the book is the "autobiography" of tracy beaker, a ten-year old tomboy. tracy is living in a adults residential care home (nicknamed "the dumping ground") where she has been placed as a result of adult neglect. she is unhappy because she hasn't seen her mum for a long time, she doesn't get on well with the staff or the other children at the care home, (especially a girl called justine littlewood) and has been rejected by two couples who tried fostering her. from an adult's point of view, tracy has "behavioural problems" and she is always telling tales. 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. 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 bars and smarties) and the types of revenge she would like to take upon her enemies. she is very imaginative and believes that her mum will come home one day. she often portrays a deep and complicated mind.
