Jacqueline Wilson, the bestselling author behind The Story of Tracy Beaker and more than 100 other children’s novels, has revealed the 10 books that most inspired her as a child, many of which later shaped her own writing.
Wilson, who has sold over 40 million books worldwide, described herself as “absolutely loving books, not just my own, but other people’s too.” She explained that several of her stories were directly inspired by childhood favourites, including Secrets, which references The Diary of Anne Frank, and Katy, her modern retelling of the 19th-century classic What Katy Did.
The list, shared with the Bradford Literature Festival in 2021, spans from beloved children’s adventures to classic literature:
The Enchanted Wood by Enid Blyton – Wilson recalled being “desperate to be Silky the fairy” when she was five years old, calling the magical Faraway Tree stories her earliest reading obsession.
Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild – A favourite of her character Shirley in Wave Me Goodbye, Wilson said that this book made her dance around her flat in pink slippers pretending to be one of the Fossil sisters.
What Katy Did by Susan Coolidge – Wilson loved the tomboy heroine Katie Carr but later wrote her own version, portraying a more realistic experience of disability.
The Family from One End Street by Eve Garnett – Special to Wilson as one of the first books she read about a working-class family, something she could relate to personally.
Five Children and It by E. Nesbit – A tale of wish-granting adventures that later inspired Wilson’s own book Four Children and It.
The Railway Children by E. Nesbit – Another book she named among her childhood favourites, tied to Wilson’s memory of winning a painting competition based on the story.
The Diary of Anne Frank – Wilson described it as “the book that really changed my life,” praising its honesty and emotional impact.
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith – Discovered at secondary school, Wilson said she was hooked from the first paragraph, calling it one of the most interesting openings she had ever read.
The Greengage Summer by Rumer Godden – A coming-of-age story set in France, which Wilson praised for its honesty about family, love, and adolescence.
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë – Her “all-time favourite book,” which she first read for the early chapters about Jane as a child before later appreciating the full gothic romance.
Wilson encouraged children to make their own lists of favourite books, reflecting on why certain stories matter to them.
“Is it because they make you laugh? Because they make you cry? Or because the characters feel as real as your best friends?” she said.
The author, now 79, said she still returns to many of these titles today, crediting them not only with inspiring her as a young reader but also with influencing the worlds she went on to create for generations of children.