The Story of Tracy Beaker (Tracy Beaker, #1) (2024)

The Story of Tracy Beaker, Jacqueline Wilson
The Story of Tracy Beaker is a British children's book first published in 1991, written by Jacqueline Wilson and illustrated by Nick Sharratt. The book is told from the point of view of Tracy Beaker, a troubled ten-year-old girl. The reason Tracy is often unhappy and has problems with her behaviour because she is lonely, frustrated and feels unloved. Tracy resides in a children's residential care home (nicknamed "The Dumping Ground") where she has been placed as a result of neglect and domestic violence. 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. ...
تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز نوزدهم ماه جولای سال 2008 میلادی
عنوان: داستان تریسی بیکر؛ نویسنده: جکلین ویلسون؛ برگردان: ناهید رشید؛ ویراستار: بهاره فیروزه؛ تهران، آسیم، 1386؛ در شش و 123 ص؛ شابک: 9789644183377؛ موضوع: داستانهای نوجوانان از نویسندگان بریتانیایی - سده 20 م
عنوان: داستان تریسی بیکر؛ نویسنده: جکلین ویلسون؛ برگردان: نسرین وکیلی؛ تصویرگر: نیک شارات؛ تهران، افق، 1391؛ در 194 ص؛ شابک: 9789643697495؛
داستان «تریسی بیکر» دختر دهساله ای ست، که چون پدر ندارد، و مادرش نیز توانایی نگهداری از ایشان را ندارد، «تریسی» را به پرورشگاه میسپارد. «تریسی» همواره رویای با مادر بودن، یا داشتن سرپرستی دلخواه را، در خیال میپروراند. «تریسی» بسیار پرخاشگر است، و عصبی، و ناسازگار، و سرکش، و همه این رفتارها کافی است، تا از او کودکی نابهنجار بسازد، بطوریکه هم در پرورشگاه، و هم در خانه هاییکه او را به فرزند خواندگی میپذیرند، او با مشکل روبرو میشود. همگی مدکارها و مددجوها، از دست او به تنگ آمده اند. همین ناراحتیها و کابوسهای شبانه، شب ادراری او را در پی دارد، و همین سبب میشود، دیگران او را به سخره بگیرند. امّا در کنار این کمبودها، او به نوشتن نیز علاقمند است، و در حال نوشتن یادمانهای خودش است، تا هم خود را خالی از اغیار کند، وهم به آرزوهای دست نیافته ی خویش، در نوشته هایش اشاره کند. تا اینکه با بانوی نویسنده ای به نام: «کم» آشنا، و در کنار ایشان احساس آسایش و خوشی میکند، و از او میخواهد، که او را به فرزندی بپذیرد؛ خانم «کم» قول میدهد در آنباره بیندیشد. رفتار «تریسی» با اطرافیانش دیگر میشود، و با آنان ارتباط برقرار میکند. کتاب از جنبه روانشناسی، به کودکانی که از محبت والدین، محروم هستند، و یا سرکش هستند، میپردازد، و به آنان یاری میکند، تا بتوانند در محیطهای اجتماعی با دیگران، ارتباط برقرار کنند، تا به آرامش برسند. ا. شربیانی

I’m back with more ‘books from my mother’s house’!

I use to love Jacqueline Wilson, and I read quite a few of her books before getting ‘too old’ for them. Tracy Beaker wasn’t one of my favourites, but I remember it the most vividly. Perhaps this is because it was made into a TV movie/programme with that woman from 4 Weddings who tragically died of an asthma attack?

Anyway, I love Jacqueline Wilson’s approach to social situations, and children not part of the ‘standard family’, which is mirrored in several of her books. She’s not afraid to write emotional, unsettling yet real world moments for younger readers. Tracy Beaker and the children she lives with in the children’s home all ooze a need to be loved. They give off such a degree of despair, it’s actually quite sad, especially as there’s not always a happy ending.

Great read for the social commentary alone for younger readers.

I loved this book when I was a teenager because I had experience of foster care and could connect with Tracy's character. I have read it since and still have a copy on the bookshelf.

