46 books
—
269 voters
Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.
Start by marking “Bad Girls” as Want to Read:
Bad Girls
by
Shy, mild Mandy has been bullied at school for as long as she can remember. That's why she is delighted when cheeky, daring, full-of-fun Tanya picks her as a friend.
Mum isn't happy - she thinks Tanya's a BAD GIRL and a bad influence on her daughter. But Mandy loves spending time with her brilliant new friend, and is sure Tanya can only get her out of trouble, not into it ...more
Mum isn't happy - she thinks Tanya's a BAD GIRL and a bad influence on her daughter. But Mandy loves spending time with her brilliant new friend, and is sure Tanya can only get her out of trouble, not into it ...more
Get A Copy
Paperback, 192 pages
Published
October 5th 2006
by Yearling
(first published May 2nd 1996)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Reader Q&A
To ask other readers questions about
Bad Girls,
please sign up.
Popular Answered Questions
Debby
did you guys read online?
Community Reviews
Showing 1-30
Start your review of Bad Girls
May 04, 2020
Ruby Granger
added it
I re-read this as part of a read-a-thon since it was my favourite Jacqueline Wilson book when I was a kid :)
I have such a clear memory of reading this book the first time and using it to test my reading ability in primary school! So cool to read it now and still get something out of it about individuality, not letting other people's judgements stop you, and the effects of bullying.
...more
First of all, I would like to say that I just HAD to review this book as I needed virtually no excuses to read it again, it was one of my all time favourite books when I was in junior school and I have probably read it over 50 times in total!
I cannot say a bad word about Jaqueline Wilson as an author in general but this was the first book of hers I read and therefore the one which made me fall in love with her as a little girl. "Bad Girls" tells the story of Mandy White, a normal 10 year old sc ...more
I cannot say a bad word about Jaqueline Wilson as an author in general but this was the first book of hers I read and therefore the one which made me fall in love with her as a little girl. "Bad Girls" tells the story of Mandy White, a normal 10 year old sc ...more
Jacqueline Wilson is more famously known for the creation of the character; Tracy Beaker. I decided to have a look at some of her other books and found myself reading Bad Girls. The story is about a young girl in year 5-6, who feels isolated and is frequently bullied by some of her class mates. Her Mum treats her like a 3 year old and has failed to recognise that her daughter, Mandy, is rapidly becoming a young woman. Mandy desperately tries to make her mum see sense and eventually finds comfort
...more
Read as part of The Infinite Variety Reading Challenge, based on the BBC's Big Read Poll of 2003.
Whilst this book does deal with the harsh issue of bullying, it seems a bit counter productive. Are bullies really likely to read this? I get the feeling most bullies aren't likely to reach for a Jacqueline Wilson book about bullying.
I suppose it's grand for showing that quite a lot of teenaged girls are bullied, though I'm not sure if that's helpful or makes anyone feel good about themselves: "hey, ...more
Whilst this book does deal with the harsh issue of bullying, it seems a bit counter productive. Are bullies really likely to read this? I get the feeling most bullies aren't likely to reach for a Jacqueline Wilson book about bullying.
I suppose it's grand for showing that quite a lot of teenaged girls are bullied, though I'm not sure if that's helpful or makes anyone feel good about themselves: "hey, ...more
When I was in Years Five and Six, I adored Jacqueline Wilson. I'd trawl the charity shops in search of her books, and shun anything that wasn't written by her. Some of my early writing attempts bear more than a passing resemblance to her books - but I don't think I plagiarised a book more than Bad Girls.
Mandy, our protagonist, is a hopelessly shy ten-year-old who's babied dreadfully by her parents and bullied mercilessly by other girls at school. Then she meets Tanya, the cool, grown-up bad girl ...more
Mandy, our protagonist, is a hopelessly shy ten-year-old who's babied dreadfully by her parents and bullied mercilessly by other girls at school. Then she meets Tanya, the cool, grown-up bad girl ...more
Mandy White is a 10yr old girl who is bullied by one of the most popular girls in the school Kim, Sarah and also her old friend Melaine. Kim is the biggest bully who dictates the way the other girls act towards Mandy. Mandy is embarrassed about her parents as they are not very fashionable, old and overprotective. She tries to make up a lie to try and gain sympathy from her bullies but she gets caught out and ends up getting hit by a bus when trying to avoid her bullies. Whilst she is at home rec
...more
My oldest daughter is in 3rd grade. This is NOT A BOOK for a 3rd grader! I repeat! The book deals with a lot of mature themes, a bit more mature than I would like for my 3rd grader to be reading. Storyline: Mean girls picking on a sheltered only child (10yo) at the bus stop - only child tells a lie that she was adopted due to embarrassment, runs into street, hit by bus, ashamed to tell her mom truth about bullying and her role in it, makes friends with a "fast" hi-heel wearing foster teen next d
...more
Mar 12, 2013
Staceyburnett
added it
This book is written by one of my favourite authors; jacqueline wilson,
i found this book vey entertaining and it was also very sad at the start but a very amazing ending about two best friends...one of them was just a girl with no friends and got teased about what she was wearing an what she was like but until she made an grown up friend....everything started to change...not only everything just got better but...some things got worse....the friend who became friends with her dragged her into he ...more
