We Are the Beaker Girls

Tracy Beaker #5

by Jacqueline Wilson

Jacqueline Wilson's FUNNIEST, FIERCEST and most BELOVED new heroine JESS BEAKER returns for another AMAZING ADVENTURE.Jess and Tracy Beaker have found happiness in The Dumping Ground. Not that Dumping Ground- the children's home that Tracy grew up in- but a seaside antique shop full of treasures, along with Flo, the owner, and Alfie, their dog.

Jess is looking for a fantastic new boyfriend for her mum (mostly because Tracy's awful ex Sean is back on the scene). But Jess has bigger problems of her own. She's being picked on by a local kid who's got it in for her. But when Jess uncovers the truth about her new enemy, it means big changes for the Beaker Girls...

*The SEQUEL to the award-winning MY MUM TRACY BEAKER*

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Praise for Tracy Beaker:

'Wilson can still step effortlessly into the mind of a nine year old, and her chatty prose will sweep you along' - The Daily Telegraph

'This warm-hearted story about the importance of family and friends is classic Jacqueline Wilson' - First News

'[A] cosy woolly jumper of a book about wish fulfilment and its alternatives' - The Observer

Genres: Childrens, Middle Grade, Contemporary, Fiction, Young Adult, Audiobook, Realistic Fiction

Audio CD

First published January 1, 2019

About the author

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 after her!) before turning to writing novels full-time.

One of Jacqueline’s most successful and enduring creations has been the famous Tracy Beaker, who first appeared in 1991 in The Story of Tracy Beaker. This was also the first of her books to be illustrated by Nick Sharratt. Since then Jacqueline has been on countless awards shortlists and has gone on to win many awards. The Illustrated Mum won the Guardian Children’s Fiction Award, the 1999 Children’s Book of the Year at the British Book Awards and was also shortlisted for the 1999 Whitbread Children’s Book Award.

Double Act won the prestigious Smarties Medal and the Children’s Book Award as well as being highly commended for the Carnegie Medal. The Story of Tracy Beaker won the 2002 Blue Peter People’s Choice Award.

Jacqueline is one of the nation’s favourite authors, and her books are loved and cherished by young readers not only in the UK but all over the world. She has sold millions of books and in the UK alone the total now stands at over 35 million!

In 2002 Jacqueline was awarded the OBE for services to literacy in schools and from 2005 to 2007 she was the Children’s Laureate. In 2008 she became Dame Jacqueline Wilson.

Reviews

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars! I adored Jacqueline Wilson and especially Tracy Beaker as I grew up so these new releases of Tracy as an adult with her own daughter are making me so nostalgic. I love it! The connections and Easter eggs from previous Tracy Beaker books are brilliant make me smile. I love the new life that Jacqueline has created for Tracy and despite being 24, I will keep reading about it if more books are released.

[M.S. Shoshanna Selo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a 31-year-old woman but I'm still a fan of Jacqueline Wilson. Tracy Beaker never gets old either! This is an enjoyable read for both kids and adults alike.

🍦 Storyline 🍦

Jess Beaker and her mum Tracy have recently moved to small seaside town, Cooksea. Tracy has a new job working in an antiques shop and helping to take care of the elderly owner, Flo. Jess is happy with their new life but she worries that her mum will want to go back to ex-boyfriend, Sean Godfrey and back to their old life.

🍦My thoughts🍦

This was a really heartwarming story with great characters. I love feisty Tracy and young at heart Flo. Tracy is a great mum unlike some of the mums in Jacqueline Wilson's other novels who put their man first. Tracy always thinks of Jess and as a result of being let down by her own biological mother, she never breaks her promises. I liked that the characters from the first Tracy Beaker made a comeback in "My Mum Tracy Beaker" and "The Beaker Girls" especially Peter Ingham and Justine Littlewood.

The story also has strong themes and morals such as forgiving your enemies and not abandoning those in need. Like her mum, Jess has a heart of gold and is compassionate and had a strong desire to help others. It's an important message for kids. I loved Jess's friendship with runaway Jordan.

Jacqueline Wilson doesn't shy away from issues such as sexuality and including gay characters such as Cam and Mary. There are radical and religious parents who won't allow their kids to read any books that have gay characters which is sad as LGBT people are part of life and society. It's like refusing to teach kids that there are single parent families or religions different from their own.

All in all a great book! I will never outgrow Jacqueline Wilson. I definitely want to read her other books that I didn't read because I thought I was "too old".

🍦Grade🍦

A*

🍦 Will I add it to my bookshelf?:🍦
Most definitely!

