The Overthinkers' Club
Part of the collectionThe Overthinkers' Club→A witty, reassuring diary series about a twelve-year-old champion overthinker and the Happy List she builds to fight her anxiety — for Lottie Brooks and Dork Diaries fans.
- Books1
- Arcs1
- Span2026
- StatusOngoing
The series
At a glance.
The Overthinkers' Club is a funny, empathetic illustrated diary series by comedian and screenwriter Nat Luurtsema, illustrated by Cécile Dormeau. Twelve-year-old Birdie is brilliant at overthinking — starting with a tiny worry and catastrophising until it is completely overwhelming — so she and her best friend Chloe hit on a plan: a Happy List of things that might cancel out the anxiety. Told in a sharp, witty diary voice, the series navigates starting secondary school, blended families, self-image and shifting friendships with real comic flair and a lot of gentle wisdom about worry. It is a reassuring, laugh-out-loud read that takes anxiety seriously without ever feeling heavy, pitched squarely at the awkward stretch between childhood and the teenage years.
A witty, reassuring diary series about a twelve-year-old champion overthinker and the Happy List she builds to fight her anxiety — for Lottie Brooks and Dork Diaries fans.
Primary themes
Overall tone
- Funny
- Warm
- Heartwarming
- Thought provoking
A new series; read in publication order from the first book. A second book is planned but not yet dated.
One arc
The shape of the series.
- IStandalone collection arcBook 1 · 2026Low sensitivity
Birdie's Happy List
A champion overthinker and her best friend build a Happy List to outwit their anxiety.
The series opens with Birdie and her best friend Chloe deciding to fight their anxiety with a Happy List — dancing, gratitude and a good night's sleep — which genuinely helps, until 'make new friends' lands on the list and hands Birdie a whole new thing to fret about. The book pairs a very witty diary voice with warm, doodle-filled pages (illustrated by Cécile Dormeau) and threads real feeling through the comedy: starting secondary school, blended families, self-image and changing friendships. The mental-health theme is handled lightly and reassuringly, never frightening. A funny, empathetic, low-sensitivity read that offers gentle wisdom about worry to any young overthinker.
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 · 9–12
- Independent · 9–13
Reluctant-reader friendliness
High
Read-aloud quality
Workable
Adult crossover
High
Grows with the reader
Not especially
Sensitivity envelope
Low overall, and consistent.
Content notes
- Mental health
Where it sits
In conversation with other series.
Similar in feel
Different shelves, same wavelength.
- Dork Diaries →
- The Extraordinary Life of Lottie Brooks →
About the author