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
Drag items up and down to your preferred order then select the "Save Order" button.
Monday
Amores, Eva
Paper Book
The humor of Captain Underpants meets the blockbuster format of Diary of a Wimpy Kid in this laugh-out-loud series about Justin Chase, who is having the Worst. Week. EVER! Have you ever had a bad week? Justin Chase sure has and THIS is it! His mom has just married a vampire. His dad...
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
Cham, Jorge
Paper Book
This laugh-out-loud illustrated series is "mind-expanding and hilarious!" says Jeff Kinney, author of the international bestselling series Diary of a Wimpy Kid. "An absolute gem!" Lincoln Peirce, bestselling creator of Big Nate, agrees. "Will get the entire family...
Worst broommate ever!
Coven, Wanda
Paper Book
A New York Times bestseller! In this hilarious first book in the Middle School and Other Disasters series, witch-in-training Heidi Heckelbeck juggles magical mishaps and everyday mayhem at her new boarding school. It's goodbye, Brewster Elementary and...
Ghosted
Fry, Michael
Paper Book
From the best-selling author of the How to Be a Supervillain series comes this laugh-out-loud, heavily illustrated story of a shy boy, his best-friend-turned-ghost, and their bucket list of adventures and dares. Perfect for fans of the Timmy Failure and Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. ...
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...
Maple's theory of fun
McMillan, Kate
Paper Book
Perfect for fans of Dork Diaries and Emmie & Friends, this first book in a diary-style illustrated middle grade series follows an anxious, science-minded sixth grader determined to become fun and win back her friend. Sixth grade has been pretty disaster-free for aspiring...
Accidental trouble magnet
Mian, Zanib
Paper Book
An exciting middle-grade debut starring a Muslim boy with a huge imagination. An NPR Best Book of the Year. Welcome to the imaginative brain of Omar! Omar and his family have just moved, and he is NOT excited about starting at a new school. What if the work is too...
No fear!
Moore, Steve
Paper Book
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,...
Talia's codebook for mathletes
Moss, Marissa
Paper Book
Can math-loving Talia crack the code of being cool in middle school? Marissa Moss, creator of the internationally best-selling Amelia's Notebook series, makes a welcome, STEM-oriented return to the comics diary form. Talia loves math puzzles and code-breaking, but the new social...
Timmy Failure : 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
Paper Book
For fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Big Nate comes a new side-splitting 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. Jake can barely play an instrument...
Loki : a bad god's guide to being good
Stowell, Louie
Paper Book
Packed with doodles and cartoons, here is the diary of Loki as he's trapped on earth as a petulant eleven-year-old--and even worse, annoying thunder god Thor is there, too. After one prank too many, trickster god Loki has been banished to live as a kid on Earth. If he can show...
Hannah Sharpe cartoon detective
Tashjian, Janet
Paper Book
A Texas Bluebonnet Award Nominee * From the creators of the bestselling My Life series comes a fresh and funny story about Hannah Sharpe--an observant young sleuth on the autism spectrum who likes to solve mysteries by drawing cartoons of her cowboy alter ego, Dusty Pickle--in this colorfully...
New school skirmish
Tokushige, Zoe
Paper Book
A hilarious story of new-school hijinks, filled with friendship, family, and plenty of pranks--perfect for fans of Dork Diaries and Diary of a Wimpy Kid! Meet Airi Sano. After spending her entire childhood moving from one military base to another, she's excited to be settling...
The truth about 5th grade
Tomsic, Kim
Paper Book
Charlotte "Charli" Wilson thought Alex Andropov would always be her best BFF in the whole wide world. From crushes to butterfly phobias to secret hidden blankies, there's never been a secret they couldn't share. Charli even showed Alex the supersecret hiding spot for her diary. But...
Sam Wu is not afraid of ghosts
Tsang, Katie
Paper Book
"Reluctant readers and fans of the Wimpy Kid series and its ilk will appreciate the book's dynamic type, graphics galore, cartoonish illustrations, and ironic footnotes."--Kirkus Don't call him scaredy-cat Sam, because Sam Wu IS NOT AFRAID of...
Frazzled : everyday disasters and impending doom
Vivat, Booki
Paper Book
An instant New York Times bestseller, Booki Vivat's Frazzled is the first installment of a funny middle grade graphic novel 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...

Library staff! You can create and contribute to lists. Contact your catalog administrator or log in here.