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always wonder if with the Tracy Beaker series will the next one be as good as the last. They keep getting better and better. In this one I love the cameos of so many of the dumping ground kids all grown up. It is like they have completed a whole circle. Peter is a favourite of mine alongside Jess and Tracy. It is perfect how the stories are now from Jess's point of view. 5 stars

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved finding out how my favourite childhood characters got on and where they ended up in life, it was really reminiscent and took me right back to being a little girl curled up with a book finding out about Tracey's adventures. Jacqueline has done it again!

[Isobel Sapphire · Rating 3 out of 5]

I... liked it, I guess. Once I started, it was easy to get into, which had never really been a problem with JW books.
I thought that it was good to have some more representation than a lot of JW books. I liked going back to the world of Tracy Beaker - always a pleasure.
That being said, some of the plot twists (okay, all of the plot twists) were incredibly predictable. Oh, Peter likes Tracy? I totally didn't see that coming from a mile away. The boy is actually a girl dressed up as a boy? That's totally not something I've seen in a million of her books
The main problem, for me, was that every depiction of a gay/presumably gay character was unbelievably sterotypical. Was it really necessary to have both of the lesbian characters (hip hip hooray!!! JW's finally put a lesbian into her books!) have short hair and no fashion sense? Was it really necessary to have Peter, who actually wasn't gay be the SoftBoi? I think that she could have put a little more research into what LGBT+ people actually are like before putting all these stereotypes into her book.

[e.zulaykhaa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, the Beakers are up and running again! Hurrah! I love the little Beaker family, although in this sequel to My Mum Tracy Beaker, Tracy’s personality is certainly not little! She starts to enjoy and embrace life out here in a simple, cramped, space, but however, her life feels free and unchained.

Jess is the one in the middle of all this drama now. She discovers a person, and meets up with this person without telling Tracy. Of course, with mother’s instinct, and worry, Tracy finds out, but takes the person into care. Meanwhile, Sean Godfrey comes crawling back.... Haha, not for love, but for someone, or something else. I am not going to spoil the rest of this book for you, you just have to read it!


This wonderful book combines good humour, drama, reminders of childhood (of Tracy’s) and more. It’s a simple read, thick book and just amazing. Jacqueline Wilson has done it again. I hope one day Tracy comes crawling back into one of her books.


-A.W.

[Between The Pages (Gemma M) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my final book for 2019, I managed to slip it in before midnight taking my reading total to 160 books this year. Yes. It’s a children book but it’s more than that to me. I grew up watching and reading Tracy Beaker and that was a big part of my Childhood. I’ve followed along with it from the start and seen Tracy grow up and become a mother herself. She’s actually a similar age to me. Eek.
Brilliantly written. Easy reading. Yes I still love all the little illustrations throughout making it that more special and funny. Absolutely loved it and have loved watching Tracy grow and her family. I don’t know if this is the end of the Tracy Beaker books but I really hope not.
In this book we are introduced to a new character Jordan… Can Tracy and Jess help her back on the right track? We also see a few familiar faces from the dumping ground too. Brilliant. A well deserved four stars from me. A brilliant delve back into my childhood which always makes me smile and feel warm. It’s the little things…

[Siobhan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was far more readable than the first Beaker Girls book, and it was so good to see Peter more (didn’t they make friends before they were both fostered?) and seeing Tracey become a foster mum was so cool. But Jess seems a background character (even if she is a narrator) and some of the characters mentioned from previous books feels a little forced (see Adele). But otherwise I liked seeing Tracey mature in this one.

[Izzy Dorrance · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved reading this sequel to 'My Mum Tracy Beaker'. I really struggled to put it down. I liked the references in it to other books, for example, Mother Goose. As well as, all the links to the original characters from the Tracy Beaker Books. It's a great story about a teenager who has run away from her residential home and comes across Tracy's daughter, Jess.

[Luke Parry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never think with Jacqueline Wilson’s books “the second one won’t be as good” and it lived up to my expectations. I loved this read as I will always have a special place for Tracy Beaker in my heart as I grew up loving her books and watching it on TV. This just didn’t fail, I’m so glad some oldies made an appearance too!

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a sweet little sequel of ‘My Mum Tracy Beaker’. I enjoyed the simplicity of it and it was a good light read.

[Roisin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tracy is back with young Jess in their new adventure in cooksea upon arrival they meet some of Tracy’s old friends and Jess is beginning ing to make a new one

[royaevereads · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED this! I so enjoy seeing Tracy as an adult with her own daughter.

[Jessica Min · Rating 3 out of 5]

A simple and sweet read for junior readers - I’d estimate around the 8-12 year old mark depending on preferences.

