The Offline Diaries
by Yomi Adegoke and Elizabeth Uviebinené, illustrated by Tequitia Andrews and Ruthine Burton
Interest age: 9 to 11
Reading age: 9+
Published by HarperCollins Children’s Books, 2022
About this book
Shanice is a loner and, since her mum died, she records her innermost thoughts in her treasured journal. She is bullied at school by two spiteful yet popular girls, known as the Double-As.
Meanwhile, Ade is unhappy that she has been forced to move to a new town for her stepfather’s job, leaving behind her dad and friends.
When the two girls meet, they realise they have lots in common, including identical diaries. Delighted to discover they will be in the same class at school, they become instant friends.
However, their friendship comes under strain when the Double-As take a shine to Ade. Although she likes Shanice, Ade finds it hard to resist the kudos of hanging out with the most popular girls in Year 8.
The two main characters, both of whom are black, are immensely likeable and their voices feel authentic. The book combines black-and-white illustrations with diary entries and social media messages, which enables readers to appreciate the tale from different perspectives and really empathise with the characters.
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Lists of recommended reads
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Books celebrating female friendship for 8+
Good friends are the best. Who else remembers the time you called the teacher 'Mummy' and still wants to hang round with you? They can make you laugh until your tummy hurts, they think of great games to play together, and you know you'll be friends forever. Here is a selection of brilliant books about fantastic female friendships for readers aged 8+.
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Books about bullying for 8-12s
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Stories about moving house for children aged 7+
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Books featuring letters or diaries
Letters or diaries can be brilliantly purposeful ways to learn and practise reading and writing skills. There is a certain magic and excitement to writing a message and sending it out into the world, knowing that somebody somewhere will read it and respond to you. Letters can be as simple or as complex as your need demands, whether you are writing to wish someone a happy birthday, to invite people to an event, to your future self in the form of a diary or perhaps to persuade or inform with a more formal tone. The following books are for a mixed primary age-range and all feature letters or diaries in a variety of forms. We hope that they will help children to see the value in letter writing and maybe inspire them to write a few of their own!