Jacqueline Wilson shows that there are children who do not grow up with the 'traditional two parent family' to bring them up,and I feel that it is important for children to learn that there is a variety of families and that it can be just as 'normal' to grow up without two parents. The book also go some way to helping children in 'dysfunctional' family situations learn that they are not alone and relate to some of the things that Tracy does, such as creating her perfect mum who is going to come and get her.

I feel this book is suitable for older children in junior school to read independently because the font is not too small, it is not text heavy, includes 'cartoony' illustrations and also includes handwritten pieces from Tracy making it feel like she is the author, not Jacqueline Wilson. I also feel this would be a good book to read to younger children for the topic of family.

Read as part of The Infinite Variety Reading Challenge, based on the BBC's Big Read Poll of 2003.

As a child, or teenager, I did watch Tracy Beaker on the CBBC channel, but that is my only point of reference. To be honest, Dani Harmer will always be Tracy Beaker, no matter how much she straightens her hair...

But I'd never read the book, or any book by Jacqueline Wilson, despite being about the right age to have been exposed to them. I was never in to real-life kind of books: I wanted big, fat, hard fantasy. So, whilst I was well aware of Wilson and her creations, I've never picked up a book and read a page.

Coming to children's books as an adult is always difficult. This book is definitely for and only for children, and that's absolutely fine. But I can't rate a book pretending to be a child, so I do it as an adult. It was written well, in terms of punctuation and all that, but I'm not the biggest fan of books with first-person children protagonist narrators: they get on my nerves and I do not enjoy the unreliable narrator.

These are books for children. What more can I say? It felt like a decent enough yarn, though I thought it was a little far-fetched: however, the feeling that Tracy has toward her mother was one of the most heart-breaking things I've read for a long while.

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Jacqueline Wilson is a genius.

Children's books are usually written by adults but it's really rare to find a book with characters that are children who think like children. Tracy Beaker is a child who thinks like a child. She is funny, overdramatic, stubborn, and somewhat annoying, just like every child is. She has a crappy life and deals with it amazingly well - she even tries to fool herself into thinking that she is crying because of her hay fever. I couldn't help but relate to her - not as an adult, but as a child. I was exactly like her when I was eleven and now I can totally understand why kids are so crazy about these books. These stories were written about them, for them.

The Story of Tracy Beaker is endlessly entertaining, funny, and sad. It has the right amount of everything and is the kind of book series every child should read while they are children. It is also the kind of book adults should read when their childhood has long passed its expiration date. It doesn't matter how old you are: read this and you will admire and look up to Tracy Beaker as any child who reads about her adventures does.

I wanted to give this to a particular student, so I figured I should have a read through first. Now I'm not sure if all of the British-isms would be too confusing for an American preteen.

The book's a short volume with a mix of drawings and text (think Diary of a Wimpy Kid), but about a rambunctious/naughty/prickly 10-year old in a care home (group home). In between fighting with her ex-best friend and fending off the new kid who's decided she is his best friend, Tracy plans to either rejoin her mom (who's clearly off in Hollywood doing something very important), or at the very least convince a local author to foster her.

For any young audience, it might make for a good introduction to the concept of an unreliable narrator or even foster care without being sappy.

It's a book for kids, but it's so fantastic everyone should read it. A must read

As a child I loved reading Jacqueline Wilson books in particular "Tracy Beaker" which had been a personal favourite of mine. Her stories portray real-life unfortunate scenarios in what some children experience in their lives. She goes in to detail of how they live, expressing their feelings, the challenges they come across and what happens to them in later life. Jacqueline Wilson’s writing style is excellent as she really engages the reader to become that main character or think from their perspective as this story is told all from Tracy's point of view. This book is meant for reading independently, ideal for children aged 8-11.

Tracy breaker is a cheeky, funny, and adventurous but a very misunderstood 10-year-old girl who lives in a care home, also known as "the dumping ground." This is because of the neglect and abuse from her estranged mother. Her bad-tempered, defensive attitude and behaviour problems sometimes lead her into trouble, especially with her number one enemy, Justine Littlewood. Although Tracy’s life is filled with unhappiness e.g. failed attempts of fostering, her and wild imagination leads her to makes up pretend stories (lies) about how she strongly believes her mum is a famous superstar and how she wishes to be with her one day, in order to give her a sense of comfort. However there is a feeling of sadness accompanied by this as she realizes she is stuck at the 'dumping ground' and her hopes and wishes may not come true.
Nevertheless, deep inside her heart she really wants to be loved and be taken care of. She wants a fairly-tale happy ending in her life. Tracy wishes that her mum would come back one day to collect her and whisk her away forever, in the fancy lifestyle that she believes she is living. Tracy meets Cam who eventually fosters her, in the end.

