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Cover of Riley Wright and the Super Awkward Sleepover
Illustrated · ages 7–9
Coming soon · 5 Nov 2026

Riley Wright and the Super Awkward Sleepover

Written by Mel Taylor-Bessent · Illustrated by Sr. Sanchez

Book 2 in Riley WrightView the full series

The second Riley Wright diary: Riley is hosting her very first sleepover, and worrying whether her old and new best friends will get along, especially once horrible Harper is somehow on the guest list.

  • Best for7–9
  • FormatIllustrated
Where to buyPaperback
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The vibe

What it’s like.

Style

  • Comedic
  • Conversational
  • Epistolary

Tone

  • Funny
  • Warm
  • Heartwarming

Themes

On the pagesleepover, friendship drama, mean girls, school life

Experience meters

Energy4/ 5
Humour5/ 5
Scariness1/ 5
Peril1/ 5
Wonder2/ 5
Cosiness4/ 5
Emotional intensity2/ 5
Conceptual intensity1/ 5

What’s it about?

The story.

Riley Wright is hosting her first-ever sleepover, and it is a lot more nerve-wracking than she expected. Will her old best friend and her new best friend Emmie actually like each other? And why on earth has Mum invited horrible Harper? Told through Riley's funny, doodle-filled diary and illustrated throughout by Sr. Sanchez, this second book in the warm-hearted journal-style series for 7-9s turns one small sleepover into a comedy of friendship worries, awkward moments and hard-won kindness. Perfect for newly independent readers and fans of Lottie Brooks, Dork Diaries and Nina Peanut.

Fit check

Right for your child?

Where it lands by age

A 7-9 independent read continuing the series' short, doodle-rich diary format. Accessible for newly confident readers and lovely read aloud from about 6, with a friendship theme that suits children navigating their own social groups.

  • 1
  • 3
  • 5
  • 7
  • 9
  • 11
  • 13
  • Best fit · 7–9
  • Read aloud · 6–9
  • Independent · 7–9

Prose load

Light

Visual support

High

Reluctant-reader friendly

Very

Read-aloud quality

Strong

Works well for

  • Reading aloud
  • Reading together
  • Reluctant readers
Low sensitivityNo content warnings

Nothing in the book is likely to concern most parents. Safe to recommend without preview.

Bedtime suitability

3 / 5 · Workable

Sensitive-child

4 / 5 · Good fit

Graphic intensity

1 / 5 · None

Best for

  • Funny diary
  • Reluctant readers
  • Friendship
  • Sleepovers

Avoid if

  • Wants high stakes adventure

Particularly good for children who are…

  • Making friends

Why it lands

Why they love it.

Why kids love it

The panic of a first sleepover, two best friends who might not click, and horrible Harper turning up anyway make for a very funny, very relatable diary. Kids love watching Riley wobble her way to sorting it all out.

  • Friendship and belonging
  • Being understood finally

Why parents love it

Short, illustration-heavy and kind-hearted, this second outing keeps 7-9s turning pages while quietly modelling how to be a good friend when jealousy and awkwardness get in the way. An easy next step for anyone who loved book one.

  • Shared humour
  • Quick to read

In the series

Riley Wright.

3 books · open the series →

About the creators

About the creators.

MT

Mel Taylor-Bessent

Writer · United Kingdom

Mel Taylor-Bessent is a British children's author who spent years running creative-writing workshops for thousands of children before turning to fiction herself, and founded the literacy platform Authorfy. Her bestselling debut The Christmas Carrolls, a warm, inclusive tale of a family who celebrate Christmas every single day, was a Blue Peter Book Club pick. Her Riley Wright series, beginning with Riley Wright is Always Wrong, is a funny, doodle-filled diary for newly independent 7-9s: Riley starts a new school where her embarrassing dad is the head teacher and has to find her place, a talent for the talent show, and a way to survive the school's meanest girl. Warm, relatable and packed with hot chocolate and sparkly pens, the books land on the truth that being a good friend is the best talent of all. Ideal for fans of Dork Diaries and Lottie Brooks.

More from Mel Taylor-Bessent
SS

Sr. Sanchez

Illustrator · Spain

Sr. Sanchez is a Spanish illustrator and graphic designer whose warm, flat-colour style brings a bright, sunny energy to children's fiction. Trained in fine art in Valencia and now based in Madrid, he illustrates Mel Taylor-Bessent's Riley Wright books, a journal-style illustrated series for 7-9s in which a girl navigates a new school where her dad is the head teacher, hosts a nerve-wracking first sleepover and survives a school trip that goes gloriously wrong. His artwork threads black-and-white doodles and full-colour spreads through the diary format, keeping the pages busy and inviting for newly independent readers. A lively, characterful illustrator well suited to funny, heartfelt stories about friendship and finding your feet.

More from Sr. Sanchez

If you liked this

Three ways out of this book.

If you liked this, try…

Lateral matches. Same shelf, different texture.

Come into this from…

Easier or preparing reads — perfect lead-ins.

Where to go next…

Escalation reads — a step up in scale, silliness, or stakes.

Last reviewed · July 2026Suggest a correctionHow we recommend

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