Tales from a Not-So-Bratty Little Sister

December 13, 2024

Gr 5 Up-After 16 books spent in the eighth grade, is beloved dork Nikki Maxwell finally going to high school? The beginning of this book hints that this next step might be forthcoming as she frets over the uncertainty of an upcoming school change. However, the remainder of the book follows a well-worn pattern: Nikki crushes on Brandon, endures MacKenzie's mean-girl antics, and bends over backwards to support her BFFs, Chloe and Zoey. When unexpected complications arise, Nikki's "bratty" little sister, Brianna, gets ahold of her diary and narrates/illustrates the middle two-thirds of this volume, though many of the pages include illustrations from Brianna's older diaries, making this section feel like the flashback episode of a sitcom. Although Brianna's voice adds a somewhat refreshing twist, this installment stagnates under the weight of outdated slang, shallow character development, and simplistic conflicts that are easily solved. There is very little dorkery to be found here. Nikki and her friends all conform to conventional beauty standards, have mainstream hobbies, and deal with mundane problems. VERDICT Existing fans will most likely be eager to read this installment, but, with its very familiar beats, it's hard to imagine a new generation of readers connecting with "Dork Diaries."-Catherine Cote

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