The book is a bit lengthy for what it conveys, and the events meander for a bit then rapidly coalesce in a slightly unrealistic way - but it’s a children’s novel so it’s somewhat forgiven. I’ve read better examples of tightly woven plots and messaging that are still accessible to younger readers, but this isn’t a bad book.

However I do think the Tracey Beaker series has run its course and should end gracefully here, with our imaginations free to imagine Tracey’s life with with her own family.

Beyond a certain stage, all tales deserve to roam freely in our minds or rest peacefully in our memories.

[Emily :) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tracy Beaker as a mum is so 😭🫶🏻

[Nav (she/her) 🌧 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed We Are the Beaker Girls more than My Mum Tracy Beaker. I think that might have been because I've seen the CBBC adaptation and it was nice seeing how the storylines and characters came together in the book. Tracy was more likeable too as you could see she had matured more since the previous book.

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Sings "We are the Beaker girls, we are the Beaker girls" to the tune of 'Cheeky Song' by The Cheeky Girls*

Cam is confirmed as queer so this book automatically gets 5 stars, everybody go home

Jokes okay here's my real review:

This book was a fun nostalgia trip. I feel like the problem is that maybe that's mostly its intended purpose - not necessarily as a middle-grade novel in its own right, but as a nostalgia trip for people who grew up reading about Tracy Beaker.

Over the course of the book, we meet no less than three former residents of the Dumping Ground, all of whom conveniently end up hanging around in the same small seaside resort town and happen to run into Tracy. Some of this is explained - Justine Littlewood, for example, specifically hunts Tracy down - but the rest are just good luck, apparently. Peter Ingham could have settled down anywhere in the country but just happens to live down the road.



On one hand, I can't complain because this is exactly the kind of content I picked the book up for - to have a good old nosy about where Tracy and the gang ended up. That being said, I feel like it maybe delivers a little too well on that front. For an adult reader, it's nice to catch up with everyone and find out how their lives are turning out - but something tells me your average 7-11 year old middle grade reader isn't going to be that bothered about Justine Littlewood's relationship status or Peter's burgeoning career as a teacher. The book is just as concerned with the adult relationships as it is with the kids, and I feel like it was to its detriment. The actual plot is quite flimsy, and we spend most of the book reminiscing on Tracy's days as the scourge of the care system and all the funny things she got up to. To put it bluntly, Tracy steals the show. Maybe that should have been expected, but the book just felt a bit bland. Jess is a sweet kid, but I can't believe the child of the great Tracy Beaker has so little spark.

The actual plot of the book concerns a care system runaway, with Jess bringing this kid home for Tracy to play mother hen. It feels a bit flimsy, especially because the kid ends up essentially becoming one of the family in a way that defies all logic. Despite not seeming to like Jordan very much, Jess altruistically invites her into her home, begging Tracy to foster her and claiming that they'll be both sisters and best friends. Very little else of substance happens, and the rest of the book is mostly concerned with describing everything the characters eat, Tracy's romances with former Dumping Ground pals, which is another pet peeve of mine. Are authors aware their characters are capable of meeting people they haven't known since they were 11 and can actually end up with someone they have chemistry with, instead of being paired with some random character just because the audience already knows them? You can probably guess who she ends up with, and I cannot imagine a less likely couple. Please. Tracy needs a partner who can give as good as they get, and this character has about as much backbone as a pair of wet socks.

This was a fast read, and I enjoyed reading about these childhood faves for nostalgia's sake. As mentioned, Cam is dating a woman, a fact which made me YELL with excitement because of COURSE Cam is queer and the fact I never noticed this before is baffling to me. There were lots of cute illustrations and reminders of past series, so I did have a good time with it. That being said, this isn't Jacqueline Wilson's best, and it does feel a bit like pandering. It might be fun for a mum and daughter to read the series together and reminisce on the mum's childhood reading the original series, but in its own right, the book does fall a bit flat.

(As a side note, this is actually the second in the series. I got it confused with My Mum Tracy Beaker, which I now have on hold from the library. I will be reading that soon to see if it alters my view of this book, as there were a few things that I found underdeveloped that may have been addressed previously.)

[Megan Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jess and her mum Tracy have left the Duke Estate behind them, and have moved to Cooksea. They have new friends, their dog Alfie, and they’re running an antiques shop called The Dumping Ground! But as lovely as it is to live by the sea, trouble still seems to be following the Beaker Girls. Horrible Sean is back on the scene, a local kid is picking on Jess, and their beloved Cam isn’t just round the corner any more. Can the Beaker Girls make a success of their new life? Tracy won’t go rushing back to that awful boyfriend will she?

