If you or your child loves The Dork Diaries series, check out these 16 books like The Dork Diaries for more reading inspiration!
The Dork Diaries is a beloved book series aimed at kids aged 7-11 years. Written and illustrated by Rachel Renee Russell, they follow the main character Nikki Maxwell as she learns to navigate life while being, in her words, Queen of the Dorks.
Her diary is a safe space, and Nikki shares her most embarrassing moments with relatability and humour.
Kids of this age tend to love The Dork Diaries, and with fifteen books in the series at the time of writing, there’s plenty for them to enjoy.
But if your child has exhausted the series, or they’re just looking for new characters, there are plenty of other diary-style books with a similar feel to this series.
Here are 16 books like The Dork Diaries – hopefully, at least one of them will be just what you’re looking for!
16 Books Like The Dork Diaries
Notebooks of a Middle School Princess by Meg Cabot
While The Princess Diaries seem like the perfect fit here, they’re aimed at a slightly older age range than The Dork Diaries. Luckily, Meg Cabot released the Notebooks of a Middle School Princess series, which perfectly fits the gap!
In this series, Princess Mia makes a comeback, this time as an adult. She’s here to explain to the main character, Olivia Grace, is actually a princess. And so the cycle continues …
Like Mia before her, Olivia must learn how to act like a princess. She’s overwhelmed and dazed, but she’s also funny, cheeky, and slightly sarcastic: the perfect middle-school-aged protagonist.
Olivia and her BFF Nishi are fun characters for girls of this age group to relate to, and the story of being whisked away to become a princess is as magical as it was in the original Princess Diaries series.
Buy Notebooks of a Middle School Princess by Meg Cabot
Amelia’s Boy Survival Guide by Marissa Moss
This is the thirteenth book in the Amelia series, but readers can easily pick this one up first; the adventures are standalone, and the character of Amelia is so funny that kids will enjoy getting stuck into her life straight away.
Eighth-grade Amelia can’t understand why her friends are so interested in boys all of a sudden. That is, until Gerald comes onto the scene.
Amelia navigates this first crush in a way that is relatable and funny. As she plucks up the courage to ask Gerald to the school dance, she overthinks how to do it in a way that feels painfully authentic to look back on from an adult perspective. It’s a wise, funny, and warm-hearted series for kids to get stuck into.
Buy Amelia’s Boy Survival Guide
Emily Sparkles and the Friendship Fiasco by Ruth Fitzgerald
Friendship problems are extremely common for the 9-12 age group, and Emily Sparkles and the Friendship Fiasco deals with this tricky subject with wisdom and humour.
Emily is going through a difficult time: her best friend is moving away to Wales, her parents are having a baby, and she has to team up with Gross-Out Gavin on their upcoming school trip.
Things go from bad to worse when the new girl Chloe arrives. Emily wants to make friends with Chloe asap.
Unfortunately, Emily’s enemy Zuzanna wants Chloe to herself. It’s a book about a series of small disasters and how Emily decides to overcome them. Plus, it’s laugh-out-loud funny for this age group!
Buy Emily Sparkles and the Friendship Fiasco
The Extremely Embarrassing Life of Lottie Brookes by Katie Kirby
At this age, embarrassment is a common feeling. No one understands this better than the main character of this series, Lottie. The Extremely Embarrassing Life of Lottie Brookes deals with bras, body image, tricky friendships, family problems, and more, all with humour that will have kids of this age group laughing out loud.
These stories are chaotic and fun (like the Georgia Nicolson series by Louise Rennison) and are perfectly pitched for the 9-12 age group.
Lottie is relatable (even if a little ridiculous), and kids will love reading about her rapidly escalating mishaps.
There are three books in the collection so far, so if your kid gets on well with them, they can enjoy the follow-up adventures, too.
Buy The Extremely Embarrassing Life of Lottie Brookes
The Unteachables by Gordon Kormon
If your child loves The Dork Diaries because of the larger-than-life characters, chances are they’ll enjoy The Unteachables!
Aimed at the 9-12 age bracket, The Unteachables follows a series of interesting kids, all sent to learn in a separate room from the other kids.
In Room 117, teacher Mr. Kermit attempts to deal with these kids while also suffering from a severe case of teaching burnout.
But, of course, both the kids and Mr. Kermit have a lot to learn from each other. It’s a funny and action-packed story with a heartwarming message of redemption, and the humour is spot-on.
It’s one of those ‘unputdownable’ books, ideal for reluctant readers wanting to get back into books again.
Ella Diaries 1: Double Dare You by Meredith Costain
In this fun first entry to the series, Ella looks forward to the new school year. Clad in her new uniform and clutching her new sparkly stationery, she’s ready for anything. Until her lessons begin, and Ella is seated next to her worst enemy, Peach.
Peach doesn’t see anything wrong with invading Ella’s personal space. Ella would much rather sit next to Zoe, her best friend.
As the story develops, Ella has to deal with bullies, lunchtime shenanigans, and friendship problems. This is a fun series, full of just enough drama for 9-12-year-olds while being light and readable. Perfect for young readers who love the total honesty of The Dork Diaries!
Geek Girl by Holly Smale
Geek Girl is a hugely popular series for slightly older girls (10-12 is about right). It follows Harriet Manners, a quiet, nervous ‘geek’.
One day, she stumbles upon a modelling opportunity, and her life quickly changes in a way she would never have imagined. But how will Harriet get over her own awkwardness to become a model?
Harriet’s nervousness is relatable to many girls of this age, and these books offer a great bit of escapism for girls of this age.
It’s based on the real-life story of the author after she was spotted by a modelling agent at 15. Perhaps this is why Harriet’s geekiness feels so authentic!
There are several books in the series for kids to enjoy if they get on well with the first one.
