''The Story of Tracy Beaker'' is a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

children's book Children's literature or juvenile literature includes stories, books, magazines, and poems that are created for children. Modern children's literature is classified in two different ways: genre or the intended age of the reader. Children's ...

first published in 1991, written by

Jacqueline Wilson Dame Jacqueline Wilson (née Aitken; born 17 December 1945) is an English novelist known for her popular children's literature. Her novels have been notable for featuring realistic topics such as adoption and divorce without alienating her lar ...

and illustrated by

Nick Sharratt Nick Sharratt (born 9 August 1962) is a British author and illustrator of children's books, whose work is split between illustrating for writers, most notably Jacqueline Wilson from 1991 to 2021, and Jeremy Strong, but also Giles Andreae, Juli ...

Background

The book is told from the point of view of Tracy Beaker, a troubled ten-year-old girl. Tracy is often unhappy and has problems with her behaviour because she is lonely, frustrated and feels unloved. Tracy lives in a children's residential care home (nicknamed "The Dumping Ground") where she has been placed as a result of

neglect In the context of caregiving, neglect is a form of abuse where the perpetrator, who is responsible for caring for someone who is unable to care for themselves, fails to do so. It can be a result of carelessness, indifference, or unwillingness and ...

and

domestic violence Domestic violence (also known as domestic abuse or family violence) is violence or other abuse that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage or cohabitation. ''Domestic violence'' is often used as a synonym for ''intimate partner ...

. Her mother often left Tracy to stay by herself when Tracy was very young and does not appear to have an interest in her daughter's life. Tracy is unhappy because she has not had any contact with her mother for a long time. She seems to miss her mum a lot and it results in her sitting by the same window hoping her mum would come and pick her up. She has difficulty getting along with the staff and the other children at the care home (especially a girl named

Justine Littlewood This is a list of characters that were introduced in CBBC's ''The Story of Tracy Beaker''. The series is based on the book of the same name by Jacqueline Wilson. It ran on for five series from 2002 to 2005. The series was followed by ''Tracy Bea ...

). Another reason Tracy is frustrated and angry is because she was rejected by a couple called Julie and Ted who attempted to foster her after discovering they were expecting a child of their own, knowing Tracy's background with younger children (especially an incident involving Tracy shutting a baby in a cupboard). From an adult's point of view, Tracy has "behavioural problems" and she is always telling tales. Tracy's imaginative stories seem to provide a high level of comfort and security for her. For example, a recurring story that Tracy likes to tell is that her mother is a glamorous Hollywood movie star, and that she is coming to collect her someday. Tracy says that her mother is so busy being in films that she does not have time for Tracy. Among other things, Tracy's autobiography details her life so far, her being "deprived and abused" in the children's home (for example, she is deprived of

Mars Bar Mars, commonly known as Mars bar, is the name of two varieties of chocolate bar produced by Mars, Incorporated. It was first manufactured in 1932 in Slough, England by Forrest Mars, Sr. The bar consists of caramel and nougat coated with mi ...

s and

Smarties Smarties are colour-varied sugar-coated chocolate confectionery. They have been manufactured since 1937, originally by H.I. Rowntree & Company in the United Kingdom, and now by Nestlé. Smarties are oblate spheroids with a minor axis of abou ...

) and the types of revenge she would like to take upon her enemies. She often portrays a deep and complicated mind. In 2002 the book was voted the winner of the ''

Blue Peter ''Blue Peter'' is a British children's television entertainment programme created by John Hunter Blair. It is the longest-running children's TV show in the world, having been broadcast since October 1958. It was broadcast primarily from BBC Tel ...

People's Choice Award The People's Choice Awards is an American awards show, recognizing people in entertainment, voted online by the general public and fans. The show has been held annually since 1975, with the winners originally determined using Gallup Polls until ...

Sequels

Wilson has written three sequels to the book, '' The Dare Game'', ''

Starring Tracy Beaker ''The Story of Tracy Beaker'' is a British children's drama media franchise that focuses on the lives and experiences of young people and their care workers in care. The franchise began with the publication of ''The Story of Tracy Beaker'' on 14 ...

'', and '' Tracy Beaker's Thumping Heart'' (a

Red Nose Day Comic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character, scene, or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work, often to relieve tension. Definition Comic relief usually means a releasing of emotional or other tension resulting from a comic episo ...

Special).

Adaptations

''The Story of Tracy Beaker'' was adapted for television by the

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...

...

Background

Sequels

Adaptations

See also

References