In this apparently self-penned story of a 10-year-old girl living in care, we find out that Tracy Beaker is an outwardly tough girl, fed up of being in care, and to make herself feel better, constantly brags about her glamorous mother, who lives in Hollywood, and who will soon be swooping back into her life and taking her away from where she is staying, after which they'll go and live happily ever after. Abandoned from an early age, Tracy has gone through two foster homes, neither of which worked out for her, and now she finds herself in a care home. Her best friend is no longer her best friend and Tracy pours all her heartbreak and loneliness out onto the pages of her journal ... describing what she would like to do to the various people who she feels have let her down. The Story of Tracy Beaker, by Jacqueline Wilson, genuinely feels like it is written by the central character herself, which is an achievement in itself. Tracy is imaginative and sensitive (but tries not to show it ... she "never cries" but has "hay fever attacks" when sad or upset!) Feeling increasingly isolated, Tracy's life takes a turn for the better when the home welcomes a new visitor - a writer who has been commissioned to write an article about children in care. "Cam" makes a big impact on Tracy, and they talk about writing and life in general. By the end of the book, Tracy thinks she might have successfully persuaded Cam to adopt her, and life is looking up for our feisty heroine. This is a book where a child tries desperately to hide what she is truly feeling behind her challenging behaviour and vivid imagination. It is sad and touching, but also funny. I can see youngsters really taking to this character and empathising with her feelings, but I fear I am probably too old to appreciate it more fully.
My STAR rating: TWO.
Length: 158 print pages.
Price I paid: Free, borrowed from local library.
Formats available: print; unabridged audio CD; unabridged audio download; ebook.
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