In Dork Diaries: Party Time, the second book in the popular series, readers rejoin Nikki Maxwell as she navigates the tumultuous world of middle school. Nikki is thrilled to be making real friends and even more excited when her crush, Brandon, asks her to be his science partner. However, the ever-present mean girl, Mackenzie, stirs up trouble, leading Nikki to mistakenly commit to her little sister's Halloween party. When the truth about Mackenzie's lie comes out, Nikki faces a classic middle school dilemma: how to be in two places at once and salvage her dream date. Told in a highly engaging diary format with abundant doodles and comic strips, this book is perfect for 10-14 year olds dealing with social anxieties, friendships, and first crushes. It offers a humorous and relatable look at the challenges of fitting in and standing up for yourself.
Nikki is finally starting to adjust to life at her new school and things are looking up. She's made some real friends and her major crush, Brandon, even asks her to be his lab partner in science, Hello! Seriously awesome developments! But, when Nikki overhears mean girl Mackenzie bragging that Brandon's going to take her to the Halloween dance, a bummed Nikki agrees to spend Halloween at a kids' party for her little sister Brianna. It's only after she makes the commitment that she finds out Mackenzie was lying and that her dream of going to the party with Brandon could be a reality. Now she's got two parties to juggle, what's a girl to do?
