Part of Dork Diaries, book 1
First published 2014
Eighth grader Nikki Maxwell starts fresh at a snooty new school where everything feels foreign and intimidating. She documents her experiences through diary entries filled with sketches and honest observations about teenage life. Nikki battles her mother over getting an iPhone while pursuing her passion for drawing and art. At school, she encounters Mackenzie, the reigning queen bee who quickly becomes her biggest rival. Their conflict escalates when they compete against each other in a schoolwide art competition. Nikki chronicles her daily struggles with making friends, dealing with crushes, and figuring out where she fits in the social hierarchy. Her diary becomes a safe space where she can express her frustrations about popularity contests and family dynamics. Through her artwork and writing, Nikki discovers her own voice while learning that authenticity matters more than fitting in with the popular crowd.
Genres: fiction, art, family-life, school-stories, contemporary, adolescence
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family, rivals-to-lovers
Setting: School
Period: Eighth Grade
327 pages · Paperback · Alliance Entertainment