I do love that Wilson has brought back one of my favourite childhood characters and I still adore reading them and discovering what antics Tracy and Jess get up to even as an adult. This is a very entertaining read and is fitting for the Tracy Beaker series. Wilson has the right balance between plot and hilarious antics to keep readers amused for a long time.

As usual, Wilson focuses on some serious subjects which helps to keep the book on track and not just a list of funny anecdotes. I enjoyed this plot immensely and thought it was appropriate for Tracy and Jess, it will also set up future books, well done Wilson!

It is always great to catch up with much loved characters and this is truly no different. We learn more about some of our favourite characters as well as having new ones introduced. All of them are quirky and bring something to the plot. No, they are not all likeable but they all provide entertainment and that is all I am looking for.

This is another amusing yet emotive read that will keep readers, both young and old, entertained.

[Zar · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a funny book to have in my reading challenge because I am 25 and too old to read Jacqueline Wilson, but also, it was so sweet. I think it was a nice balance in that it was obviously written for her regular audience of children - but she added enough easter eggs and nuances that were written for adult readers who had once read TB as a kid.

I love Jacqueline Wilson, I love loving Tracy Beaker as as relatable adult figure just trying to put together a good life because of all the shit she went through as a child. Iconic.

Also screaming that her boyfriend for a bit is Football. I love the Dare Game.

[Sophia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this family, there was a great blend of new characters and old favourites. I wish Tyrone had a better solution, he just visits with Sean and never mentioned much again. I don't know if they're still friends or what.

I liked Jordan she was great. I like that gay characters are being in her books now. Rent A Bridesmaid, Kiss(that's a bit old now) and this one.

Great work by Nick Sharratt as always. The illustrations just added to my enjoyment

Greatly enjoyed, especially recommend for Jacqueline Wildon fans

[Ruby · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had this book lying around for quite some time and so decided to just finish it once and for all.

The storyline is basic, with a few plot twists and key events but overall it's quite an over the top/ what events happen will quite likely never happen in real life BUT that's a fiction book for you! They're not always going to be telling the truth, its just that as an older teenager myself it's just very melodramatic.

Overall the ending was lovely and just in general the story was sweet, shame that they had to ruin it but producing a series out of it !!

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, I really enjoyed My Mum, Tracy Beaker but this book was a bit slow and therefore not as enjoyable. It was also too coincidental with so many old characters crawling out the woodwork! And all with happy endings! I felt the book was honest about the care system and shining a light on the issues kids in care face. I like the fact that there was a recommendation for adults to get into fostering at the end of the book.

[Lucy Dawson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This brand new release continues the story of Jess Beaker and her mum Tracy Beaker. It's a nice Jacqueline Wilson story. Not as good as the historical 'Hetty Feather' series but nevertheless enjoyable as I grew up with Tracy Beaker both with the books and the TV show.
Lots of characters from the earlier books make a reappearance like Justine, Peter, Adele and Cam.
A very quick read.

[Niina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this was as lovely as reading My Mum Tracy Beaker. I loved reading about Tracy again and Jess is a great narrator. My main problem with this is the focus on Tracy's love life. Jess is overly invested in it and it's weird. I would rather have this book focus on something else like Jordan for example. However, I still thoroughly enjoyed this.

[Zoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing. Pure genius. Funny, amazing and marvellous, this book should be read by all. The language is easy to understand, unlike Little Women, that language makes me feel discombobulated (this means confused. Pronounced dis-com-bob-u-lat-ed.)Thanks and I hope y’all have picked up some new ambitious vocabulary.😆

[Rebecca Fowkes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant sequel to My Mum Tracey Beaker. Absolutely loved reading it and it was brilliant to read about another character from Tracy Beaker's days in the Dumping Ground when Adele came in to it.

Well done Jacqueline Wilson for another brilliant book and bringing back memories of Tracey, Peter, Justine and Adele and Cam.

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Still I love all the Jacqueline Wilson books and I’ve always had a soft spot for my girl Tracy. The last book felt a little sad and depressing. This one was much more uplifting! Although it didn’t have an unrealistic super happy ending it did feel resolved. The character of Jordan also added much needed drama. I loved this one! It’s a must have for mums who grew up reading Tracy Beaker books.

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great Beaker story with a resounding moral message. My one criticism would be that I'd love it if Wilson could create some more new characters rather than just keep having the old ones turn up, but I understand why she does it. Overall I enjoyed another visit to The Dumping Ground.

[Sarah Bethan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A big hug of a book.

[Jade Minion · Rating 4 out of 5]

Left with an ending that means there's promise for another one! Ooh I so hope so 💖