The series begins with Tales from a Not-So-Fabulous Life, where 14-year-old Nikki Maxwell starts at the prestigious Westchester Country Day school on a scholarship. Feeling like a total "dork" among wealthy, designer-clad students, Nikki uses her diary to navigate common adolescent hurdles:
Nikki frequently deals with her "bratty" younger sister, Brianna, and her father’s embarrassing job as a professional bug exterminator. Dork Diaries Books in Chronological Order dork diaries books