Something that's not important to mention but I feel I want to because it's personal and relatable: Mab's mum works in a supermarket (grocery store to my US readers), and at first she is scared of her new boss because he appears cold and distant to her, and acts like he wants to fire her. But later on, he is kind and sweet to her; it's only the adjustment period that had stressed him out, and made him distant and seemingly scary. Yeah, I totally relate to that, in my own work in retail. 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. Mabs was just so jarring at points, with her strange grasp of... I don't even know how to word it. Maybe that was the point of her character, I don't know, but as an adult, it's easier to see through her supposed maturity at a poor attempt at being politically correct. Mabs criticises someone for "fat-shaming" when they refer to her as a "lump" (referring to her size, as the person in question was about seven centimetres tall) and goes on to call another boy sexist, which comes across as quite out of character for a nine or ten-year-old. Mab's mum is obsessed with fairies - she even named Mab after the Fairy Queen! Their flat is full of fairy ornaments, tiny fairy furniture and they've even got fairy lights in the toilet. Mab doesn't quite get it, but she knows that fairies make her mum happy, especially after Dad left. Jacqueline is also a great reader, and has amassed over 20,000 books, along with her famous collection of silver rings.

Project Fairy' ended up being no different. But on the whole, it is a harmless little light fantasy read. A magical, captivating story about fairies, families and friendship from the brilliant, award-winning Jacqueline Wilson. I like how Jacqueline Wilson made Mab a realistic character. She can be a bit unlikeable and irritating. She went through family issues, foster care with her unstable typical JW mother and cheeky little brother. Also, why is Mab once again, ‘mousy, straggly thin hair’ and ‘skinny and small for my age’ ?? Like practically all the other Jacqueline Wilson characters have that stereotype. Perhaps Jacqueline relates to that because she might have been like that when she was younger. 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.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.

In conclusion, as predictable as 'Project Fairy' is - to me, who is well versed in JW's formulas - and as silly and nonsensical as the kids' book is, I'm pleased I gave it a chance, and gave Jacqueline Wilson a second chance. I am well aware I am around two decades past her predominant target audience now (OW, that is depressing), and I shouldn't judge too harshly. Likely I'll never read any other new novels by her, unless Rachael Dean's pretty and colourful covers can strike my childlike whimsy heart again, but it was worth a shot. Nothing lost, nothing wasted. The reveal later down the line that Mab's parents were never married is an offhanded, whatever remark. Cool. 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?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. Edie finds herself in Victorian London. She feels the same, but everything around her is completely different to what she knows. Soon, she realises she's living the life of another Edie Trimmer - and is in danger of being sent to a real workhouse! 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. 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.