Introducing Tracy Beaker, 10-year-old girl-wonder and the daughter of a famous Hollywood actress . . . sort of. Tracy Beakers not exactly sure what her mother does, because Tracy has been in foster care for as long as she can remember.

She has a picture of her mother, whos pretty enough to be in movies, so maybe she is. And maybe one day Tracys mother will show up and reclaim her long-lost daughter, and together theyll have fabulous adventures.

Then again, maybe she wont. In the meantime, Tracys doing everything she can to take care of herselfeven though she has to share her birthday cake with silly Petey Ingham just because they have the same birthday . . . and even though the other girls she lives with are mean and nasty and rude and horrible.

Mostly. Then a journalist shows up to write a story about their orphanage, and she and Tracy strike up a special friendship.

In a story written with humor and sensitivity, Tracy emerges as a spirited girl whos not quite as tough as she lets everybody think she is.From the Hardcover edition.