Recommended If You Like Diary of a Wimpy Kid and/or Dork Diaries

Books for elementary and middle school students who love the Diary of a Wimpy Kid and/or Dork Diaries series. Several titles in this list are the first in a series.

Updated April 7, 2026
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Middle school bites
Banks, Steven
Paper Book
Tom is desperate to fit in at school, but he's hungry and howling, not to mention half dead. Blame it on the vampire - and the werewolf - and the zombie - in this monstrously funny new series from SpongeBob SquarePants head writer Steven Banks. "Fast! Funny!...
Oliver's Great Big Universe: the laugh-out-loud new illustrated series about school, space and everything in between!
Cham, Jorge.
Paper Book
'Mind-expanding and hilarious!' Jeff Kinney, author of the bestselling DIARY OF A WIMPY KID series. 'A brainy guide to the barfs, farts and burps of Planet Earth.' The Times This hilarious new illustrated series will make you laugh-out-loud...
Worst broommate ever!
Coven, Wanda
Paper Book
The first book in the New York Times bestseller Middle School and Other Disasters series, witch-in-training Heidi Heckelbeck juggles magical mishaps and everyday mayhem at her new boarding school. Featuring black-and-white illustrations and doodles throughout and perfect for fans of Dork...
Olga and the smelly thing from nowhere
Gravel, Elise
Paper Book
A Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Book of the Year! Meet Olga, the amazing child scientist who LOVES animals (because they are super-cute)! Brightly put this heavily illustrated don't-miss book on their "Ultimate Summer Reading List for 9- to 12-Year-Olds." Olga and...
Words Apart
Lucido, Aimee.
Paper Book
Olive thinks in words. Mattie thinks in pictures. Can they find a way to speak the same language "Thoughtfully exploring learning disabilities, divorce, crushes, and the struggle to fit in, this inviting, cleverly constructed story with richly multifaceted characters...
Accidental trouble magnet
Mian, Zanib
Paper Book
Welcome, readers, to the imaginative brain of Omar! You might not know me yet, but once you open the pages of this book you'll laugh so hard that snot will come out of your nose (plus you might meet a dragon and a zombie - what more could you want?). My parents decided it would...
No fear!
Moore, Steve
Ebook
From the nationally syndicated cartoonist of "In the Bleachers" comes a new, highly illustrated middle grade series about Steve, who plays the same position in every sport: bench-warmer. Perfect for fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Timmy Failure, King of the Bench is an ode to teammates,...
Mistakes were made
Pastis, Stephan
Paper Book
Want to aspire to greatness? Check out this edition of Timmy Failure's first adventure--featuring the bonus section "How to Draw Timmy and Total." He may be clueless, but the comically self-confident Timmy Failure is CEO of the best detective agency in town, perhaps even the...
Jacky Ha-Ha
Patterson, James
Paper Book
In this #1 New York Times bestselling novel, get to know Jacky Ha-Ha, a funny class clown who loves to make people laugh--even when everything else in her life feels anything but silly. With her irresistible urge to tell a joke in every situation-...
Jake the fake keeps it real
Robinson, Craig
Ebook
For fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Big Nate comes the first book in a side-splitting illustrated series from comedian and film star Craig Robinson, #1 New York Times bestselling author Adam Mansbach, and NAACP History Maker recipient and cartoonist Keith Knight.   ...
A bad god's guide to being good
Stowell, Louie
Paper Book
Sam Wu is NOT afraid of ghosts!
Tsang, Katie
Paper Book
The brilliantly funny and first book in the SAM WU series, starring the bravest scaredy-cat in the world! Perfect for reluctant readers and fans of STEM, Tom Fletcher, Pamela Butchart and Sam Copeland's CHARLIE CHANGES INTO A CHICKEN. From the author pair behind new magic middle grade fantasy...
Everyday disasters and impending doom
Vivat, Booki
Ebook
An instant New York Times bestseller, Booki Vivat's Frazzled is the first installment of a funny middle grade series about a girl who is always in a tizzy. "Hilarious." (NPR's All Things Considered) "Honest, sweet, and laugh-out-loud funny. Fans of Smile and Diary of a Wimpy Kid...

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