i found this book vey entertaining and it was also very sad at the start but a very amazing ending about two best friends...one of them was just a girl with no friends and got teased about what she was wearing an what she was like but until she made an grown up friend....everything started to change...not only everything just got better but...some things got worse....the friend who became friends with her dragged her into he ...more
Another great Jacqueline Wilson book I probably wouldn't have found if it weren't for the BBC Top 100/200 list. My daughter is at the perfect age to enjoy these so we both read them and can compare notes. Wilson has an uncanny ability to capture many of the nuances of the middle school social dynamic which by the time we're adults we've usually forgotten. I've shared several of these titles with kids I work with in my professional role as a counselor, as Wilson writes about more difficult topics
...more
this is a children book where mandy is a fragile 10 year old girl bullied at school. she is embarrassed about herself and her family, her parents being quite old and not very stylish. mandy meets tanya, an older girl who is very trendy and rather 'BAD'. she sees tanya earlier on in the book and admires the way she is with her high heels and makeup. mandy gets a boost in her confidence whilst staying with tanya.the two have lots of fun together and mandy is a lot happier in tanyas company she is
...more
Jacqueline Wilson is a brilliant children’s literature author with many young girls being familiar with her wide collection of books. ‘Bad Girls’ is about a 10 year old girl, Mandy, who gets bullied by a few of the girls in her class. She is very lonely and scared of going to school but eventually makes friends with Tanya, an older girl who comes from a troubled background.
The book deals with issues that many school girls could probably relate to; from the way that Mandy adores the attention of ...more
The book deals with issues that many school girls could probably relate to; from the way that Mandy adores the attention of ...more
This is a great fun read with a couple of serious sides. Mandy is ten, small for her age, and gets teased in school by some bigger girls including one girl she'd thought was her friend. We all had this happen to us, or know it happened to someone, right? Mandy can cope until the girls pick on her parents for being older than most parents. That's just not fair.
Then a slightly older girl called Tanya moves in across the road. She's really cool and a bit tough with short spiky hair, and she doesn' ...more
Then a slightly older girl called Tanya moves in across the road. She's really cool and a bit tough with short spiky hair, and she doesn' ...more
The book is about a girl called Mandy who gets picked on at school for all different reasons. I read this book when I was younger, but in my first School placement in year 5 this book was used in literacy lesson. The book was used to address the issue of bullying. The book also offers a variety of different ways to access the curriculum, while the children are enjoying reading. The book was used to teach areas such as setting the scene, speech marks and dialogues and describing experiences and f
...more
Jul 08, 2013
Leah
rated it
liked it
Recommends it for:
jacqueline Wilson fans
Recommended to Leah by:
A worker at Waterstones
Shelves:
childrens
I am still fairly indecisive about this book, I thought it was interested and the storyline was good, but I never understood why Mandy's mother was so protective yet let her hang out with Tanya, and I also couldn't understand why Mandy didn't tell anyone that Tanya shoplifts.
I found the character of Mandy to be quite childish and I could completely understand why she got bullied, as I had a similar experience. Yet she didn't change how she was, which I thought was odd. If she liked being the way ...more
I found the character of Mandy to be quite childish and I could completely understand why she got bullied, as I had a similar experience. Yet she didn't change how she was, which I thought was odd. If she liked being the way ...more
This book was amazing! It had once happened to me. Almost everyone has once been bullied! When i was reading the book, i was very excited to read the rest. I was like " OMG this has once happened to me! and it would be fun to see what will happen next to the girl!". At some point of the book,me and my friend, Anjali!! would Laugh out Loud, because of the illustration!! The illustration in the book, made me be more excited of reading the REST!!
I would recommend this book, to any one who was ever ...more
I would recommend this book, to any one who was ever ...more
A fun read, typical of the nineties kids generation of readers. Wilson adopts perhaps a more grown up tone of writing in this story, confronting issues with bullying and influences of others.
I read this perhaps two or three times as a child and young teenager and enjoyed it each time. Not the most memorable of Wilson books, but still a worth while addition to her collection.
I read this perhaps two or three times as a child and young teenager and enjoyed it each time. Not the most memorable of Wilson books, but still a worth while addition to her collection.
this one is also queer imo
i have such a clear memory of reading this as a child and it is honestly one of my first memories of having that satisfied “just finished a book” feeling.
it has always stuck with me but i didnt remember anything about the story, and reading it as an adult it has those trademark JW hard hitting subjects that you appreciate differently from an adult perspective.
it has always stuck with me but i didnt remember anything about the story, and reading it as an adult it has those trademark JW hard hitting subjects that you appreciate differently from an adult perspective.
