Illustrated · ages 7–9

Riley Wright and the Terrible School Trip

Name: Riley Wright and the Terrible School Trip
Author: Mel Taylor-Bessent
ISBN: 9780008803469

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

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Book 3 in Riley WrightView the full series

The third Riley Wright diary sends Riley and her class off on a school trip that, in true Riley style, goes hilariously wrong.

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 pageschool trip, friendship drama, 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 off on a school trip, and if there is one thing Riley knows, it is that things rarely go to plan. Told through her funny, doodle-filled diary and illustrated throughout by Sr. Sanchez, this third book in the warm-hearted journal-style series for 7-9s follows Riley, her best friend Emmie and the rest of the class as a supposedly ordinary trip turns into a comedy of mishaps, friendship wobbles 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 in the series' short, doodle-rich diary format. Accessible for newly confident readers and lovely read aloud from about 6, with a friendship-and-mishaps theme younger children will recognise from their own school trips.

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
School stories

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

There is nothing funnier than a school trip that falls apart, and Riley's diary captures every mishap and friendship wobble along the way. Kids love rooting for her as she muddles through and comes out kinder.

Friendship and belonging
Being understood finally

Why parents love it

Short, heavily illustrated and full of heart, this third outing keeps 7-9s turning pages while gently modelling friendship and resilience when a day out goes sideways. An easy next step for series fans.

Shared humour
Quick to read

In the series

Riley Wright.

3 books · open the series →

Riley Wright is Always Wrong2026 · Book 1

Cover of Riley Wright and the Super Awkward Sleepover

Riley Wright and the Super Awkward Sleepover2026 · Book 2 You are here

Riley Wright and the Terrible School Trip2026 · Book 3

About the creators

About the creators.

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.

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.