Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Big Shot by Jeff Kinney
	Reviewed by Anonymous June 18, 2024 Grade 8

Your Rating: ☆☆★★★

Book Tags: Humor, Funny, Middle School 

Plot Summary: Greg Heffley realizes that he has little to no chance of becoming a professional athlete, so he decides to retire. Greg then has flashbacks to when he used to play soccer as a little kid and shares his experiences with sports. He remembers that there’s an upcoming sports event called “Field Day”, so he decides to prepare for this event by going to the gym to work out but he gets kicked out for goofing around. The whole school is crazy for Field Day as all the students, lunch ladies, and janitors are competing for a day off of work/school. The lunch ladies win, and the principal announces that everyone has a day off. On the day off, Greg’s mom encourages Greg to play a sport, and if he does then his mom will stop bugging him about joining a sport. And so Greg chooses basketball since he knows he has a slim chance of making it on the team. To his surprise, he makes it on the team along with other kids. The basketball season starts, will Greg’s team make it to the top? 

Personal Review: I liked the reminiscing of when Greg used to play soccer as a little kid since I used to play soccer, too as a little kid. But now, I just mainly play soccer with my little brothers. In the flashbacks of when Greg used to play soccer, it really displayed how chaotic little kids can be, as they were playing soccer, but they didn't care about rules or goals. One thing I found funny was that everything goes wrong for Greg. For example, Greg chose to try out for basketball knowing that he wouldn't make it and yet, he surprisingly made it, but not on the main team. So, Greg now is forced to play a game where he has little to no experience. The team Greg plays for isn't all that good since there are people like Greg who don't know how to play well. In addition, there is only one good player who ends up injured in a match, and without him, the team is nothing.

Similar Reads: One similar read is Big Nate.

	Dork Diaries: Tales from a Not-So-Best Friend Forever by Rachel Renee Russell
	Reviewed by Anonymous December 3, 2025 Grade 12

Your Rating: ★★★★★

Book Tags: Friendship • Middle School • Summer • Band/Concert • Drama • Diary • Frenemies

Plot Summary: In Dork Diaries: “Tales From a Not-So-Best Friend Forever”, Nikki Maxwell and her band are super excited for the summer tour—they’re opening for the famous Bad Boyz. But things go bad when Nikki finds out her frenemy, MacKenzie, got a job as the social media intern for the tour. What’s worse than that is MacKenzie is her roommate. Nikki’s dream summer starts turning into a nightmare with all the drama between them. Through her diary entries, Nikki tries to manage rehearsals, friendship drama, and MacKenzie’s constant meddling. Will Mackenzie ruin the tour for Nikki and her crew? Or will they succeed, no matter how much meddling Mackenzie does? 

Personal Review: I thought this book was pretty fun and super relatable for middle school life. Nikki’s diary style is perfect—her jokes, the sketches, and her honest thoughts make her feel real and funny. I really liked how the book showed her struggling with MacKenzie. It’s not just mean-girl stuff: there’s real tension and moments where Nikki doubts herself, which made me feel for her. Also, the whole band-tour idea was awesome. It’s cool seeing her and her friends actually work together on something big, and their rehearsals and performances added energy to the story. On the flip side, some parts were a little predictable. MacKenzie messing things up for Nikki is kind of a pattern in the series, so I saw a few of her moves coming. The summer tour plot was exciting, and seeing Nikki and her friends rehearse and try to work together added a cool sense of teamwork and ambition. It wasn’t just fluff — there’s a lot of heart behind the humor, especially when Nikki questions whether she’s good enough, or whether her friendships will survive the chaos. Overall, this book is a really enjoyable, fast read for anyone who likes funny middle-school stories, friendship ups and downs, and a little bit of music and performance drama.

Similar Reads: Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney and Dear Dumb Diary by Jim Benton.

	Dork Diaries: Tales from a Not-So-Dorky Drama Queen by Rachel Renee Russell
	Reviewed by Anonymous December 10, 2025 Grade 12

Your Rating: ☆★★★★

Book Tags: Dork Diaries, Book series, Diary fiction, Comedy books, Books for Teens

Plot Summary: Nikki’s life gets chaotic when drama queen Mackenzie steals her diary and starts causing major drama. Nikki teams up with her friends to figure out what Mackenzie is planning. Their search leads to unexpected clues and tense moments at school. As things get messier, Nikki realizes she’ll have to stay brave to protect her secrets. If Nikki doesn’t get her book back, all of her deepest, darkest secrets can come out. The pressure builds as she races to get her diary back. Can she get her diary back in time before all her secrets are out? Or will Mackenzie get her way this time and ruin Nikki's life forever?

Personal Review: Dork Diaries: Not So Dorky Drama Queen was honestly really funny, and I loved reading it. Of course, MacKenzie was being her usual drama-queen, spoiled self, which definitely kept the story entertaining. I liked the humor throughout the book and how dramatic everything got over the diary—it made me want to keep turning the pages. I couldn’t wait for Nikki to get her diary back, because the whole time I was stressed for her. One thing I didn’t like, though, was how much of the book focused on MacKenzie. It felt like she took up most of the pages, and sometimes I just wanted to get back to Nikki and her normal vibe. But at the same time, it was actually interesting to see things from MacKenzie’s point of view for once. Getting a peek inside her head showed a different side of her, not just the typical “shoes, clothes, purses, glam” that she’s always obsessed with—though, yes, that was definitely still there. It made her feel more like a real person instead of just the mean girl stereotype. Overall, the book was funny, dramatic, and super entertaining. I enjoyed the mix of chaos and comedy, and even the moments where I was annoyed at MacKenzie still kept me hooked. It’s a fun read, especially if you like seeing both the main character’s perspective and the “villain’s” side of the drama.

Similar Reads: Dear Dumb Diary by Jim Benton, Dork Diaries by Rachel Renee Russell, Amelia’s Notebook by Marissa Moss