The Dare Game facts for kids
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| Author | Jacqueline Wilson |
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| Illustrator | Nick Sharratt |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's novel |
| Publisher | Doubleday |
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Publication date
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2 March 2000 |
| Media type | Print (Paperback) |
| Pages | 256 pp |
| ISBN | 0-385-40901-X |
| OCLC | 59411112 |
| Preceded by | The Story of Tracy Beaker |
| Followed by | Starring Tracy Beaker |
The Dare Game is a popular children's novel by Jacqueline Wilson. It was first published in 2000. The book is illustrated by Nick Sharratt. It is a sequel to the well-known book The Story of Tracy Beaker. In this story, we follow Tracy Beaker's adventures after she leaves the children's home.
Contents
What Happens in The Dare Game?
Tracy's New Life
After the first book, Tracy is living with her foster mother, Cam. Their life together is not always easy. Tracy feels that Cam is too strict and limits her freedom. Tracy also has a tough time at school. She does not get along with her teacher or her classmates.
The Secret House and New Friends
One day, Tracy finds an old, empty house. She starts skipping school to spend time there by herself. After a few days, she discovers two boys also use the house. One boy is Alexander. He goes to the house to avoid playing sports at school. He also wants to get away from his very strict father.
The other boy is Football. He is not interested in school. He prefers the abandoned house to being at home with his mother, who is not kind to him. The three children spend their time playing "the Dare Game." This game involves daring each other to do harder and harder challenges.
Tracy's Mother Returns
After some time with Cam, Tracy's birth mother, Carly, suddenly appears. Carly says she wants Tracy to come live with her. Tracy is allowed to stay with her mother for a weekend. During this visit, her mother gives her many gifts.
Cam is sad that Tracy might leave her. But Tracy becomes more and more sure she wants to move in with her mother for good. However, on her second visit, Tracy is left alone at her mother's apartment for the whole night. Her mother goes out to a pub. Tracy finds this very scary.
A Difficult Choice
When Carly finally comes home with a man, Tracy realizes something important. Her mother does not plan to put Tracy first in her life. Tracy then runs away from her mother's apartment. Instead of going back to Cam, she goes to the abandoned house.
There, she has a big argument with Football about her mother. Alexander gets caught in the middle of their fight. Sadly, he ends up with a broken leg.
Learning and Growing
Both Football and Tracy are very upset by Alexander's injury. At the hospital, they promise to stay friends with each other and with Alexander. Spending time with her friends and Alexander's family makes Tracy think about her relationship with Cam.
Tracy realizes how much Cam truly cares for her. She decides to keep living with Cam. Tracy also starts going to school regularly again. She continues to see Football and Alexander, and their friendship grows stronger.
Meet the Characters
- Tracy Beaker: She is the main character and tells the story. Tracy is brave, bold, and sometimes a bit wild. She used to live in a children's home called "The Dumping Ground." Now, she lives with her foster mother, Cam. Tracy wants to be a writer. She does not like her school or Cam's simple lifestyle. She wishes she could have fancy clothes and popular things. In the end, she chooses to stay with Cam. She realizes her mother cared more about other things than her.
- Cam Lawson: She is Tracy's foster mother. Cam liked Tracy's lively personality. But Tracy can be very hard to handle, and they often argue. Cam lives a simple life with plain clothes and short hair. Tracy wishes Cam was more glamorous, like her own mother. Cam is also a writer who is trying to get her books published. By the end, it is clear that Cam loves and cares for Tracy very much. She calls Tracy's room the "Bat Cave" because it is dark.
- Alexander: Tracy meets Alexander at the secret house where she skips school. Alexander is smart. But he skips school because other boys tease him for being bad at sports. He is very afraid of his father, who he thinks dislikes him.
- Football: Tracy also becomes friends with Football. He is strong and loves football. He and Tracy become friends when she tells him what it is like to be in care. Football is not allowed in school. He does not like his mother, who speaks unkindly to him. He first speaks highly of his father. But his father never takes him to a football match as promised. When Football sees his father prefers his new girlfriend, he feels let down.
- Carly Beaker: She is Tracy's birth mother. Carly shows up suddenly after many years of leaving Tracy in care. She is blonde, pretty, and stylish. She gives Tracy many expensive gifts during their first weekend together. However, she does not have strong motherly feelings for Tracy. She often chooses men and going out over her daughter. When Tracy understands this, she leaves her mother for good.
- Mrs. "Vomit" Bagley: She is Tracy's middle-aged teacher. Tracy describes her as having minty breath and a strange, powdery smell.
- Roxanne: She is a mean girl in Tracy's class. Roxanne often makes fun of Tracy, especially about her clothes. She acts innocent in front of teachers. But she can be as daring as Tracy.
- Mr. Hatherway: He is the reception class teacher at Tracy's school. He is very different from Mrs. Bagley. Tracy seems to like him and wishes he could be her teacher.
- Trevor: He is a young child Tracy meets when Mr. Hatherway brings him out of class because of a nosebleed. They become friends by the end of the book.
- Mrs. Ludovic: She is the school nurse at Tracy's school. She helps Trevor with his nosebleed.
- Miss Smith: She is the music teacher at Tracy's school.
