Once upon a Dork: Tales from a not-so-fabulous life by Rachel Renee Russell
Dork Diaries Bk 8. Simon & Schuster, 2014. ISBN 9781471122781
(Age: 8-11) Nikki Maxwell is back in the eighth installment of this
much-loved series, a fan favourite right across the globe. Nikki
records her life openly and at times is a little too honest, her
diary is filled with cartoons, exclamations, emoticons and funny
incidents.
Nikki attracts trouble. Imagine Brianna her sister's lunch - a
peanut butter, jelly and pickle sandwich adhered to her new sweater
on display on the first day of school. Even Sassy Sasha perfume
can't remove the smell. When Nikki's class play Dodgeball for P.E.
class of course she is the target, Mackenzie the mean girl, hits her
hard in the face. Instead of waking up in a familiar
environment, Nikki has a wild dream all her friends, classmates, her
crush Brandon and Mackenzie have turned into fairy tale creatures.
As Nikki travels through Fairy Tale Land she encounters all the
Rogues, Renegades and Regals. She meets characters from the Wizard
of Oz, hinders Goldilocks, is chased by the bears and attends
Cinderella's ball - of course Brandon is the handsome prince.
Some of the funniest scenes are Nikki's encounters with Rapunzel,
Snow White and Sleeping Beauty who are tired of being
princesses and want to escape their fairy tale lives.
Rachel Renee Russell has created a likeable character whose crazy
family, friends and school life provide great enjoyment for fans
from 8-11.
Rhyllis Bignell