Love Lessons

"Love Lessons" is a British children's novel by Jaqueline Wilson, first published by Doubleday in 2005. It is illustrated by Nick Sharratt, although the only illustrations in this book are the chapter-headings.

Some of the characters in "Love Lessons" are similar to those in one of the author's previous books, "Waiting for the Sky to Fall" (1983).

Plot summary

The story is narrated by 14 year old Prudence, who has been home educated with her 11 year old sister Grace by their father from a young age. Her family own a bookshop, which has few customers and is in debt. Her father is extremely strict, and controls the sisters and their timid mother. He refuses to allow the family to own a television, or allow the girls to read magazines.

When the education authorities visit the family, Prudence is forced to attend a tutor for maths lessons. However, she detests the lessons and doesn't return, spending the money instead on items her father would forbid - paints, teenage magazines, chocolate and revealing underwear. A few weeks later, Prudence's father discovers that Prudence has been missing her lessons, and becomes furious with her, demanding to know what she did with the money that should have been paid to the tutor. Prudence stands up against her father - something she has rarely done before - and throws the underwear at him before claiming that she hates him. After slapping Prudence, her father suffers a stroke and is taken into hospital. Being unable to teach the girls herself, Prudence's mother sends Prudence and Grace to a local comprehensive school while their father recovers in hospital.

Prudence suddenly realises what it's like to experience a little freedom, but also discovers that regular school life is certainly not what she had expected, and she quickly grows a distaste for it. Despite having trouble fitting in with most of her classmates, Prudence makes friends with a boy named Toby, who is described by Prue as one of the few boys in her class who is "remotely good-looking", and is popular and adored by the girls. He is attracted to Prue because he thinks she is different from the other girls in their year, but Prue has little interest in Toby, and the only reason she befriends him is because he slightly resembles Prue's imaginary friend, Tobias. But then Prue meets Mr. Raxberry, (nicknamed 'Rax), her kind, young and handsome art teacher, who she finds is one of the only people she can talk to. Prue and Rax bond over art lessons, and soon he asks her to babysit for his young children while he and his wife have a night out on a Friday. This becomes a regular 'date' and Prue always looks forward for the ten minutes they have alone together as he drives her home. As her feelings for Rax develop, she begins to realise that perhaps he feels the same way about her. One night, on the way back from babysitting, the pair kiss and Prue begins to fantasise how she could spend the rest of her life with Rax even though she knows it is unrealistic, and how they could have babies together and have a happy life. When a classmate overhears Prue confessing her love to Rax and sharing a hug with him the headmistress quizzes her about their relationship. When Prue and Rax say it is just a friendship between teacher and pupil Prue is asked to leave the school and said she will be provided a place at a local private school. Rax is allowed to remain at his post as art teacher of the school if he refrains from seeing Prue. However as Prue walks home that evening with her sister Rax picks her up in his car and the pair say their final goodbyes.

Characters

;Prudence King:Prudence, nicknamed "Prue", is fourteen, and is considered quite intelligent and mature for her age, as she reads a lot of the books from their family's bookstore. She has an incredible imagination, and despite her maturity, she engages in child-like imaginary games, which her younger sister, Grace, envies greatly. For example, Prue creates an imaginary friend called Tobias, a young blonde boy her age who was inspired by a boy she saw in a painting, and she often talks to him at night and at times when she doesn't feel herself. Tobias appears at various times throughout the book in Prue's imagination, but she dismisses him one day at school, and he does not appear again. In terms of appearance, Prue is described by other characters in the novel as "skinny and pretty", and has long dark hair which falls in soft curls. She often wears a red and white checkered dress made by her mother, which she despises and calls her "tablecloth dress".

;Rax:Mr. Raxberry, "Rax" to his students, is Prudence's art teacher. He is very kind and understanding to Prue, and often looks after her at times when she is distressed. Rax is young, most likely in his mid-twenties, and has brown hair and a "little beard" on his chin. He is considered to be quite good-looking by Prue, and also has a very cool and relaxed attitude. He is married with children, but still has feelings for Prue, despite the huge age gap.

;Grace King:Grace is Prue's younger sister. She is very sweet and easy going. She believes she is fat, and when Prue says it's a stage everyone goes through she replies that "you didn't". When sent to school she makes two friends (Iggy and Figgy), unlike her sister, and is nicknamed "Piggy". Grace is not as academic or thin as Prue and envies her greatly, for example, she wishes she could imagine games like her sister. She usually gets on her father's nerves and occasionally on Prue's. She quickly figured out that Prue was "keen on Rax", showing that she is not as ditsy as everyone thinks.

;Toby:Toby is Prue's classmate and friend - he is popular, handsome and the object of many of the girls desires. He immediately takes a liking to Prue despite the fact she is humiliated by teachers and teased by the other girls in her year. Toby likes Prue's intelligence and independence, which is so different to the other girls. He is dyslexic and asks Prue to teach him to read. Toby, although only ever a friend to Prue later helps her family discover a small fortune that may save the family book shop.

References

*Jacqueline Wilson, "Love Lessons" (2005)

External Links

* [http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2005/dec/11/booksforchildrenandteenagers.bestbooksoftheyear2 'Love at school rings no bells'] Review by Stephanie Merritt, "The Observer", Sunday December 11 2005.