Bad Girls tells the story of ten year old Mandy who is bullied at school by Melanie, Kim and Sarah. She is kept home one day after narrowly avoiding being hit by a bus in an attempt to escape her bullies. Mandy meets Tanya, a girl fostered by her neighbour. Mandy’s mother is concerned by their friendship, as she perceives Tanya to be a bad influence. One day Mandy is horrified to learn that Tanya often shop lifts, and towards the end of the story, they are caught stealing. Mandy’s mother is init
...more
Juliette gave me this book to read thinking I'd like it. She was right. It was difficult for me to get through, however.
I was bullied very similarly. I'm sure so many girls were in primary school. I too had a "Miranda Rainbow" I wanted to be. A girl with a backbone, flare, style, courage, everythign I wanted to be... I didn't have the friend outside of school. Despite problems in the friendship, that would have helped me.
I enjoyed the way this story went. It's a hard transition from primary scho ...more
I was bullied very similarly. I'm sure so many girls were in primary school. I too had a "Miranda Rainbow" I wanted to be. A girl with a backbone, flare, style, courage, everythign I wanted to be... I didn't have the friend outside of school. Despite problems in the friendship, that would have helped me.
I enjoyed the way this story went. It's a hard transition from primary scho ...more
I usually like Jacqueline Wilson's books a lot, but this is one of her weaker ones, in my opinion. Shy, "babyish" ten-year-old Mandy is picked on by girls in her school, and finds solace in a relationship with Tanya, an older "bad girl" who's in foster care. Jacqueline Wilson uses a lot of variations on "toxic friendship" storylines in her books, and this was one of them: Tanya, while a sympathetic character, gets Mandy into a lot of trouble, which made it hard for me to get behind their friends
...more
Mar 05, 2012
Emiel
rated it
really liked it
Recommends it for:
to people who get bullied a lot
Recommended to Emiel by:
Emiel
They were going to get me. The bullies are in action again. It is always the same. It is always Kim who bullies Mandy. Everyday the same, tears in her eyes.She couldn`t hold it anymore and ran out of the city. In the new city she met a boy.she is actually in love with him. Mandy felt lonely in the new city. she wanted to go back to her parents but not to the bullies again. What is she going to do. She asked her boyfriend and he said she also gets bullied but he knows how to stop. The next day th
...more
Mandy is a girl who gets bullied all the time for all sorts of reasons, her cloths are not cool enough, for having glasses and for still being treated like a baby around her mother. But when bad girl Tanya is nice to Mandy and they become friends, Tanya is not a good role model and gets Mandy influenced on th wrong things and instead of things going bad to good they ending up going bad to worse!
I liked this book and i didn't like it. It wasn't as funny as i thought it would be and it didn't real ...more
I liked this book and i didn't like it. It wasn't as funny as i thought it would be and it didn't real ...more
I thought this book was a good. It is realistic fiction because people bully other people too. Mandy White gets bullied by her friendd, Kim, Sarah, and Melanie. She has to wear glasses and two baby-looking braids to school. Her mom and dad are old and she gets teased about this. But then, things start looking up and Mandy meets a girl called Tanya. They become good friends but then tragedy has struck their friendship. How will Mandy overcome the fear of Kim, Sarah, and Melanie without Tanya?
This ...more
This ...more
In the book "Bad Girls" by Jaqueline Wilson they tell the stories of several villans throughout history. In the book the main character in every story is a girl hence the title Bad girls. in every story it tells a short history of several female villans throughout history and tells their story. It is an amazing book. I could hardly put it down.
...more
...more
The first book I can remember reading all the way through :)
Jacqueline Wilson is a national treasure. xxx
Jacqueline Wilson is a national treasure. xxx
loved it
Jacqueline Wilson is really popular in my library with young readers, so with the lockdown on and having only digital collections to go through, I thought I'd check her out, and must say I really liked it. It's a familiar story of bullying and took me right back to school to my own Kim, Melanie and Sarah combo, the nightmare trio who make Mandy's life hell.
Mandy is a nice quiet kid with a lovely family albeit overprotective, apart from the misery these 'bad girls' cause her. Even worse is that ...more
Mandy is a nice quiet kid with a lovely family albeit overprotective, apart from the misery these 'bad girls' cause her. Even worse is that ...more
My first Jacqueline Wilson book and one of the main reasons I understand the power of peer recommendation between children. JW became mine and an entire generation of girls’ life back in the 90s, and it all started with a classmate telling me about this book. Raced through and enjoyed it now the same way that I did when I was 9 years old.
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UEL Primary PGCE ...: Bad Girls by Jacqueline Wilson | 1 | 7 | Aug 29, 2014 05:33AM |
Readers also enjoyed
Jacqueline Wilson was born in Bath in 1945, but spent most of her childhood in Kingston-on-Thames. She always wanted to be a writer and wrote her first ‘novel’ when she was nine, filling in countless Woolworths’ exercise books as she grew up. As a teenager she started work for a magazine publishing company and then went on to work as a journalist on Jackie magazine (which she was told was named af
...more
News & Interviews
If you listen to NPR regularly, you’ve likely heard the voice of Shankar Vedantam, the longtime science correspondent and host of the radio...
15 likes · 2 comments
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
“well it about these really naughty girls they made this huge girls gand they stole stuff from shopes and stuff”
—
12 likes
More quotes…
