The Extremely Embarrassing Life of Lottie Brooks

The Extremely Embarrassing Life of Lottie Brooks by Katie Kirby is a funny diary for 9 year olds about facing a new school without your best friend.

What happens

Molly has moved to Australia and Lottie is absolutely miserable. Her parents keep saying she'll make other friends. They don't seem to understand how difficult that sounds when you're the one who has to do it.

Her dad even tries ordering her a Happy Meal to cheer her up. Lottie has quite a lot to say about that. It's an experience that we've probably all had when we were kids where we feel like we're being treated way younger than we are.

With a long summer ahead, she starts a diary. There's plenty to put in it, including her thoughts about her parents and her brother Toby. She also draws cartoons of the family (clothes take too long to draw, apparently).

Lottie's laugh-out-loud thoughts and feelings about the world are real enough to encourage a giggle but would also be very relatable for school-aged kids.

You hear the jokes and the worries together. One minute she's complaining about her takeaway. The next she's wondering whether anyone at her new school will want to be her friend.

If your reader likes a character who tells them EVERYTHING, Lottie is very good company. Even her hamsters get to hear about her problems. They seem to offer excellent advice by carrying on eating and running in their wheel.

There is a reason Molly matters so much. Lottie was bullied when she started primary school and Molly stood up for her. Without that friend beside her, the next step feels much scarier.

It's worth knowing that the diary includes bullying and worries about appearance, bras and growing up. A child who doesn't yet enjoy that sort of school-and-friendship chat may find some of her concerns harder to get into.

For a reader who recognises the embarrassment of feeling different, her thoughts may feel very familiar. She's dramatic about it all, but underneath the jokes she really does want someone to like her.

What to read next

Tom Gates Best Book Day Ever (so far) is another library choice if they enjoy hearing a child's very definite opinions. Tom's school day revolves around a costume parade and the people getting in the way of his plans.