- Comedy
- Dork Diaries collection
- Ages 9–12
Dork Diaries
Part of the collectionDork Diaries→Sixteen doodle-packed diary adventures about surviving middle school with true friends - warm, funny and endlessly re-readable for fans of Wimpy Kid and Tom Gates.
- Books16 / 16
- Arcs1
- Span2009–2024
- StatusUnknown
The series
At a glance.
Rachel Renee Russell's sixteen-book illustrated-diary series charts Nikki Maxwell's life across middle school and into high school, told entirely in her doodled, drama-packed handwriting. Each book is a self-contained escapade - a talent show, an ice-skating contest, a reality-TV shoot, a trip to Paris - but the cast and relationships carry across the whole run: best friends Chloe and Zoey, crush Brandon, little sister Brianna and arch-nemesis MacKenzie. The register stays warm and comic even as the settings grow bigger, and the reading experience is extremely accessible: short entries, cartoons and lists keep pages turning. Beneath the giggles it quietly champions friendship, honesty and self-acceptance, making it a dependable series for newly confident and reluctant readers alike.
Sixteen doodle-packed diary adventures about surviving middle school with true friends - warm, funny and endlessly re-readable for fans of Wimpy Kid and Tom Gates.
Primary themes
Overall tone
- Funny
- Silly
- Warm
- Irreverent
Publication order recommended - the cast and relationships (especially the Brandon crush and the MacKenzie rivalry) develop across the run, though most books work as self-contained stories.
One arc
The shape of the series.
- IStandalone collection arcBooks 1–16 · 2009–2024Low sensitivity
Nikki Maxwell's diaries
Sixteen doodle-packed diaries of Nikki Maxwell surviving middle school with her BFFs, her crush and her nemesis.
Every Dork Diaries book is a self-contained escapade in Nikki Maxwell's illustrated diary, so this single collection spans the whole run. Across sixteen instalments the settings escalate - talent shows, ice rinks, reality TV, a summer tour, Paris - but the heart never changes: the loyal friendship of Chloe and Zoey, the hopeless Brandon crush, little sister Brianna's chaos and MacKenzie's scheming. The comedy is broad and reassuring, the sensitivity low throughout, and the doodle-and-list format makes each book a fast, confidence-building read. Nikki learns, again and again, that true friends and being herself matter more than popularity. A dependable series for readers who want laughs, drama and a warm resolution every time.
Book 1Dork Diaries: Jokes, Drama and BFFsSimon & Schuster Children's UK · MMIXDork Diaries: Jokes, Drama and BFFsBook 2Dork Diaries: Party TimeSimon & Schuster Children's UK · MMXDork Diaries: Party TimeBook 3Dork Diaries: Pop StarSimon & Schuster Children's UK · MMXIDork Diaries: Pop StarBook 4Dork Diaries: Skating SensationSimon & Schuster Children's UK · MMXIIDork Diaries: Skating SensationBook 5Dork Diaries: Dear DorkSimon & Schuster Children's UK · MMXIIDork Diaries: Dear DorkBook 6Dork Diaries: Holiday HeartbreakSimon & Schuster Children's UK · MMXIIIDork Diaries: Holiday HeartbreakBook 7Dork Diaries: TV StarSimon & Schuster Children's UK · MMXIVDork Diaries: TV StarBook 8Dork Diaries: Once Upon a DorkSimon & Schuster Children's UK · MMXIVDork Diaries: Once Upon a DorkBook 9Dork Diaries: Drama QueenSimon & Schuster Children's UK · MMXVDork Diaries: Drama QueenBook 10Dork Diaries: Puppy LoveSimon & Schuster Children's UK · MMXVDork Diaries: Puppy LoveBook 11Dork Diaries: Frenemies ForeverSimon & Schuster Children's UK · MMXVIDork Diaries: Frenemies ForeverBook 12Dork Diaries: Crush CatastropheSimon & Schuster Children's UK · MMXVIIIDork Diaries: Crush CatastropheBook 13Dork Diaries: Birthday Drama!Simon & Schuster Children's UK · MMXIXDork Diaries: Birthday Drama!Book 14Dork Diaries: Spectacular SuperstarSimon & Schuster Children's UK · MMXIXDork Diaries: Spectacular SuperstarBook 15Dork Diaries: I Love Paris!Simon & Schuster Children's UK · MMXXIIIDork Diaries: I Love Paris!Book 16Dork Diaries: Sister ShowdownSimon & Schuster Children's UK · MMXXIVDork Diaries: Sister Showdown
Fit check
Right for your reader?
Where the series lands by age
- 1
- 3
- 5
- 7
- 9
- 11
- 13
- 15
- 17
- 19
- Best fit · 9–12
- Read aloud · 8–11
- Independent · 9–12
Reluctant-reader friendliness
Very high
Read-aloud quality
Workable
Adult crossover
Low
Grows with the reader
Not especially
Sensitivity envelope
Low overall, and consistent.
Where it sits
In conversation with other series.
About the author