He went lopsided like the milk jug, and I made him look incredibly fierce when he’s the most amiable man I’ve ever met. This book will likely be captivating for young fans of Jacqueline Wilson - but WHAT is with her continuing to include characters in their early teens who kiss grown men?

I don’t bother with Mama’s books in the cabinet in the drawing room as they are silly romantic tosh. Then they go away and decide to make her go to school which is the worst punishment because that’s what she wanted all along! Rose Rivers is the scapegoat of the family, she's criticised by her mum and is restricted due to not being allowed to be educated like her twin brother. This is a book entwined with Hetty Feather’s Christmas and mixed with Clover Moon, all by Jacqueline Wilson. Jacqueline Wilson has a knack for creating characters that you could picture yourself being friends with, in situations you could picture yourself in.I opened my package eagerly, though I feared it would be a Mrs Molesworth or a Miss Yonge, the sort of authors considered suitable for a girl of thirteen. It also opened my eyes to the fact that if children that were troubled now were treated like Beth, the carer would be sent to court. The Rose River rises below Mount Cobbler, west of the Cobbler Plateau and the Barry Mountains, at an elevation exceeding 1,000 metres (3,300ft) above sea level. Miss Rayner had been poor, with elderly parents, and when they both died she’d had to scrape a living as a governess.

Clover also becomes a friend to Rose, but Rose has to be careful as her mother would disapprove of her being friends with a common servant. There was nothing 'wrong' that was missing or too much of for this not to get 5 stars, but although the finale was 'happy' in essence, I think how Wilson went about it was a bit risque. She either wraps the story up so quickly that there are too many loose ends, or her characters do a 180-degree turn and make strange decisions. I couldn't help but psychologise Rose's parents - Rose and her mum are more alike than they believe which is why she's so critical with her. I know you find still-life compositions boring, Rose, but they teach you observation and perspective and shading.I don’t know what jute smells like in its native state (neither does Miss Rayner, because she’s not very well informed, even though she’s a governess), but when jute’s being manufactured for sacks and carpet backing, it smells utterly disgusting. Interestingly, I saw on Instagram yesterday that Daisy May Cooper (Kerry in This Country) reads them herself.