Was it a good thing for Mum to deal with her depression mostly on her own? I'm not sure. It depends on the context. What I am certain and adamant about is that Mab shouldn't have to act like an adult and take care of her out of anxiety.
Jacqueline Wilson once again poses a very authentic portrayal of potential childhood worries. Mab is delightful and stoic. She tries to protect her family at the expense of her own well-being. Slowly we meet those who care about her and we witness how Mab contrives to navigate her way through her problems, evaluating her own feelings and gaining support from unexpected places. A magical, captivating story about fairies, families and friendship from the brilliant, award-winning Jacqueline Wilson.A magical, captivating story about fairies, families and friendship from the brilliant, award-winning Jacqueline Wilson. About This Edition ISBN: I saw representations of evil fairies, lewd fairies, cruel fairies, ghoulish fairies, monstrous fairies – and adored them so much that I even became enthusiastic about the sweetly pretty sort. I admired mad Richard Dadd’s paintings the most, especially The Fairy Feller’s Master Stroke. I must have already passed it several times at the Tate without focussing on it – but even standing right in front of it focussing seemed impossible. It’s a dark painting spattered with white daisies, white robes, white legs. I hadn’t realised there are at least thirty distorted little people gossiping, peeping, frowning, observing, blowing complicated instruments and taking a swing at a nut with an axe – and that isn’t counting the barely visible procession parading Queen Mab along the brim of the Magician’s hat.
In the end, as a reward for caring for her, Bindweed grants a wish for Mab and she meets her father once again. Mab realises he is an absolute, cowardly loser without any self esteem or strength…. How had she not seen it all along? Her and her mum and brother do a runner and go home. Then and there, they realise that their father didn’t deserve them and their peaceful, cosy warm lives. They continue living on, with their mums new boyfriend and Bindweed meeting her cult, I mean family, once again. Jacqueline Wilson wrote her first novel when she was nine years old, and she has been writing ever since. She is now one of Britain’s bestselling and most beloved children’s authors. She has written over 100 books and is the creator of characters such as Tracy Beaker and Hetty Feather. More than forty million copies of her books have been sold. As well as winning many awards for her books, including the Children's Book of the Year, Jacqueline is a former Children's Laureate, and in 2008 she was appointed a Dame. The reveal later down the line that Mab's parents were never married is an offhanded, whatever remark. Cool.
About Jacqueline Wilson
Also, the actual plot was pretty good, I admired how Bindweed was gutsy and lively, energetic and although not the most likeable, Mab grows to be fond of her ‘pet’ fairy. The fairy world aspects were very original and creative, also fascinating. I wish JW showcased more of that, but that’s just my personal opinion, not really a flaw. Jacqueline is also a great reader, and has amassed over 20,000 books, along with her famous collection of silver rings. JW has shown she's not afraid to include LBGTQ characters in her kids' books before (though in my opinion, 'Rent a Bridesmaid' contains her one true positive rep), and in 'Project Fairy', there is only the slight implication of queer content. When we first see Robin's group of five-year-old friends, a girl and a boy want him for a boyfriend. He agrees to be a boyfriend to both. Of course, this could be viewed as merely toddlers being cute (Mum is like, "Awe bless 'em!") and not understanding how relationships work. Plus the girl and boy aren't named and they don't appear again afterwards. Mab mentions her neighbours Michael and Lee twice or three times, and they might be a gay couple, but we never meet them, so am I reaching?
Great Deal 
New Comment