The Worry Website

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Jacqueline Wilson

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Pages: 128 (Paperback)

Reading Level: Ages 9-12

ISBN: 0440864801

Pub: Corgi Childrens

Pub date: 2003-06-05

Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 1843

Editorial Review:

The Worry Website is Mr Speed the class teacher's idea of a Web site for his primary school pupils to write their worries down anonymously and then get help with solving them from their peers. Jacqueline Wilson has linked the worries of six children in the book through six short stories, and a seventh story is contributed by 12-year-old Lauren Roberts, winner of an online competition. Each story refers to the other class members, so that they do not sit in isolation, and "Greg's Worry", the second story, links particularly well with the first story, "Holly's Worry". From divorced parents to living with a disability, and from feeling useless at school to nightmares at home, Wilson has sensitively touched on the small and big problems that worry eight and nine-year-olds. Holly's story of wishing her potential stepmother turns out wicked brings a lump to the throat, while William's huge appetite but less huge academic achievements are described with knowing but kind humour.

Lauren Roberts' story "Lisa's Worry" perhaps tells more about the reality of children and their worries than Wilson's own upbeat versions--as Wilson herself says, Lisa's "story ends so sadly". Unlike the other stories, it does not have a resolution and Lisa is evidently not as keen as Holly, Claire, Natasha, Greg et al. to share her concerns with her class or her teacher. This suggests that a real-life "worry Web site" might not be so avidly subscribed to as Mr Speed's, a reminder that despite Wilson's effortless knack in engaging with children, some worries sadly appear to remain safer when fictionalised or unspoken. However, here's hoping that if there are many Mr Speeds around UK schools no child is going to remain unhappy for long--every reader couldn't help but smile if he was their teacher! --Olivia Dickinson

Reader Reviews:

Worried? (9/9 people found this helpful)

The Worry Website is Mr Speed the class teacher's idea of a Web site for his primary school pupils to write their worries down anonymously and then get help with solving them from their peers. Jacqueline Wilson has linked the worries of six children in the book through six short stories, and a seventh story is contributed by 12-year-old Lauren Roberts, winner of an online competition. Each story refers to the other class members, so that they do not sit in isolation, and "Greg's Worry", the second story, links particularly well with the first story, "Holly's Worry". From divorced parents to living with a disability, and from feeling useless at school to nightmares at home, Wilson has sensitively touched on the small and big problems that worry eight and nine-year-olds. Holly's story of wishing her potential stepmother turns out wicked brings a lump to the throat, while William's huge appetite but less huge academic achievements are described with knowing but kind humour.
Lauren Roberts' story "Lisa's Worry" perhaps tells more about the reality of children and their worries than Wilson's own upbeat versions--as Wilson herself says, Lisa's "story ends so sadly". Unlike the other stories, it does not have a resolution and Lisa is evidently not as keen as Holly, Claire, Natasha, Greg, etc. to share her concerns with her class or her teacher. This suggests that a real-life "worry Web site" might not be so avidly subscribed to as Mr Speed's, a reminder that despite Wilson's effortless knack in engaging with children, some worries sadly appear to remain safer when fictionalised or unspoken. However, here's hoping that if there are many Mr Speeds around UK schools no child is going to remain unhappy for long--every reader couldn't help but smile if he was their teacher!

The Worry Book? (3/5 people found this helpful)

This book isn't all that good, it contains, lots of children who get into situations that make kids worried. On the bright side it does help children understand how lucky they really are to not have all this stuff crammed inside their heads!

One night One live (1/3 people found this helpful)

And in that one night you must read this and if it's Winter don't call it a day because it's cold. The first story is about a girl whose mother has died and her Dad has found a new girlfriend not any old girlfriend a teacher! The second story is about a boy with a crush on that girl back there.[ I can't remember their names,I read it on the 5th of October 2005. This is not a all about me story lots of different stories about the children at this school where there is a mad teacher called Mr. Speed. And when you have a worry [ a problem] go to the school computer room and look up Mr. Speed's website type in your worry and all will be treated with respect.

worry website (5/6 people found this helpful)

At first I was not interested that much in reading the worry website but I thought that I would because Jacquline wilson Is my faveourite author. After I read it I thought it was fantastic. The basic storyline is a that a teacher set up a website that the students could anonymously reveal their worries on. Other students would go onto the website and give advise. Each chapter of the book was of a different childs problem. I would recomend this book to all girls and boys under the age of 12.

marie