Love Lessons
Jacqueline Wilson

This slightly edgier novel from award-winning author Jacqueline Wilson deals elegantly with some tricky subjects, and all with Wilson’s signature style and panache. In Love Lessons we meet teenagers Prue and Grace, who after their bad-tempered father suffers a stroke end up being sent to a new school without his knowledge, having previously been home-schooled for their entire lives.

For two girls who have never been to school before, suddenly being dropped in at the deep end is always going to be intimidating and Prue has rather more difficulty adjusting to the transition than her sister. Her only ally, it seems, is an attractive art teacher named Rax. She ends up developing feelings for him and thinks he feels the same way, but unfortunately for Prue, Rax is married with children. Prue starts babysitting for him, which allows them to get even closer, but both of them know that to take such a controversial relationship any further would undoubtedly get them both in serious trouble.

Jacqueline Wilson is known for her ability to tackle contentious and mature subjects in a sensitive way, and Love Lessons is no exception. Read by Finty Williams, this novel suitable for older children is available to purchase here as a CD audiobook.