The Story of Tracy Beaker Review 3, The Story of Tracy Beaker by Jacqueline Wilson and illustrated by Nick Sharratt Being first published in 1991 this book still reads well today. We read a first person journal written by Tracy herself as she struggles to be a 10 year old girl who has to grow up in a children’s home. Although written as a very lovable character Tracy has a naughty side, the story often stops and is picked up again with Tracy in the quiet room contemplating her actions. Tracy’s Mum was forced to leave her in care as she had to go to Hollywood to become a movie star or so Tracy would have anyone who would listen believe. Deep down Tracy knows that this is not true but she never gives up on her, constantly asking the home’s staff if she has rang or if she has post from America. There are many themes in this book; the biggest of these is that Tracy wants her Mum and expects her to return to collect her at any moment. If Tracy can’t have her Mum there is always the option of a foster family, she has been fostered twice before but has been always returned to care. Once due to her “Aunt” who used to beat her. Once due to the fact that her once barren foster parents where suddenly expecting a child of their own and cruelly returned her. As we follow Tracey’s story we see her at her best, her worst, we share the highs and the lows. We also see Tracey’s imagination as she tells of events that didn’t happen at all or not quite in the way we are lead to believe. How did the hands of Justine Littlewoods’ Micky Mouse alarm clock really fall off? Did Tracy really have to run away from the home in order to attend a party? We see some of the problems involved in friendships at the age of 10, from fickle best friends to adoring younger children looking up at up Tracy and having your own personal worst enemy. We are also exposed to some not so common problems involving living in care such as when a friend is fostered and leaves the home or staff change. It is obvious Tracy is reluctant to get attached to some people as she has good reason to believe that it will end in heart break. Mostly hers. Tracy meets a writer called Cam who is trying to research an article she is trying to write on children in care. After completely failing to impress her while trying very hard to impress her, Tracy decides to become a writer herself and befriends Cam. Cam tries to be fair to all the children she meets in the home but does fall for the charms only Tracy offer. Living on her own with few commitments it’s not long before Tracy realises that Cam may be able to offer her a little more than friendship but has Cam even considered fostering? Jacqueline Wilson is a very successful children’s author with sever series of books behind her. None of them have however been as successful as Tracy Beaker. The Story of Tracy Beaker has also been televised and is still shown most days on CBBC. The Tracy Beaker universe is also still going with “The Dumping Ground,” still having new episodes being made. This is a series about the children’s home Tracy lived in and later worked in but with Tracy having moved on but some characters remain. This book’s appel would be large however I would only use it with caution. I think that the difference between the TV show where male characters are given equal time with Tracy and the book where more time is given to the topic of bed wetting than male story lines would leave a lot of male readers and some younger females left disappointed and wanting to read about Tracy from Telly than the equally lovable but quite different Tracy we have here. Defiantly for the older key stage 2 girls, I’m sure that they would love this book.
Review 3, The Story of Tracy Beaker by Jacqueline Wilson and illustrated by Nick Sharratt
Being first published in 1991 this book still reads well today. We read a first person journal written by Tracy herself as she struggles to be a 10 year old girl who has to grow up in a children’s home. Although written as a very lovable character Tracy has a naughty side, the story often stops and is picked up again with Tracy in the quiet room contemplating her actions.
Tracy’s Mum was forced to leave her in care as she had to go to Hollywood to become a movie star or so Tracy would have anyone who would listen believe. Deep down Tracy knows that this is not true but she never gives up on her, constantly asking the home’s staff if she has rang or if she has post from America. There are many themes in this book; the biggest of these is that Tracy wants her Mum and expects her to return to collect her at any moment.
If Tracy can’t have her Mum there is always the option of a foster family, she has been fostered twice before but has been always returned to care. Once due to her “Aunt” who used to beat her. Once due to the fact that her once barren foster parents where suddenly expecting a child of their own and cruelly returned her.
As we follow Tracey’s story we see her at her best, her worst, we share the highs and the lows. We also see Tracey’s imagination as she tells of events that didn’t happen at all or not quite in the way we are lead to believe. How did the hands of Justine Littlewoods’ Micky Mouse alarm clock really fall off? Did Tracy really have to run away from the home in order to attend a party?
We see some of the problems involved in friendships at the age of 10, from fickle best friends to adoring younger children looking up at up Tracy and having your own personal worst enemy. We are also exposed to some not so common problems involving living in care such as when a friend is fostered and leaves the home or staff change. It is obvious Tracy is reluctant to get attached to some people as she has good reason to believe that it will end in heart break. Mostly hers.
Tracy meets a writer called Cam who is trying to research an article she is trying to write on children in care. After completely failing to impress her while trying very hard to impress her, Tracy decides to become a writer herself and befriends Cam.
Cam tries to be fair to all the children she meets in the home but does fall for the charms only Tracy offer. Living on her own with few commitments it’s not long before Tracy realises that Cam may be able to offer her a little more than friendship but has Cam even considered fostering?
Jacqueline Wilson is a very successful children’s author with sever series of books behind her. None of them have however been as successful as Tracy Beaker. The Story of Tracy Beaker has also been televised and is still shown most days on CBBC. The Tracy Beaker universe is also still going with “The Dumping Ground,” still having new episodes being made. This is a series about the children’s home Tracy lived in and later worked in but with Tracy having moved on but some characters remain.
This book’s appel would be large however I would only use it with caution. I think that the difference between the TV show where male characters are given equal time with Tracy and the book where more time is given to the topic of bed wetting than male story lines would leave a lot of male readers and some younger females left disappointed and wanting to read about Tracy from Telly than the equally lovable but quite different Tracy we have here. Defiantly for the older key stage 2 girls, I’m sure that they would love this book.