Common Sense Media Review
By Terreece Clarke
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Same mean-girl formula, but great for reluctant readers.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 9+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 1 parent review
Based on 16 kid reviews
Kids say that while some find this book entertaining and relatable, many others criticize it for promoting negative stereotypes, lack of depth, and unrealistic portrayals of middle school life. Reviewers express concerns over the main character's behavior, the absence of diversity, and the harmful messages surrounding popularity and self-image.
- negative stereotypes
- unrealistic portrayals
- harmful messages
- mixed reactions
- audience suitability
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
In DORK DIARIES 11: TALES FROM A NOT-SO-FRIENDLY FRENEMY, Nikki Maxwell is back -- well, sort of. She's attending a prestigious private school for a week as part of a student-exchange program. The uniforms are cool, the school looks like Hogwarts, and she's looking forward to making new friends. The bad news is it's the same school that McKenzie Hollister attends. Nikki finds herself struggling to get through the week as she's once again the target of mean girls, has a couple friendship issues, and has a cooking drama with her little sister Briana. The one bright side for Nikki is she's in the running for a trip to Paris! Can she navigate this new school and make a good impression on the French teacher, or will she quit before the week is out?
Is It Any Good?
An easy read, this installment revisits many of the same themes and situations as previous books. Most fans will be fine with the formula in Dork Diaries 11: Tales from a Not-So-Friendly Frenemy, but some may wish that author Rachel Rene Russell would develop different types of adventures for Nikki and her friends, such as when she transported them into a fairy tale land in Dork Diaries: Tales from a Not-So-Happily Ever After.
The illustrations, as always, are a delightful and whimsical addition to the text, and the series is great for reluctant readers.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how to deal with bullies like the ones in Dork Diaries 11: Tales from a Not-So-Friendly Frenemy. Do you have an adult you trust to help you navigate tough situations?
How does this installment in the Dork Diaries series measure up to previous books? Do you notice any growth or difference?
Nikki finds herself dealing with same type of mean-girl trouble as in previous books. Does she deal with the situations differently from before? How would you deal with similar situations?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : School
- Topics : Friendship , School ( Middle School )
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Aladdin
- Publication date : November 15, 2016
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 9 - 13
- Number of pages : 288
- Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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
Suggest an Update
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