The Lottie Project

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The Lottie Project

Cover of the 1997 first edition
Author Jacqueline Wilson
Illustrator Nick Sharratt
Cover artist Nick Sharratt
Country United Kingdom
Language English
Genre(s) Children's novel
Publisher Doubleday (first edition, hardback)
Publication date 1 May 1997 (first edition, hardback)
Media type Print (hardback & paperback) and audiobook
Pages 203 pp (first edition, hardback)
ISBN ISBN 978-0385407038 (first edition, hardback)

The Lottie Project is a children's novel by English author Jacqueline Wilson.

Contents

[edit] Plot introduction

The Lottie Project is a story about Charlotte Enright (Charlie) set in late 20th century England. Charlie is the most popular girl in her school. She assumes she will find history lessons boring but she sees a Victorian photo of a girl who looked exactly like her and from then on she becomes interested in history. Charlie decides to write her history project as the fictional diary of a Victorian servant girl named Lottie.

The novel alternates between the narrative of events in Charlie's life and extracts from the diary

[edit] Characters in The Lottie Project

[edit] Main late 20th century characters

  • Charlotte Alice Katherine Enright, or Charlie, is the most popular girl in her school. She lives with her mother in a flat. She dislikes males because her father abandoned her and her mother. Some boys at her school call her CAKE. She is tall and has long red hair.
  • Josephine Enright, known as Jo, is Charlie's mother. Jo was a teenager when she gave birth to Charlie. She recently worked in an electrical shop until it closed. She then worked as a cleaner in a supermarket and at Mr & Mrs Rosen's house, and as a childminder for Robin West - working three jobs a day to keep up mortgage payments.
  • Grandma and Grandpa Enright are Jo's parents, who are unsupportive of Jo because she became pregnant while still a teenager and attending school.
  • James Edwards, called Jamie, is the boy Charlie's teacher makes her sit next to in history class. He is intelligent and popular with his teachers, although unpopular with many students who see him as nerdy and a teacher's pet. Charlie dislikes him at first, but later they become friends as she gets to know him better.
  • Miss Beckworth is Charlie's year six teacher who is very strict.
  • Angela Robinson is one of Charlie's best friends. She falls in love with a new boy band every week.
  • Lisa Field is Charlie's other best friend. She falls in love with classmate Dave Wood.
  • Mark West is Robin's dad and employs Jo as a babysitter for his young son. Charlie dislikes him. His wife left him and Robin for another man.
  • Robin West is Mark's son. Jo is his babysitter. He has a toy bird called Birdie and is often shy and withdrawn as a result of his mother leaving.

[edit] Main Victorian characters

  • Lottie is the servant girl who looks identical to Charlie. She left home to work as a nursery maid in the household of a rich family to help keep her family financially secure after the death of her father.
  • Mrs Angel is the cook in the household, and a reference to Charlie's friend Angela.
  • Eliza is another maid, and a reference to Charlie's friend Lisa.
  • The Master and Mistress are Lottie's employers.
  • Victor is the eldest of Lottie's employer's children. He is six years old.
  • Louisa is Victor's four year old sister.
  • Freddie is Victor and Louisa's younger brother. Charlie references him to Mark's son Robin when both go missing and become ill.
  • Frank is Lottie's younger brother.
  • Rose is Lottie's younger sister.
  • Jessie is Lottie's other younger sister.
  • Ada-May is Lottie's youngest sister.
  • Lottie's grandparents offered to adopt Rose after Lottie's father's death. A reference to Charlie's grandparents.
  • Lottie's Mother took in washing for local families but couldn't support her family alone. A reference to Charlie's mum Jo.

[edit] Minor late 20th century characters

  • Mr and Mrs Robinson are Angela's parents, frequent church-goers.
  • Angela's brothers and sisters
  • Mr and Mrs Field are Lisa's parents.
  • Jules Edwards is Jamie's older brother.
  • Mr and Mrs Edwards are Jamie's parents.
  • David Wood is a boy in Charlie's class. Lisa fancies him.
  • Mr Raj is a man who works at the newsagent.
  • Miss Pease is an old lady who is Jo and Charlie's neighbour.
  • Mrs West is Robin's mother, who divorced Mark. She now lives in Manchester.
  • Mrs Thomas is Charlie's year five teacher.

[edit] Minor Victorian characters

  • Lottie's late Father was an alcoholic who died the winter before Lottie went to work. A reference to Charlie's absent father.
  • Miss Worthbeck is Lottie's teacher who thinks Lottie has 'shining intelligence'. A reference to Miss Beckworth, Charlie's teacher.
  • Edward James is the oldest boy in Lottie's class. A reference to Jamie Edwards who sits next to Charlie in class.
  • Mr Higgins is the bartender at a pub called the Dog and Duck. He begins courting Lottie's mother when Lottie starts work.

[edit] Major themes

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The Lottie Project explores how a girl copes with the changes in her life. This novel also contains elements of metafiction.

[edit] Awards and nominations

  • 1998, Stockport School's Book Award, winner.[1]
  • 1998, Sheffield Children's Book Award, highly commended.[1]
  • 1998, Oak Tree Award, Nottingham Children's Book Award, shortlisted.[1]
  • 1998, Red House Children's Book Award, shortlisted.[2]

[edit] Theatrical adaptation

The story has also been adapted for the stage and was performed in 1999 and 2000 at the Polka Theatre, Wimbledon, England.

[edit] Release details

  • 1997, United Kingdom, Doubleday, ISBN-10 0385407033 & ISBN-13 978-0385407038, 1 May 1997, hardback
  • 1998, United Kingdom, Corgi, ISBN-10 044086366X & ISBN-13 978-0440863663, 4 June 1998, paperback
  • 1998, United Kingdom, Chivers Children's Audio Books, ISBN-10 075405036X & ISBN-13 978-0754050360, March 1998, compact cassette
  • 2006, United Kingdom, BBC Audiobooks, ASIN 1846070910, 3 April 2006, compact disc
  • Also published in other countries

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ a b c Kids at Random House, Grown Ups, Prizes & Awards. Random House. Retrieved on 2006-12-31.
  2. ^ British Council, Arts, Contemporary Writers, Jacqueline Wilson. British Council. Retrieved on 2006-12-31.