The Dork Diaries by Rachel Renee Russell— Finding Yourself in Middle School

ᴅᴇsɪɢɴ ʙʏ: ʀᴀɢɪɴɪ

𝐁𝐲: 𝐍𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐚

It’s your lunch break in 6th grade. The maggi in your tiffin has gotten all cold and you and your friends are eating it like a big block of jelly. The newest book of The Dork Diaries series is open in your lap as you think- "Maybe, I’m not alone."

The Dork Diaries was all anyone could talk about in 2016. It revolves around the life of Nikki Maxwell, a series about the diary entries of a quirky middle schooler who just wants to fit in. Reminds you of yourself? Millions of other readers thought so too, as everyone was enthralled by Nikki’s adventures with bullies, boys and the guilty need to be popular.

The books are filled with humor and honesty about the daunting era that is The Tweenage. The way Nikki always refused to be anything but herself regardless of the inevitable need to fit in, always spoke to me. The relatability of these books brought over a sense of relief as I finally grasped that I’m not that different.

Struggling to figure myself out at the young age of 11, these books made me realize that no one else has got to that either. Looking back, these books always kept me grounded in sanity. I remember laughing about them with my friends at school, and maybe they contributed to our understanding of self-love and acceptance. It serves as a reminder of why relatable literature will always be significant for a child’s development, making sure they never feel alone.

Even now, when I look at this series in bookstores, a smile crawls on my face as I am reminded of the brightness it lit in my childhood :)