http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2008...queline.wilson

Parents' complaints about inappropriate language in Jacqueline Wilson's latest novel My Sister Jodie have persuaded its publisher to replace the offending word.

Random House Children's Books received three complaints from parents about the use of the word "twat" in the book, which is aimed at children aged 10 years and over. Wilson, a former Children's Laureate, is an enormously popular author, and the book has already sold 150,000 copies in the UK since publication in March. But the complaints have meant that the publisher will replace the word with "twit" when it comes to reprint the novel.

Supermarket chain Asda also received a complaint about the novel, which it passed on to Random House, and it is now in the process of withdrawing it from stores until the novel is reprinted. Asda said it had sold over 28,000 copies of My Sister Jodie since it was published, and that the complaint was "the first and only" one it had received.

The book is about Jodie, who is "bold and brash and bad", and her younger sister Pearl. During the course of the novel, when the two girls are sent to boarding school, Jodie becomes interested in a 19-year-old boy who uses the word "twat" in conversation with her.

"The word 'twat' was used in context. It was meant to be a nasty word on purpose, because this is a nasty character," said a spokesperson for Random House. "However, Jacqueline doesn't want to offend her readers or her readers' parents, so when the book comes to be reprinted the word will be replaced with twit."

In a statement, Random House apologised to anyone offended by the language in the novel, saying that although it felt the word was acceptable for children aged 10 and over to read, "especially as it is commonly used in a way that is removed from its original meaning", it would remove it from future printings.

Random House added: "Jacqueline Wilson aims to reflect the realities of modern life, including dialogue, in her books. Children do hear a wide variety of language in the playground and through this, learn what is and isn't acceptable, and also how language demonstrates mood and feelings. In the context of the character we felt the word was used in a way that accurately portrayed how children like Jodie and her friends would speak to each other, and it also contributed to the reader's understanding of how Jodie felt in the situation."
I'm pretty shocked it was even included! What was she thinking?!