Dork Diaries #3: Tales from a Not-So-Talented Pop Star

In the third Dork Diaries book, Nikki Maxwell is desperate to keep her classmates from discovering her scholarship secret—that her dad works as the school's exterminator. Fearing embarrassment, especially in front of her crush, Brandon, she’s thrilled when a talent competition offers a scholarship as the grand prize. Now Nikki, who loves singing and dancing, has a shot at freeing her dad from his job at the school, all while having fun with her friends. Hilarious mishaps, misunderstandings, and heartfelt moments follow as Nikki competes to protect her reputation.

The Series: Dive into the hilarious and heartwarming world of Nikki Maxwell as she navigates the chaos of a new school, deals with a mean girl nemesis, and tries to impress her new crush—all while documenting every awkward moment in her trusty diary. Dork Diaries is a laugh-out-loud series perfect for kids and teens who love relatable characters and funny situations. Parents will appreciate the positive messages about resilience, friendship, and self-acceptance. According to the School Library Journal, Nikki, a self-professed dork and aspiring artist, faces the challenges of starting at a new private middle school, dealing with the queen of mean girls, MacKenzie, and hiding the fact that she is attending on a scholarship because her father is the school's exterminator. Horn Book Magazine describes the series as delivering fluffy sitcom-style humor for tweens, with handwriting-like font, humorous manga-like doodles, and comic sketches adding authenticity to Nikki's diary format. Kirkus Reviews highlights Nikki's journey of self-discovery as she deals with her new-girl angst, exaggeratedly mean MacKenzie, and her fledgling crush, all while emphasizing the importance of being true to oneself. Although some reviews are mixed, with Common Sense Media noting it as "thick with materialism, thin on plot," the series remains highly rated with 4.8/5 on Amazon, 4.11/5 on GoodReads, and 4.3 on Google, making it a delightful read for a range of tweens. Winner of the Kids Choice Books Awards, 2010. 

Female lead character

Genres: Realistic Fiction, Humor

Themes: Friendship, School Life, Overcoming Challenges, Coming of Age

Recommended Grades: Grades 3-6