What do you think?
Rate this book
California Diaries #15
Ducky: Diary 3
Christopher, better known as Ducky, recounts in his diary his summer working in a bookstore, his relationship with the owner's daughter, Sunny, his friend Maggie's role in intervening in her mother's alcoholism, and his plans for an end-of-summer party.
105 pages, Paperback
First published January 11, 2000
About the author
Ann M. Martin
1,215 books3,168 followersAnn Matthews Martin was born on August 12, 1955. She grew up in Princeton, New Jersey, with her parents and her younger sister, Jane. After graduating from Smith College, Ann became a teacher and then an editor of children's books. She's now a full-time writer.
Ann gets the ideas for her books from many different places. Some are based on personal experiences, while others are based on childhood memories and feelings. Many are written about contemporary problems or events. All of Ann's characters, even the members of the Baby-sitters Club, are made up. But many of her characters are based on real people. Sometimes Ann names her characters after people she knows, and other times she simply chooses names that she likes.
Ann has always enjoyed writing. Even before she was old enough to write, she would dictate stories to her mother to write down for her. Some of her favorite authors at that time were Lewis Carroll, P. L. Travers, Hugh Lofting, Astrid Lindgren, and Roald Dahl. They inspired her to become a writer herself.
Since ending the BSC series in 2000, Ann’s writing has concentrated on single novels, many of which are set in the 1960s.
After living in New York City for many years, Ann moved to the Hudson Valley in upstate New York where she now lives with her dog, Sadie, and her cats, Gussie, Willy and Woody. Her hobbies are reading, sewing, and needlework. Her favorite thing to do is to make clothes for children.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/annmma...
Ann gets the ideas for her books from many different places. Some are based on personal experiences, while others are based on childhood memories and feelings. Many are written about contemporary problems or events. All of Ann's characters, even the members of the Baby-sitters Club, are made up. But many of her characters are based on real people. Sometimes Ann names her characters after people she knows, and other times she simply chooses names that she likes.
Ann has always enjoyed writing. Even before she was old enough to write, she would dictate stories to her mother to write down for her. Some of her favorite authors at that time were Lewis Carroll, P. L. Travers, Hugh Lofting, Astrid Lindgren, and Roald Dahl. They inspired her to become a writer herself.
Since ending the BSC series in 2000, Ann’s writing has concentrated on single novels, many of which are set in the 1960s.
After living in New York City for many years, Ann moved to the Hudson Valley in upstate New York where she now lives with her dog, Sadie, and her cats, Gussie, Willy and Woody. Her hobbies are reading, sewing, and needlework. Her favorite thing to do is to make clothes for children.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/annmma...
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
December 5, 2022
I wish this series could go on throughout high school for these kids. But sadly this is the end. It didn't quite sound like the same Ducky from previous books but was still good. Sunny kisses Ducky and leaves him conflicted. The book and entire series sort of dances around it without saying it. Bit their friendship is strong enough to last. Maggie's mom has a meltdown forcing her kids to flee to Ducky's house in the middle of the night and Maggie to fight with her dad to get him to cone home. The book ends with all the friends toasting their futures at a party. But still I want to know more about how Sunny and her dad carry on without Mrs. Winslow, I want to know how Maggie's mom does in rehab, hiw Amalia and Brendan do, if Ducky comes out officially. Dawn I don't care but this is the end so I guess that's all.
January 12, 2024
Glad Ducky gets a bit of a breather in this one. Now that Alex is at a facility getting the professional help he needs, Ducky's big dilemma is how to deal with Sunny suddenly being attracted to him when he only wants her as a friend.
Ok it's totally possible for Ducky to be hetero and STILL not into Sunny, but I swear, this book says practically EVERYTHING else short of Ducky actually coming out. It was a bit frustrating, TBH, and part of me just wanted someone to say it out loud and in a totally non-judgmental way. But I get it was much harder to do that in the 90s, and I figure Scholastic had some guidelines the series had to abide by.