Making Friends by Kristen Gudsnuk
Making Friends is a great way to get the 8-12 age bracket into graphic novels (if they haven’t explored them already!).
In Making Friends, the main character Danielle desperately wants to make a friend at her brand-new middle school.
Luckily, she inherits a magic sketchbook and dreams up the perfect best friend. When her new BFF comes to life, Dany can’t believe her luck.
The downside is that Madison has quite a lot of willpower, and she’s not too impressed to discover that her best friend created her.
What follows is a sweet story about friendship, and it will be a relatable story for any kid struggling to make friends. The art is vibrant and fun to look at, too.
The Pages Between Us by Lindsey Leavitt and Robin Mellom
In The Pages Between Us, the narrative switches between two best friends, Piper and Olivia. Annoyed at the lack of shared classes, they decide to keep a diary to pass between them and write a series of letters chronicling their time apart.
Hidden on their desks as French homework, this notebook accompanies them as they deal with the difficult ‘middle stage’ of the preteen years.
Piper and Olivia are dealing with new and grown-up problems, like mean girls and new crushes, and the notebook becomes a place of solace for them to pour out their problems.
But staying close as they grow up will be a tricky thing to navigate. Written by two authors, Piper and Olivia have distinct voices, and it’s a fun experience to switch between the two.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
Chances are, your kid has heard of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, even if they haven’t read the books yet! With a whopping 19 books in the series, they’re a good investment for kids to get stuck into, especially more reluctant readers.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid follows the main character Greg, as he tries to learn how to deal with school, family, and all the other problems life wants to throw at him.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid shares the same silly humour and total honesty as The Dork Diaries, so it might make a great follow-on series. It’s also a great series to get into for keen book collectors!
Kate the Great: Except When She’s Not by Suzy Becker
Kate is a sassy, funny main character. She’s into art, flute playing, and scribbling down her thoughts using doodles and cartoons.
Kate is the middle child: her older sister seems to be perfect, and her baby sister is so cute she gets away with everything.
This in itself causes problems, but having to get along with her enemy Nora tips Kate into despair.
Kate’s character is wise and witty, and kids will love reading about her adventures at school and home. The sequel, Kate the Great: Winner Takes All is just as vibrant and absorbing, too.
Buy Kate the Great: When She’s Not
Stick Cat: A Tale of Two Kitties by Tom Watson
From the author of Stick Dog comes Stick Cat, a sweet and funny illustrated story about the plucky Stick Cat and his friend Edith.
They love living in the city, but when they hear a man in trouble in a nearby building, they decide to come to the rescue.
These books are illustrated in the same style as Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and they’re light enough to appeal to reluctant readers.
Stick Cat’s adventures span five books (at least, so far), so there’s plenty for keen kids to get stuck into here!
Buy Stick Cat: A Tale of Two Kitties
Letters to Leo by Amy Hest
Animals are the best therapy, and nobody understands that better than Annie. Annie wanted a dog forever but was never allowed one; when her father finally gave in, she couldn’t believe her luck.
Annie writes stories about her day and reads them at bedtime to her new dog, Leo.
She has a lot to talk about, from mean kids at school to the grief she feels after losing her mother.
Letters to Leo is a funny, sweet, poignant book about the power of animal companions and how young children can learn to live alongside grief.
Any child will be able to sympathise with Annie, but it will be particularly relatable to children who have lost loved ones themselves.
It may be worth a readthrough by an adult beforehand if your child is struggling with loss, however.
Drama by Raina Telegmeier
Aimed at the 10-14 age group, Drama by Raina Telegmeier is another graphic novel with diverse characters, an interesting storyline, and tons of humour.
The main character, Callie, loves the theatre and wants to be an actress in the school production of Moon Over Mississippi. Unfortunately, she can’t sing. Still, she’s determined to get her foot in the door somehow …
Drama is a funny story with a bold, quirky main character, and her friendships are hilarious to read about. A great graphic novel for the preteen age bracket and ideal for kids who love the humour in The Dork Diaries.
The Accidental Diary of B.U.G by Jen Carney
The Accidental Diary of B.U.G is specifically advertised to kids who don’t like long or complicated books! It’s funny, it’s packed with doodles and funny illustrations, and most importantly, it’s very funny.
The main character, Billie Upton Green, keeps a diary about her time at school, her family life, and the many dramas of friendship.
It’s very similar to The Dork Diaries in both tone and layout and may be just the thing your kid is looking for if they’re feeling a bit fed up with reading. If this is your child, try this book. The writing is warm and funny, and very welcoming. Hopefully, it’ll be just the thing they need to get back into reading again.
Buy The Accidental Diary of B.U.G.
Diary of An Accidental Witch by Honor and Perdita Cargill
Diary of an Accidental Witch is kind of a collision between The Worst Witch and The Dork Diaries! Bea Black finds herself enrolled at Little Spellshire, a top-secret magic school.
The problem is, she doesn’t know how to do magic.
Bea’s adventures in school are hilarious, and it’s fun for kids to watch her getting to grips with magical pets, broomstick riding, and the usual friendship problems.
I’d recommend these books for kids who enjoy a little bit of magic in their stories; it has the same kind of feel as The Dork Diaries, but the sprinkling of witchcraft makes it slightly different. It’s a good one to move on if your child is looking for something new.
Buy The Diary of an Accidental Witch
I hope this has helped you to fill the gap if your child has finished The Dork Diaries series. There are many similar books to The Dork Diaries with interesting themes, silly doodles, and excellent humour to encourage even reluctant readers to keep trying.
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Megan Bidmead
Guest writer
Megan is a freelance writer based in Somerset, England. When she’s not writing about books, video games, and pop culture, she’s running around after her two kids and trying to squeeze in the occasional walk in the countryside.