Top 10 diary books | Children's books

Top 10 diary books

Read the first chapter of Rebeccca Westcott's debut diary book Dandelion Clocks

The relationship between a diary and a diarist is supposedly a private, sacred affair. A diary's pages are the ideal place to record your deepest, heart-felt passions or your darkest desires, safe in the knowledge that your diary will take those secrets to the grave. Write whatever you like – it's all totally secret.

Isn't it? Err, well no, actually. Because once those thoughts are out of your head and onto the page they can be seen by anybody. They can be found. Which is kind of the whole point of writing something down in the first place, isn't it? To have it read.

I am fairly unscrupulous. I will hesitate only as long as it takes me to find a comfy chair before I start reading any diary that I happen to stumble upon (or find after hours of searching in my daughter's bedroom…). Diaries are intriguing. They offer us an insight into someone else's head. If we're really lucky they provide reassurance that other people think like we do. The best part about reading a diary (and this applies to reading your own, old diaries) is discovering what the writer of that diary chose to record. What was important to them on that day? Seemingly irrelevant, mundane comments can say a lot about a person, even if it's that "I had the biggest laugh at school today. Jason was messing about with a Bovril sandwich and somehow it ended up being shoved down my jumper (I hasten to add that it was wrapped in cellophane). I got it out, crawled over to James' bag and put it inside without him seeing. Everyone else saw – it was well funny." The unabridged entry goes on for so long that I ended up adding three sides of A4 paper to my diary, so hilarious was the incident of the Bovril sandwich. I was 16-years-old. I was supposed to be revising for my GCSEs.

Books based on diaries give a reader something really special. The feeling that someone is confiding in you; sharing things with you that they would never tell another living soul. There are many fantastic books for children and teenagers with a diary format. These are my top ten, in no particular order as these books are so diverse that it would be impossible to compare them to each other.

Rebecca Westcott's debut novel Dandelion Clocks is published by Penguin and follows the diary of 11-year-old Liv from thirteen weeks before to six months after the death of her much-loved mum from cancer.

1. Artichoke Hearts by Sita Brahmachari

12-year-old Mira's beloved Nana Josie is dying. There is no doubt about this – Nana has plans to decorate her own coffin and when it arrives on Mira's birthday it's clear that Nana hasn't got long to go. At the same time, Mira joins a writing club at school where she is encouraged to write a diary. The timing is perfect. Things are changing and Mira is suddenly less keen to confide in her best friend. The diary becomes her keeper of secrets. This is a beautiful book, full of what it means to love and be loved. It also contains the sentence I most wish I had written. It's a sentence that keeps coming back to me and could be the opening line to a thousand different stories. "You can have too much history when you're only twelve years old." Sita Brahmachari has created characters that leave you longing to know more about them and their lives.

2. The Diary Of A Young Girl by Anne Frank

Mention children's books based on a diary to most people and this is the first one they'll think of. Since its first publication in 1947 it has been translated into 70 languages and sold over 30 million copies.

It's a great example of a diary being written to be read. When Anne first began her diary in 1942, it was intended as a personal journal, for her eyes only. That changed in 1944 when she heard that the Dutch government was looking to collect letters and diaries after the war that would show the plight of the Dutch people. At this point, Anne revisited her old diaries, adding more detail and editing existing entries. She wanted to become a famous writer and imagined her diaries as a way of enabling that.

This fact makes reading The Diary of a Young Girl a doubly powerful experience. Anne was a real teenager with real teenage concerns - the back of the book describes her as "an ordinary yet extraordinary teenage girl." So, pretty much like all teenage girls, then. Her chatty, friendly style of writing means that her diary entries possess a dry humour despite being poignant and devastatingly awful. This is a children's book that is as much for adults as it is for children.

3. I Capture The Castle by Dodie Smith

It is 1934 and 17-year-old Cassandra Mortmain has decided to keep a journal. She has two motivations – to practise her speed writing and to prepare herself for writing a novel. However, the six months that follow are so full of change and drama that Cassandra's journal becomes a place where she records all that is happening (and quite a lot that isn't happening too). This story explores sibling relationships, loyalty and ultimately, the issue of unbalanced love. We meet highly likeable, touching characters who are prepared to love more than they are loved. There is a lot of passion flying around this book and it culminates in one of the most powerful endings I have ever read. I found myself applauding Cassandra's sense of self-worth while feeling incredibly sad that it had to end this way.