This is also the final book in the series so it was kinda nice to see the other characters' storylines be resolved. ()
Ok it's totally possible for Ducky to be hetero and STILL not into Sunny, but I swear, this book says practically EVERYTHING else short of Ducky actually coming out. It was a bit frustrating, TBH, and part of me just wanted someone to say it out loud and in a totally non-judgmental way. But I get it was much harder to do that in the 90s, and I figure Scholastic had some guidelines the series had to abide by.
This is also the final book in the series so it was kinda nice to see the other characters' storylines be resolved. ()
July 7, 2017
So this is the end of the California Diaries, and I admit it's a bummer. I never finished them as a kid, and I feel a little salty that they just stopped here. However, I guess for an abrupt sort of ending it was pretty good.
Sunny kisses Ducky in this one, and Ducky freaks out. He loves Sunny, but not like that. It drops a lot of hints toward his being gay, a fact which we never find out for sure if it's true. Gonna be mad about that until my last days. Anyway!
It ends with the friends + Brendan all together at Ducky's for an end of summer party. It was pretty fitting, and I think it wrapped things up as best as they could be wrapped considering. I wish they had continued with these, they had a great target audience of young girls (and some boys too!) who grew up with the BSC and were reading these and seeing their own feelings and situations on the page. It was nice.
Alas, I am now 32 and I'm still mad about it.
Sunny kisses Ducky in this one, and Ducky freaks out. He loves Sunny, but not like that. It drops a lot of hints toward his being gay, a fact which we never find out for sure if it's true. Gonna be mad about that until my last days. Anyway!
It ends with the friends + Brendan all together at Ducky's for an end of summer party. It was pretty fitting, and I think it wrapped things up as best as they could be wrapped considering. I wish they had continued with these, they had a great target audience of young girls (and some boys too!) who grew up with the BSC and were reading these and seeing their own feelings and situations on the page. It was nice.
Alas, I am now 32 and I'm still mad about it.
November 22, 2012
(I loved Ducky and was really disappointed in this book. Ducky and Amalia were my favourite - I loved the drawings in Amalia's books - and Maggie the one I related to most. I had very little patience for Dawn and Sunny, in the beginning, but Sunny really grew on my by the end of the series. Her second book was, I think, my favourite of the series.)
February 23, 2020
Man, what a cop out. Let Ducky be gay, you cowards!
February 8, 2026
I thought that I had read this when I was younger but I had no memory of it at all. So after (re?)reading it, what I can say is
It’s fine.
The previous iterations of Ducky’s journals were better. It felt like Martin wrote Alex out because that seemed like the natural escalation of his storyline, but she came to this plot point far too early, leaving little to say after he was gone. Ducky’s first two journals are so focused on Alex that in writing him out of the plot, Martin removed the main point of interest from the story. And then sort of forgot about him altogether. I mean, one would think that Alex would come up in Ducky’s mind at least once, considering his grand exit. But in the few times he IS mentioned, it comes across less like a recent tragedy in Ducky’s life, and more like a memory of an old friend from days past.
I understand the interest in exploring Ducky outside his relationships with Alex and Jay, in taking a look at the nature of his relationships with his female friends, but the change of subject from the previous book was enough to give one whiplash.
The life-or-death drama of Alex built itself up to its most aching point and then was swept under the rug in favour of a forced almost-romance, the result of which, albeit, seemed to imply something actually somewhat interesting about Ducky, except that this was also never explored. (EDIT: upon further reflection given the time period of this book’s release, it’s likely that the implication was the most progressive Martin could get and still be published as a YA novelist. I guess we just have to take what we can get on this one. Though it’s interesting to think she could get away with getting into specifics about suicide but not sexuality. Hmm.) If the book had built to THIS revelation, I might have been able to see the intention. But it didn’t. And while reading the actual ending, I could practically HEAR Martin sighing, ‘at least THAT’S out of the way. Now who’s next?’ In terms of a series, this was just one more filler story used to loosely tie in the other characters’ dramas. As the final issue of Ducky’s story, it failed to deliver on what the previous iterations had established.
