Dork Diaries: Tales from a Not-So-Fabulous Life

Does Nikki sound like a genuine 14-year-old girl to you? Why or why not? What elements of your experience with age 14 (either from living it or from your expectations of what it will be like) make her sound realistic? Would you change anything about Nikki’s tone and style? Why or why not, and if so, what?

Do the characters of Dork Diaries feel like fully fleshed-out people with unique goals, personalities, and characteristics? Why or why not? If so, choose three characters and explain what makes them feel real to you. If not, do you think this was intentional on Russel’s part? How did your interpretation of the characters influence your reading experience?

Compare and contrast Nikki and MacKenzie. How are they similar, despite Nikki’s claims that they are nothing alike? In what key ways are they different? Choose a diary entry where MacKenzie is present and explore how it might be different if written from MacKenzie’s perspective. Why do you think it would be different in the ways you explored?

In Chapter 33, Nikki’s grandmother says Nikki’s response to her situation is about choosing to be a chicken or champion. What do you think this means? Choose three decisions Nikki makes in the book. Does she decide to be a chicken or a champion for each, and do you agree with each decision? How might the book have been different if she’d chosen the opposite reaction for these three decisions? Support your answer with evidence from the text.

Do all of the characters in Dork Diaries feel like they serve a purpose to the story? Why or why not? Are there characters that could be cut or combined without sacrificing the story in any way? If so, which and why? If not, why are all the characters necessary as they are? Support your answer with evidence from the text.

What messages about being honest with ourselves are present in Dork Diaries? Do you agree with the lessons the book offers? Do you think these lessons could have been delivered in a clearer way, or are they clear as is? Support your answer with evidence from the text.

Did you enjoy the diary format of the story? Why or why not? Did the images enhance or detract from your reading experience, and did they seem to fit with Nikki’s character? Did Nikki’s use of capitals, exclamation points, and other formatting quirks feel genuine? Would you have changed anything about the format of the story? If so, what?

Does Dork Diaries offer empowering messages for girls? Why or why not? If so, what messages did you find, and how are they conveyed? If not, what aspects of the book keep it from being empowering, and what could be changed to give more positive messages? Support your answer with evidence from the text.