Wilson's books inspire the individual to be open-minded and contemplate and learn about how other people's perspectives, the situations they are in and how they cope from coming from such troubled backgrounds. The book embarks on various themes like neglect & abuse, importance of friendships, loneliness and much more. Therefore I think this could be incorporated in CPSHE lessons in KS2.

خیلی خیییلی خیییییلیی خییییییلیییییییییییی دوستش دارم

"I'm Tracy Beaker. This is a book all about me. I'd read it if I were you. It's the most incredible dynamic heart-rending story. Honest."

Tracy's right, you know. The first Tracy Beaker story is touching, beautifully written, and often simply hilarious. By creating a feisty, care-free and sarcastic wannabe-writer in care, Wilson makes the story all that bit more believable. Beaker's front is satirical, amusing, and naughty, but behind that curly head of hair of hers is a sad and lonely girl who just wants a family to care and love for her. In that sense, over two decades after its bestselling publication, Tracy Beaker, as a character, is still realistic, funny, and loveable. A must read.

This is also a childrens book... I just finished reading it to my little sister, it's told through the eyes of a little orphan. Sounds pretty damn stupid right? That's what I thought, it sounded like really cliche, "oh poor orphan girl." But, it was REALLY good, it wasn't a happy corny ending like I was expecting, it wasn't a sob story the orphanage makes us work 40 hours a day and feeds us gruel and all that corny crap. I was pleasently surprised when it turned out to be good, great in fact, I loved it. Realistic too, a lot of times when things are told from the point of view of children it's way unrealistic, but this was dead on believable. Awesome.

Amazing book! Would recommend it!

I loved this as a child, but as an adult my heart breaks for Tracey 💕

Another cute story. I wonder if the author keeps the same writing style for her every book. Both books I've read were as a diary entries. It's interesting for a book or two, but I would like to read something different too. Hope she's not another Picoult.

3.5 stars. Liked the Double Act better.

Honestly more than holds up

The Story of Tracy Beaker by Jacqueline Wilson

Tracy is ten years old. She lives in a children's home, but would like a real home one day, with a real family.

I loved this book when I was younger. Having no experience whatsoever of foster care, orphanhood, or anything other than the two-parent family, I was fascinated by Tracy's story. Fifteen years on, I still have a lot of respect for Jacqueline Wilson, and found myself swept along with Tracy's fast-paced, but problematic life.

The story is written in first-person, as though Tracy is writing her own autobiography. She is a brilliant character, so funny and imaginative. Best of all, Tracy is a feisty little madam. As a kid, I just thought she was brilliant, and able to look after herself. Now, I can see Tracy has developed a thick skin during her time in care, and her bossiness, forwardness, and hot-bloodedness are all survival tactics for the difficult environment in which she exists.

Tracy is such a believable child narrator. She isn't overly naive, yet she is in no way mature. I possibly found her funnier now than I did when I was younger; things like calling her social worker 'Elaine the Pain' just totally appealed to my stupid sense of humour.

I found I was picking up on more details when reading this as an adult. Tracy describes her mum as a beautiful, rich, classy woman, who will come and pick her up in her Cadillac as soon as she's finished shooting a film in Hollywood, or returns from sunny Spain. She's too busy to call, and too far away to visit. Reading now, it's clear that these are all just white lies of Tracy's created to help her cope with her mum's absence, but children won't necessarily pick up on this; I don't think I did when I was ten. It made the novel that wee bit more sad for me, and more realistic.

Nick Sharratt's illustrations are dotted throughout the novel, and they do nothing but add to the story. I particularly like the illustrations of Tracy's letters to Cam, and the way Sharratt draws us in using his drawings. It was so exciting. I remember loving his skills when I was younger, and I still do; he makes Wilson's novels even more fun, and he makes a Wilson novel easily recognisable from any other.

