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Series Comedy ages 7–9

Riley Wright

Part of the collectionRiley Wright

A funny, doodle-filled diary series for 7–9s about friendship wobbles, embarrassing parents and finding your people. Warm, relatable and hugely readable.

  • Books3
  • Arcs1
  • Span2026
  • StatusOngoing
Start hereRiley Wright is Always WrongBook 1 · 2026 · the natural entry to the series
Open

The series

At a glance.

A journal-style comedy series for 7–9s told through Riley's doodle-filled diary, illustrated throughout by Sr. Sanchez. Riley is always wrong, or so it feels: she starts at Heverton Junior School with her embarrassing dad as head teacher, then hosts a nerve-wracking first sleepover and survives a school trip that goes hilariously sideways. Recurring threads run across the books — best friend Emmie, the meanness of Harper, and Riley's search for her place and her talent — while each story is a self-contained comedy of friendship worries and hard-won kindness. Warm, relatable and highly readable, it is aimed squarely at newly independent readers who love funny, illustrated diaries.

A funny, doodle-filled diary series for 7–9s about friendship wobbles, embarrassing parents and finding your people. Warm, relatable and hugely readable.

Primary themes

Overall tone

  • Funny
  • Warm
  • Heartwarming
Reading order

Best read in order (1–3) to follow Riley's friendships, but each book tells a self-contained story.

One arc

The shape of the series.

  1. I
    Standalone collection arcLow sensitivity

    Riley Wright's diaries

    The three warm, funny Riley Wright diaries in order.

    The three Riley Wright diaries, each a self-contained illustrated comedy tied together by a recurring cast and Riley's search for her place. Always Wrong introduces the school where her dad is head teacher and the looming talent show; Super Awkward Sleepover turns a first sleepover into a comedy of friendship worries once horrible Harper lands on the guest list; and Terrible School Trip sends the class off on an outing that goes predictably, hilariously wrong. Warm, doodle-filled and relatable, the books share a register of gentle friendship comedy and hard-won kindness.

    Reads as

    • Funny
    • Warm
    • Heartwarming

Fit check

Right for your reader?

Where the series lands by age

  • 1
  • 3
  • 5
  • 7
  • 9
  • 11
  • 13
  • 15
  • 17
  • 19
  • Best fit · 7–9
  • Read aloud · 6–9
  • Independent · 7–9

Reluctant-reader friendliness

Very high

Read-aloud quality

Strong

Adult crossover

Low

Grows with the reader

Not especially

Sensitivity envelope

Low overall, and consistent.

LowSeries-level

Where it sits

In conversation with other series.

Similar in feel

Different shelves, same wavelength.

About the author

Mel Taylor-Bessent.

Mel Taylor-Bessent

Author

Mel Taylor-Bessent: bestselling author of The Christmas Carrolls whose warm, doodle-filled Riley Wright diaries are a reliable, hugely funny hit for newly independent 7-9s who love Dork Diaries.

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Last reviewed · July 2026How we recommend

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