4. Z for Zachariah by Robert C O'Brien

16 year old Ann Burden believes that she is the only survivor of a nuclear holocaust. That is, until the day that Mr Loomis walks into her valley, wearing a protective suit and dragging a wagon of provisions behind him. This was one of my favourite books as a teenager and the feeling of sinister menace that I remembered was just as strong when I recently re-read it. What if you were the last female on earth?
In Ann, we are given a strong heroine who considers practicality at every step but isn't averse to a little daydreaming. Her diary is written over a period of three months and the ending is haunting. You desperately wish that it could somehow be different but it's clear that Ann is taking the only action available to her.

5. Diary Of A Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

My kids, along with millions of others the world over, absolutely love these books. You only need to read the first few entries to understand why. In Gregg Heffley, we are given a character who lies, cheats and does whatever he deems necessary to get through his day. He suffers at the hands of his big brother, Rodrick and struggles to understand why his parents are so totally devoted to his little brother. The only person available for Gregg to assert any power over is his friend, Rowley – and even that goes wrong when he pushes Rowley too far over the worm-terrorising incident. I asked my son to explain why he thinks these books are international bestsellers. His answer – Gregg isn't particularly good at anything and that's what makes him so appealing to kids. He's an unlikely hero – a hero without heroic qualities. There's a bit of Gregg Heffley in everyone.

6. Angus, Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison

This is not a book to read on public transport unless you are comfortable with laughing hysterically in a crowded train carriage. Georgia is feeling the pressure of teenage life – Dad's disappeared to the other side of the world in search of work, she's pretty sure Mum is having an affair with the builder and her little sister, Libby, has a penchant for hiding her dirty nappies in Georgia's room. What I love about this book is the relationship that Georgia has with her friends. It's honest and brutal and very, very realistic. A brilliant book for 12+ readers who will all find something about Georgia that they can identify with.

7. Dear Nobody by Berlie Doherty

This book is an excellent read for older teenagers. The story of Chris and Helen and their little Nobody is heartbreaking and thought provoking. It isn't strictly a diary - the majority of the story is told from the point of view of Chris as he recalls the events of the last nine months. His memories are interspersed with letters written by Helen to their unborn baby – both of which create a diary feel throughout the book. Chris is desperate to do the right thing and take responsibility for his actions, but Helen won't let him. The relationship between Helen and her mother is difficult but ultimately, the arrival of Nobody helps to heal generations of hurt.

8. Are You There God? It's me, Margaret by Judy Blume

This book was written in 1970 and is still being enjoyed by pre-teen and early teenagers today. It's another book that, while not strictly written in a diary format, creates the intimate feeling of a diary. Written in the first person by 11-year-old Margaret, we are taken on a journey of awkward moments, humiliating experiences and some serious self-doubt. Margaret 'talks' to God throughout the story, asking his advice and telling him her deepest secrets – she talks to God in the way that another girl might write a diary. The real beauty of this book lies in Margaret's innocence – she feels angry with God and loudly professes to have no religion but not once does she question the reality of God.

I loved this book when I was younger and have recently passed it to my 12-year-old daughter. "It's full of cringe-worthy stuff," she told me, before she disappeared to her room to continue reading. Obviously that's a good thing!

9. Diary of a Killer Cat by Anne Fine

This book is great for readers aged six-nine years (although when I recently read it as a bedtime story to my six-year-old son, my 12-year-old daughter snuck in to listen as she remembered enjoying it so much when she was younger). We are told the story from the point of view of Tuffy, the killer cat, who likes to talk straight and tell it like it is. Tuffy's no-nonsense approach makes him a charismatic narrator. Right up until the end, we have no idea whether he is a villain or a hero, and this makes it a book that children don't want to put down.

10. The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole by Sue Townsend

I first read this book when I was 13 ¾ years old and thought it was the funniest book I'd ever read in my life. The week where Adrian decides to paint over his Noddy wallpaper with black paint is truly one of the funniest scenes I think I've ever read.
Reading this again as an adult, with a more parental perspective, I can hear the sadness in Adrian's voice, which I didn't really notice as a teen reader – then, I just thought it was funny (as have my own children). Adrian is a teenage boy in desperate need of a hot bath and some care and attention, but his parents are too engrossed in their own issues (plus, he is a highly annoying teenager with a large streak of arrogance). Everyone will know someone like Adrian – this book will remain a firm favourite for teenagers and adults alike, for many, many more years to come.

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