Dork Diaries 1 Full-Color Edition: Tales from a Not-So-Fabulous Life

by Rachel Renée Russell

An Aladdin book. Simon & Schuster has a great book for every reader!

376 pages, Hardcover

Published November 18, 2025

About the author

Rachel Renee Russell is the #1 New York Times Best Selling author of the book series, DORK DIARIES, and the upcoming, THE MISADVENTURES OF MAX CRUMBLY to be released on June 7, 2016.

For more about Nikki's world visit www.DorkDiaries.com

For more about Max's world visit www.MaxCrumbly.com

Reviews

[Faith · Rating 1 out of 5]

The terrible new art is the least of your worries. They modernised the text.

I have been reading the Dork Diaries books since I was nine years old. That is, 12 years. You can understand it means a lot to me. The concept of a full-colour edition of the iconic first book? Bring it on!

I only heard of this mere days before release. I heard through booktwt's devastation over the new art style. The original illustrations haven't been coloured in, but rather completely redrawn; in a cheap, pandering, corporate, AI-reminiscent style. The character models reek of 2025 in the worst way. The colouring and shading sickens me. The fill tool on MS paint would have done this book more favours.

I thought that was all I had to worry about. I thought I'd have a fun time effectively re-reading Dork Diaries while cringing a bit at the new illustrations.

Then the changes came.

Some were to be expected and were positive. I remember the original book using the R-slur and am pleased it's nowhere to be seen here. I was also pleasantly surprised by the removal of insults such as brain dead.

Some tweaks would have greatly pleased my younger self but just surprised me here. Nikki's rant about the diary changing the page count from 288 to the accurate 376? Satisfying.

But then I noticed little things. I don't have my old collection to hand, but I knew certain conversations had been altered for no discernable reason. It just confused me. This was not advertised as a reworked text.

When Nikki's going on about the uses of a smartphone, she lists SENDING REELS and DOOMSCROLLING.

Dork Diaries was published in 2009.

I don't know what the original book said at this precise page, but upon my honour, it did NOT mention those sickeningly modern social media terms.

I began to wonder how much of the original text had been preserved. Why are they pandering to gen alpha? Yes the original books scream late '00s to early '10s and that is the beauty! Preserve the history, don't you dare try to tell me that either spilling the tea was a slang term in 2009, or that Dork Diaries now takes place post-COVID.

And listen, if they're SOOOO aware of modern terms and what appeals to the youth of today, WHY on page 178 is there a magazine with the title CP? There's no context to it, it's a throwaway background detail in an illustration, I can't remember if it was in the original book, but that abbreviation has the most abhorrent association these days and has for quite some time. No one picked up on it?

I can't remember if the Itsy Bitsy Spider rap is lifted from the original text, but if it isn't, I hope it's a Cupcakke reference.

Also, entire interactions and crucial moments are missing. Like the scene where Nikki grabs her parents' anniversary present to submit as her art project, so you have context for later when she apologises. Here we have the apology but not the setup.

There's more, there's worse, but I can sum it up by saying they removed the Twilight references. And that might be the most deplorable sin this book commits.

For the record I read the UK first print hardback entitled Dork In Colour on the 21st of November 2025, but we all know what Goodreads is like with accurate editions and dates.

[Logan R · Rating 5 out of 5]

it was just dork diaries with color, and I love dd, so... also, the illustrations are cool.

[Charlie Diamond · Rating 5 out of 5]

The art is actually terrible, but don't mind it. At least they made the text better.

It's about Nikki Maxwell, who moves to this town on a scholarship and her adventure throughout her new school and also makes new friends.

It's a must read for anyone who likes middle school drama...

[Clare Hamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

it’s no secret to anyone who knows me but since I was like 8 or 9 I’ve read the Dork Diaries books. Oddly enough I started at #5 and kept reading from there (I did go back and read 1-4). Getting to see everything in full color is awesome :) everyone basically looks how I imagined (though I thought Brandon’s hair would be slightly lighter brown, lol).

