Why I Love Tracy Beaker

Tracy Beaker, one of the nation’s most loved children’s book characters, returned to screens on Friday: this time as a mum! To celebrate the release of the new show, here’s a look back at the history of Tracy Beaker.

Origin

In 1991, Tracy burst onto the scene of children’s books in The Story of Tracy Beaker  by Jacqueline Wilson. Tracy was a ten year old girl living in a children’s home, who often came across as mean and bossy- when really, she just wanted a loving family. The book was incredibly successful, and is still as popular today. Several more books were written about Tracy, including The Dare Game (2002), Starring Tracy Beaker (2006) and My Mum Tracy Beaker (2018).

What I Love About The Story Of Tracy Beaker

I think Tracy is a really entertaining character to read about, and I liked all the quirky drawings throughout the book. I highly recommend all the stories!

TV Adaptations 

The Story of Tracy Beaker was made into a a TV series of the same name and aired until 2005. The series starred Dani Harmer as Tracy, who reappeared in 2010 in Tracy Beaker Returns. The show followed Tracy’s adventures as a care worker at the same home she grew up in. A spin-off show, called The Dumping Ground, started in 2013 and is currently on its eighth series.

My Mum Tracy Beaker

In 2018, yet another book about Tracy was written- but this time, she was a mum! Tracy’s daughter, Jess, is unimpressed when her mum gets a new boyfriend: famous footballer Sean Godfrey. Will it affect her relationship with her mum. The following year, a sequel to this book, We Are The Beaker Girls, was published. 

A couple of days ago, the first episode of the TV series aired, staring Dani Harmer as Tracy, Emma Maggie Davies as Jess and Jordan Duvigneau as Sean Godfrey. I thought it was really well cast and was incredibly engaging: you really wanted to find out what happened next!

Did you read Tracy Beaker growing up? Tell me what you loved about this children’s fiction icon!