Preteen girl looking at a cell phone with her parents

Personalized picks at your fingertips

Get the mobile app on iOS and Android

Get the app
Parents' Guide to

Dork Diaries 10: Tales from a Not-So-Perfect Pet Sitter

By Terreece Clarke, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 9+

Puppy caper adds to the drama of tween life in fun volume.

Book Rachel Renee Russell School 2015
Dork Diaries 10: Tales from a Not-So-Perfect Pet Sitter Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Community Reviews

See all
age 11+

Based on 3 parent reviews

Stacia7722
Stacia7722 Adult
February 25, 2020
age 11+

Not so sure...

Talked with my daughter about this book. After reading reviews from some of the other books in this series, I became concerned that there may be some bad lessons being inadvertently taught by the author... at least I HOPE it's inadvertent. I asked my daughter, age 11, what she thought of the main character, Nikki, and if she ever read anything that Nikki did that we would not approve of. Apparently, at one point in the book, Nikki is told by her mother that no dogs are allowed in the house because they just got new carpet (or furniture, not quite sure which). Well, Nikki decided to disobey to save the puppies. ... okay, not terrible yet... However, at no point, according to my daughter, did Nikki ever confess to her disobedience, or get caught. The author completely missed a golden opportunity to explain that there may be times in life as a child or teenager when you would have a completely valid reason to disobey parent or adult, and then show how to talk to the adult about your actions and take responsibility for it. NOOOOOOO... she skips right on by that, Nikki gets away with it, never confesses, and in the end is rewarded with her very own puppy. I haven't taken the books away from my daughter, but I will be sure to talk with her more about them. For now, I told her to read it as a story about a made up person in a made up world and NOT as an example of how to behave or how the world works.
Iliana W.
Iliana W. Parent of 3 and 6-year-old
September 18, 2016
age 10+

Tales From A Satisfied Aunt!

My pre-teen niece has a birthday this month, and she put this on her wishlist. My brother and sister in-law (known as "Mom" and "Dad to my niece) have never heard of this series, so they asked me to get a copy from the library and see if it was an appropriate gift. It was a very good choice. I loved that there was very little mean girl drama, and that Nikki and Brianna got a puppy at the end! My niece will be delighted when she opens her package to see thie wonderful book inside on September 30th!
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

When Nikki and Brandon discover a litter of puppies their mom left at their favorite dog shelter, they must spring into action to take care of the dogs until they find homes for them. Unfortunately, that's not as easy as it sounds, as they have to hide the puppies for several days and keep Mackenzie from exposing their puppy plight. Will the puppies find homes, and will Nikki be able to keep her sanity?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3 ):
Kids say (13 ):

This volume is a nice departure from the typical mean-girl drama that dominates the Dork Diaries series. Concern for a litter of puppies that need homes adds to the over-the-top drama and fun that fans love about the series. There's some mean-girl behavior, but this time we get to find out the true motivation behind it, as the author further develops these characters. Overall, TALES FROM A NOT-SO-PERFECT PET SITTER is a fun, fluffy romp through middle school life that's dripping in both drama and sweetness.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how media portrays female relationships. Do you think reality TV and school-drama shows accurately portray friendships among girls?

  • Families also can talk about volunteerism and giving back to charities. What cause(s) can you support alone and with your family? What are some great places to volunteer for both kids and families in your area?

  • Nikki isn't the only one who worries about how people will view her -- MacKenzie feels the same way. What are effective ways to deal with insecurity without channeling it into mean-girl territory?

Book Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended book lists

Related Topics

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate