Diary-Style Children’s Books

The Wimpy Kid books are well known for turning reluctant readers into book fans, enjoyed for their easy-to-read style, laugh-out-loud humour and integrated cartoon-style illustrations.

​The books follow the ups and downs of middle school life as Greg navigates starting a new school, finding friendships and dealing with bullies.

The Lottie Brooks books by Katie Kirby are hugely popular with preteen readers. This hilarious illustrated series explores the daily ups and downs of growing up, including facing puberty, navigating friendships, dealing with first crushes and all of the embarrassing moments that come with handling school and family life.

Many readers of the Lottie Brooks series enjoy the laugh-out-humour, the funny doodle-style illustrations and the true-to-life themes covered in the story. Lottie is a relatable character who resonates particularly well with girls in the 9-12 age bracket.

For more similar books, check out our list of books for fans of Lottie Brooks.

The bestselling Dork Diaries series by Rachel Renée Russell follows Nikki Maxwell as she documents the ups and downs of her teen years of life through diary entries and comic-style doodles.

The stories cover familiar topics such as moving to a new school and navigating friendship groups, bullies and crushes.

The Dork Diaries books have earned enormous popularity for their easy-to-read style, casual humour and relatable scenarios.

The Secret Diary of Kitty Cask: Smuggler’s Daughter is set in 18th-century Cornwall. It’s an exciting, action-packed adventure told in diary form. Kitty and her family live in a small fishing village. Her father is the head of a gang of smugglers who are trying to keep their contraband and illegal activities hidden from the excisemen. Kitty is supposed to stay safely at home but she regularly creeps out at night to watch her father and his men at work. Very soon she gets caught up in the action. There’s a shipwreck, secret caves, betrayal and a prison break.

I enjoyed how the book is a mixture of fact and fiction. The characters and settings are fictional but the book is packed with interesting factual detail – much of which is included in the footnotes. The Secret Diary of Kitty Cask is highly entertaining historical fiction for a young audience; it really brings a place, a time and a way of life alive for its readers.

Cloud Boy is a beautiful, heart-breaking dual narrative that links the stories of Harry, who is diagnosed with a brain tumour in modern times, and Gertie, who was taken prisoner in Changi, Singapore during WW2, through Gertie’s granddaughter and Harry’s best friend – Angie Moon.

Harry enjoys cloud spotting and is an expert on the different types of clouds; Angie is an artist who loves to paint; and Grandma Gertie is a dab-hand at sewing. Marcia Williams’ story cleverly weaves the two narratives together through a series of diary entries and letters, based – in part – on real-life memories around the creation of the Changi Quilt.

It is a magnificent exploration of human bravery, determination, kindness and love, while also expertly exposing the denial, anger and hurt experienced in different ways by each of the characters in response to their experiences.

This tale of friendship, love and loss will stay with you long after you have read the final page.

Diary of an Accidental Witch is funny, quirky and super-readable. Think, The Worst Witch rebooted for a new generation, with a sprinkling of Amelia Fang and Wizard in Training stirred into the same cauldron.
When Bea Black’s Dad accidentally enrols her into the ‘wrong’ school, she learns more about magic than maths. Bea keeps a record of daily events, such as how surprisingly disgusting witch food can be. The entries are unusually precisely timed and peppered with crossings out, as though lifted from a real diary…

A diary-style book that merges modern life with Greek mythology.

Hercules Braver is desperate to live up to his name and sees starting high school as the perfect opportunity to assert both himself and his two friends, Pav and Hatty, as the coolest new kids in school.

Unfortunately, things don’t go according to plan, but just when things look like they couldn’t get any worse, a miracle occurs – Hercules’ birth dad shows up. He doesn’t just look like a Greek god; it turns out that he is a Greek God. On the plus side, he can grant wishes and make Hercules the coolest kid in town.

A funny, laugh-out-loud book which will appeal to fans of Wimpy Kid as well as those with an interest in Greek mythology. Easy-to-read text with illustrations by David O’Connell.

Lawrence, a big, bad, wolf, has just emerged from his den after a long, hard winter. He’s weak, tired and hungry and so embarks on a mission to get fit and find the ultimate, delectable treat: Little Red Riding Hood. But it’s not as easy as he thinks, for Lawrence is a lone wolf, without a pack and there is a pesky group of characters who keep getting in the way of his nefarious dinner plans… three little pigs, a woodcutter, a grandma and a mysterious old woman who brews concoctions in her gingerbread house all get in his way, tricking or outwitting him!

This is a fun and easy read that children will love. It’s funny, silly and the outcomes of Lawrence the Wolf’s actions are always hilariously predictable, making the story highly enjoyable. You can’t help but like and feel sorry for the misguided Lawrence, who struggles to see what is right in front of him.

The illustrations are endearing and add to the fun element of the story. There is a mixture of fonts and page layouts, which make the book appealing to reluctant readers.

A really enjoyable read which I would recommend to all pupils.

I first read this book about a year ago and I thought it was brilliant. It’s a great book to read aloud because the way Pig speaks is so cool. I also loved the hierarchy of animals in the farm. The chickens are a particular delight.