I imagine that was why I couldn’t remember having read this as an adolescent, despite Ducky being the only character I was interested in by the time I grew out of the series. Either the blandness of this end to the Ducky trilogy rendered it forgettable, or the awkward transition from its predecessor led me to abandon it. (I suspect the latter.)
It’s fine.
The previous iterations of Ducky’s journals were better. It felt like Martin wrote Alex out because that seemed like the natural escalation of his storyline, but she came to this plot point far too early, leaving little to say after he was gone. Ducky’s first two journals are so focused on Alex that in writing him out of the plot, Martin removed the main point of interest from the story. And then sort of forgot about him altogether. I mean, one would think that Alex would come up in Ducky’s mind at least once, considering his grand exit. But in the few times he IS mentioned, it comes across less like a recent tragedy in Ducky’s life, and more like a memory of an old friend from days past.
I understand the interest in exploring Ducky outside his relationships with Alex and Jay, in taking a look at the nature of his relationships with his female friends, but the change of subject from the previous book was enough to give one whiplash.
The life-or-death drama of Alex built itself up to its most aching point and then was swept under the rug in favour of a forced almost-romance, the result of which, albeit, seemed to imply something actually somewhat interesting about Ducky, except that this was also never explored. (EDIT: upon further reflection given the time period of this book’s release, it’s likely that the implication was the most progressive Martin could get and still be published as a YA novelist. I guess we just have to take what we can get on this one. Though it’s interesting to think she could get away with getting into specifics about suicide but not sexuality. Hmm.) If the book had built to THIS revelation, I might have been able to see the intention. But it didn’t. And while reading the actual ending, I could practically HEAR Martin sighing, ‘at least THAT’S out of the way. Now who’s next?’ In terms of a series, this was just one more filler story used to loosely tie in the other characters’ dramas. As the final issue of Ducky’s story, it failed to deliver on what the previous iterations had established.
I imagine that was why I couldn’t remember having read this as an adolescent, despite Ducky being the only character I was interested in by the time I grew out of the series. Either the blandness of this end to the Ducky trilogy rendered it forgettable, or the awkward transition from its predecessor led me to abandon it. (I suspect the latter.)
April 20, 2024
A cute, mellow ending to the usually-heavy California Diaries series - seriously "You, Christopher, are one lucky Duck." is such a great final line. But UGHHHHH YOU KNOW IT. I KNOW IT. PLEASE LET US WATCH DUCKY LEARN WHY HE'S NOT INTO SUNNY. I NEED MORE FROM THIS SERIES.
December 7, 2025
This felt like a very unnecessary ending, plot wise, but a fitting ending setting wise, if that makes sense. I like where it leaves our characters, but if feels out of place for this series in general. I do love that it leaves things a bit open ended for Ducky though. I think we all know what his storyline was always meant to be.
March 19, 2020
This was a disappointing end to the series and didn’t really seem to fit with the rest.
September 11, 2022
3.5 stars
December 23, 2025
I was sad to see this series end.
December 19, 2015
Concluding a series is always difficult—especially in the case of California Diaries, which had five central characters with boatloads of issues—but Ducky, Diary Three still doesn’t feel like a closer that does these books justice. Something about this installment felt off in a way that none of the other diaries did—I blame the ghostwriter, who had never worked on another California Diaries book. Ducky’s voice reads like a shoddy impersonation of the Ducky from his previous two diaries, which made it pretty impossible to get invested in the book—I kept thinking, Ducky would never say that or That’s a random tangent that adds nothing. It just feels out of place compared to the naturalness of the rest of the series, especially in the ways that it tries to tie up every other character’s story through Ducky’s experiences (such as Ducky’s involvement with Maggie’s family fiasco or advice to Amalia and Brendan about their relationship). The way Diary Three absolutely glosses over all mention of Alex is particularly galling, considering how much the events of Ducky, Diary Two visibly messed up Ducky in subsequent books—you’d think he would factor a little more into his daily thoughts, even if he wasn’t around all the time.