Overall, I think this is an important novel for children to read. It's short and snappy for adults, but really is worthwhile to spend an afternoon with. You'll laugh, you'll be touched, and you'll finish off with a warm feeling.

I LOVE TRACY BEAKER! I thought this book was so great, and the illustrations were amazing, perfect!!! I love Jacqueline Wilson and this one is one of the best JW books I've read yet. Tracy tells her story herself through a notebook that was given to her by her social worker. She's been in and out of foster care her entire life, and is just getting to the age where she can't quite believe her own stories about why her mom hasn't come to get her (she's a movie star in Hollywood, she's living in Paris, ect.). Things are starting to change for Tracy, and it turns out that she has quite a passion for writing her "autobiography". This is a fun and very touching book and I absolutely loved it!

This was super heartwarming to revisit as an adult! Although, let's be honest, I still feel like a smol child a lot of the time. I read this in participation of the Jacqueline WilsAThon happening over on booktube/other socials, which doesn't officially start until tomorrow (February 13th-20th). However, if this was a February half-term for reals, I probably would've pulled a sicky for the last term day and stayed at home reading anyways, so... Overall, a lovely way to spend a cosy afternoon - listening to the audiobook narrated by Sandi Toksvig, reading the ebook alongside and looking at Nick Sharratt's super nostalgic illustrations ✨

Uuuggggghhhhhh. This book WOULD have 4 stars but there's like 3 typos, and there's not supposed to be typos in books! Also, some of the drawings are a bit inappropriate because they drew the boobs too big. Dis is NOT a good children's book. The story is a bit boring because nothing really happens much. What a waste of like an hour.

My daughter absolutely loved the books by Jacqueline Wilson. We still have them all and my daughter absolutely enjoyed each and every book. Recommended.

This book's as old as me. It was published in 1991, so there's the odd '80s reference here and there. I wish I'd read it as a kid. I used to watch the tv adaptations on CBBC, with Danni Harmer playing Tracy. I loved it at the time, but I'd forgotten most of the stories. I also forgot how mischievous and downright awful Tracy Beaker is. But also how lovable. And on this side of adulthood, you notice all the forces at play that make her such a compelling and complex character. She leaps off the page, you can almost hear her shuffling around you and doing her thing. I loved it.

Loved Tracy Beaker growing up and reading this took me back so many years! Even reading as an adult I was still able to enjoy it (brought back memories of the show, and I remember how all the character sounded which helped) didn’t feel too kiddy for me as I didn’t take this book seriously/get too critical with it. Might have to rewatch for old times sake!

WE FINISHED THIS LIKE A WEEK AGO, SHE LOVED IT AND im getting dangerously close to rereading other jaqueline wilson books (pls stop me i dont need that rn)

When I was younger reading this, it felt soooo much longer 😅 love Jacqueline and love nicks illustrations!!

Absolutely stands the test of time. Belly laughed multiple times.

i've been trying to remember the name of this book since i was like, 12. i only remembered basic information: the protagonist's appearence, that she was an orphan, the imagined hollywood mother and the writer lady that adopts her in the end (?). anything i ever tried failed. well, today, i tried akinator. it got it in 50 questions. this fixed me. i am a changed person. anyway i'm sure the book itself was great. jesus christ.

A lovely re-read from my younger days. I was properly obsessed with Tracy Beaker when I was younger and it was a pleasure to read this again!

Rereading one of my childhood favs.
So witty, sad and full of hope: Tracy Beaker

I thought that this was absolutely brilliant. I knew this book has a great reputation but I wasn't sure if it would be for me. It absolutely was.

My children (10yo and 7yo) were a bit surprised that it wasn't a straightforward tale of a mischievous child but they totally went with it and the book triggered some very interesting questions.

I must admit to being a bit sniffy about Jacqueline WIlson when my daughter was raving aobut Tracy Beaker on TV a few years ago now. However having acquired a rather battered copy recently i decided to take the time to read the book properly adn am really glad i did. A great story tackling such a difficult topic and wonderful illustrtions from Nick Sherrat.