Need to get back into reading the books again, I’ve had 14-16 sitting on my shelf for a long time now.

Also to anyone on here complaining that it’s “too modernized” in this version, are you being stupid on purpose? I mean, clearly some fans of the original books are gonna read this new version, but I feel like the main intended audience is the children of today. Russell even says in the acknowledgments that she’s happy to bring it to a new generation of readers. Let’s be so for real and recognize that kids today aren’t gonna catch all the same references and know what everything from 2009 or whatever was because the kids that are Nikki’s age now were born in 2011/2012!

Anyway I liked it and glad to know that Nikki Russell is still illustrating the books!

Always let your inner dork shine through! ⭐️🩷

[Kelly {SpaceOnTheBookcase] · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nikki Maxwell is the new girl in school and finding friends isn't easy. An update to the original Dork Diaries, this edition is updated with modern language and full color art from start to finish.

This is my first intro into the Dork Diaries realm and I really enjoyed it. I found Nikki to be a relatable character and her struggles with fitting in and making new friends at a new school felt authentic. I also liked the full color especially the formatting on what looked like notebook paper.

Simon Kids send me a gifted copy to place in my Little Free Library and I can't wait to share it with my local community.

[D.T. · Rating 2 out of 5]

While it’s surreal seeing Dork Diaries in full color for the first time, there’s a glossy, stiff Barbie doll-ness to the art style (it also reminds me of the art in those annoying mobile game commercials) that’s an acquired taste. The other style was more charming.

I used to really love this series as a kid, but it’s been years since I read the first one. The humor still (seems?) to be the same here, though Nikki is noticeably vapid. But kids can enjoy an imperfect protagonist too.

I'm rating this lowly because I don't think this graphic edition delivered well in that aspect.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
This is the full color version of the original Dork Diaries book 1. In comparing the two versions, the illustrations in the full color book are much larger in addition to being (obviously) more colorful. There are a lot of words that are also highlighted with color and are also in a much larger font than in the original. All of this makes it a more visually appealing product. I didn't re-read all of the original book but it is possible that some terms were also updated and modernized (Ex. "spill the tea").

[Jenny T. · Rating 2 out of 5]

A chapter book aimed at middle school age children. Eighth grader, Nikki Maxwell, is starting at a new school and struggles to fit in, find friends, and deal with popular "mean girl", Mackenzie. I didn't realize this was an updated version of the book until I saw in mentioned in other reviews. Although this book was generally positive and encouraging, at times the writing was condescending to the target audience and the new illustrations too perky for the emotions described.

[Erin · Rating 1 out of 5]

The original black and white dork diaries works because just like wimpy kid, it is a kid's diary - it's their drawings. The new digital illustrations give AI vibes and skimming through I can see that the text is updated too.

The original books are still plenty popular, at least at the library, so this version seems both unnecessary and unfortunately not an improvement.

[Caroline · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars - I would not recommend this book to people who liked the original series. Nikki is a more modern and shallow character who doesn’t like books and only cares about popularity, which was changed from the original series. There are less words on a page and less depth to the plot that do not make the updated, colored drawings worth reading for.

[Row! · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was exited to read this Ive been reading these books forever but I couldn’t even read the first chapter without being disappointed by the new ai slop looking art it honestly is that bad, but them also changing the text to be more appealing to Gen alphas or whatever it’s disgusting

[Lydia Martinez · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this book for my niece and decided to read it.Super cute for someone her age.The illustration was beautiful, the colors just jumped out at you.Enjoyable enough.

[Amanda]

lol needed to hit my 2025 goal of 10 books ;)

[Callie Chamberlain · Rating 3 out of 5]

I prefer the OG…

[Leila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great! This is just dork diaries expect in color! It was nice to see all her drawings come to life, but I must admit I like the original illustrations better 😅