However, I do agree with other reviewers that this book strongly implies that Ducky is gay, or at least not strictly heterosexual. You could easily overlook this—and I was certainly unaware of it until this reading—but I feel like the hints are too consistent to just be coincidence. I admire the book for it—it’s probably one of Ducky, Diary Three’s best qualities—as well as its portrayal of a guy and girl who really are just friends, even after one misguided kiss. Sunny and Ducky’s relationship was too special and carefully depicted for it to be quashed into a “best friends who fall in love” stereotype—the same way that Jo March and Laurie were never meant to be together (but I digress).
This was far from the best way to finish off the series, mostly for the jarringly different voice and clumsy patching together of past plot-lines, but it’s still thoroughly readable and good entertainment (it probably would have looked better had the superb Sunny, Diary Three and brave Amalia, Diary Three not so closely preceded it). Still, even though Dawn had her weak entries, I’d probably call it the worst installment.
2.75 stars.
However, I do agree with other reviewers that this book strongly implies that Ducky is gay, or at least not strictly heterosexual. You could easily overlook this—and I was certainly unaware of it until this reading—but I feel like the hints are too consistent to just be coincidence. I admire the book for it—it’s probably one of Ducky, Diary Three’s best qualities—as well as its portrayal of a guy and girl who really are just friends, even after one misguided kiss. Sunny and Ducky’s relationship was too special and carefully depicted for it to be quashed into a “best friends who fall in love” stereotype—the same way that Jo March and Laurie were never meant to be together (but I digress).
This was far from the best way to finish off the series, mostly for the jarringly different voice and clumsy patching together of past plot-lines, but it’s still thoroughly readable and good entertainment (it probably would have looked better had the superb Sunny, Diary Three and brave Amalia, Diary Three not so closely preceded it). Still, even though Dawn had her weak entries, I’d probably call it the worst installment.
2.75 stars.
July 30, 2009
This is the last book in the California Diaries series. I have read 1-15. Out of all of the characters I like Ducky best. I really wish there was more book because there are still things I wonder about like will Alex ever get better with Ducky and Jay be friends again, What happens to Maggie's mother after she gets out of rehab?
All of these questions I know don't have answers and they never will. I suggest you read these book because they are really good, and a fast read about 3 a night. But be prepared for some unanswered questions.
All of these questions I know don't have answers and they never will. I suggest you read these book because they are really good, and a fast read about 3 a night. But be prepared for some unanswered questions.
January 27, 2011
Another read for the blog book. I wanted to like it more because of how much I love Ducky. But, this was the only Ducky book not written by ghostwriter Peter Lerangis, and you can totally tell. Nola Thacker couldn't quite get his voice down right. Also, the fact that the word gay is never used in the book is really, painfully obvious.
June 13, 2018
I’ve been reading these forever even though i’ve never read BSC. I hate reading a series based on which ones my library had (#13, #29, #40) so i didn’t start. But i didn’t know that some of them were ghostwritten by someone other than Martin - i just found this out from Logan’s review YESTERDAY (thanks logan!!) - and it definitely explains why this one has always sucked so much more.
Sad day.
Sad day.
August 8, 2011
For some reason the font didn't drive me nearly as crazy this time as diary #2. I enjoyed the book about as much as the others in the series, but am kind of glad to end it here. If I want Ann M Martin I think I'll stick with the BSC.
May 29, 2009
39. 5/11/09: California Diaries #whatever, the last Ducky book: I liked it, and Ducky is clearly gay. Too bad this is the last book of the series and that never got followed up on.
May 3, 2011
I really enjoyed this whole series of books. (I'm a sucker for books written as diaries).
August 12, 2009
Ducky and Sunny? Ew. But it was the last book of the series, and it ended well.
January 5, 2010
A good book...not to deep, just reading it gives you something to do.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews