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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Gotta-Read Book for Middle-Graders, June 21, 2009
This review is from: Dork Diaries: Tales from a Not-So-Fabulous Life (Hardcover)
Dork Diaries is very much like the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, only for girls. Since I am a fan of that series, I was really excited to read this book. Nikki Maxwell, an enormously funny character, is getting ready to start a new school. She wants to be part of the CCP group. CCP stands for cute, cool, and popular. She's positive that if her mother purchased her a new iPhone, it would secure her a spot there.
Nikki's mother arrives home with a back-to-school present she purchased at the mall. Nikki is positive it's an iPhone. What does her mother purchase for her instead? A diary. Although Nikki swears not write in the diary, she does. And because she is artist, many of the pages include her sketches.
Even though Nikki doesn't get an iPhone, that doesn't stop the desire. An opportunity presents itself when Nikki learns about an art contest. The grand prize is $500. The only problem is Mackenzie Hollister, leader of the CCP group, is also entering. Mackenzie will do whatever it takes to win.
There was so much to love about the book. The ending was different than I expected, which was a great surprise. What I liked best was seeing her grow in the book. Nikki experienced some pretty horrible things, but she did find friends - good friends, not the superficial CCP ones.
This review is by Nona, my daughter.
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16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Funny and authentic, June 16, 2009
This review is from: Dork Diaries: Tales from a Not-So-Fabulous Life (Hardcover)
Nikki Maxwell, a self-proclaimed dork, is just trying to get through her eighth grade year at her new private school, Westchester Country Day. A voracious writer and budding artist, she deals with all the normal things girls her age face: her parents not understanding her, an annoying sibling, friend troubles, and stuck up girls. But then a school art competition gives Nikki the chance to shine--if she can beat Mackenzie, the most stuck-up and snobbish girl in the school.
Dork Diaries is a hilarious and authentic portrayal of the ups and downs of middle school, finding friends who understand you, and finding yourself. Nikki is a witty, smart, and self-deprecating character that many young teens and preteens will be able to relate to, and her voice is especially compelling, despite her tendency to be a bit dramatic. The many drawings and the simple, straightforward writing style in Dork Diaries is certain to appeal to girls who don't normally read. Rachel Russell has created a fun, clever, and highly entertaining book that is sure to satisfy.
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20 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Wimpy Kid - For Girls, August 20, 2009
This review is from: Dork Diaries: Tales from a Not-So-Fabulous Life (Hardcover)
Nikki Maxwell needs a cell phone, and she needs it before she starts at her new school, otherwise she can kiss popularity and a social life goodbye. Fortunately for us, Nikki's mom doesn't comply in the way she expected. Instead, she gets a diary, and in the line of Greg from Diary of a Wimpy Kid. The formats of the two books are pretty much identical: a teenager writing and drawing about their life. The main difference is that Dork Diaries is aimed at girls, while Diary of a Wimpy Kid is targeted at boys. The interesting thing about the two is that Wimpy Kid will appeal to girls also. And I don't mean that boys won't identify with Nikki, it's just that when you put a pink cover on a book you are saying: This book is for girls. There are few boys out there that will willingly pick up a pink book.
The content of the book is Nikki getting adjusted to life at an upper-class school that she is only attending because her dad got the exterminator contract for it. I love when she wants to melt into a puddle when he pulls up in his van; because of course it has a giant roach on the top of it. At one point she pulls out the old `take-a-garbage-bag-and-poke-holes-in-it-so-no-one-sees-me' trick which I absolutely loved because I happen to have had an experience that required a paper bag! (No, I'm not telling, and yes, it was forever ago!)
Nikki goes through the trials and tribulations of a young girl who wants to be friends with the popular girls, realizes the popular girls are really mean, and finds friends who she wouldn't necessarily have chosen, but who turn out to be good for her. All-in-all Nikki is a believable 14-year-old (who sometimes seems a bit younger, but that could have just been me reading her as being whiny) who will have her readers laughing and sighing in agreement all at the same time.
Notes on the Cover:
I love the yellow post-it on the cover with the stick drawing of the gossipy girls in the background with Nikki front and center. I love that she's writing with her favorite pen and trying to ignore the haters behind her. I do like the pink, but my concern is that boys won't pick it up. Of course, they're not the target audience, but that doesn't mean they wouldn't enjoy it!
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