Jacqueline Wilson is a bestselling author in England, second only to J. K.
Rowling.

Charlies world is changing for the worse. Her new teacher refuses to call
her anything but Charlotte. (Blech!) And forces her to sit next to Jamie
Edwards, the most revolting stuck-up boring boy in the whole class. (Yuck!) And
assigns her a project on the boring Victorian period. (Ugh!) But Charlies
dreary research and her active imagination leads to some interesting
discoveries. Like Lottie . . . A nursemaid whose life in the Victorian era
holds some interesting parallels to Charlies own.

Publishers Weekly
Wilson (Double Act) here introduces an animated heroine who delivers droll
observations in a self-assured voice with a decidedly British accent. I love
fooling around, doing crazy things and being a bit sassy and making everyone
laugh, announces Charlie (short for Charlotte). Her engaging prattle
chronicles events at schoolwhere she tangles with her teacher, bickers with
her best friends and works on a project about Victorian lifeas well as
happenings at home. Charlies newly unemployed single mother takes on three
part-time positions, the most notable being a job as caregiver for a youngster
who lives with his father. Much to the girls chagrin, her mother takes a fancy
to her employer. Their evolving relationship provides the backdrop for the
novels most dramatic and poignant scenes, in which Wilson reveals her ability
to elicit tears as well as laughter. Between chapters, readers find reproduced
pages from Charlies school reportjournal-like entries written by a poor
Victorian girl who leaves home to help support her family. Wilson creatively
reshapes Charlies own experiences to depict the plight of a girl living 100
years earlier, thus adding new dimension to Charlies perceptions while
offering intriguing period particulars. Sharratts lively, doodled spot
drawings further reinforce the protagonists view of life, both present and
past. To borrow a phrase from Charlie, it would be easy peasy, simple pimple
to welcome her back. Ages 8-12. (Oct.) Copyright 1999 Cahners Business
Information.

Library Journal
Gr 4-6-Charlotte (Charlie) Enright thinks her first day of school will be
Easy-peasy, simple-pimple-until she meets her new teacher. Miss Beckworth is
a no-nonsense type, whereas outspoken Charlie likes to play the class clown. To
make matters worse, Miss Beckworth assigns seats alphabetically and Charlie
ends up sitting next to Jamie Edwards, the perennial teachers pet. This year,
the class is focusing on the Victorian period; each student is required to do a
special project on the era. When Charlie spots a photograph of a nurserymaid
about her age, she names her Lottie and writes a diary from the servants point
of view. Lotties fictional diary entries alternate with Charlies own story,
with the former adding historical detail, and both narratives reflecting the
changes in the girls life. And things are changing for Charlie: her single
mother loses her job and becomes romantically involved with the father of the
child she now baby-sits, her best friends are suddenly boy crazy, and she finds
out that Jamie isnt all that bad after all. Wilson has written a funny,
thoughtful novel with a well-developed main character. Charlies emotions and
reactions are true to life-frustration, jealousy, and uncertainty about the
future. By turns poignant and humorous, this book is a winner. Sharratts
entertaining pen-and-ink illustrations are scattered throughout, highlighting
details from the text.-Terrie Dorio, Santa Monica Public Library, CA Copyright
1999 Cahners Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews
Charlie likes her life, and would like everything to stay just as it is, but
Fate has other plans for her: a strict new teacher, Miss Beckworth (who insists
on calling her Charlotte), a different seat assignment (next to Jamie Edwards),
and a mother whos acting as if her new employer is more than just a friend. As
Charlies perfect life starts to unravel, she takes refuge in a school proje