Diaries

Leonardo Da Vinci (Lifelines)

At just 12 years old, Paulo becomes an apprentice to Leonardo da Vinci, the brilliant artist and inventor. Dull is not how Paulo describes life in Leonardo’s busy studio. There are floors to sweep, paints to mix, errands to run, and drawings to be made. But there are mysterious events, too. Another apprentice is not all that he seems, and an evening visit to a hospital uncovers some very interesting happenings… Paulo’s diary tells of an exciting moment in Renaissance Italy; it’s a young boy’s insight into a fascinating time and place and his glimpse into the mind of one of the world’s greatest geniuses, as well as a story told from the heart.  

My Name Is Seepeetza

Her name was Seepeetza when she was at home with her family. But now that she’s living at the Indian residential school her name is Martha Stone, and everything else about her life has changed as well. Told in the honest voice of a sixth grader, this is the story of a young Native girl forced to live in a world governed by strict nuns, arbitrary rules, and a policy against talking in her own dialect, even with her family. Seepeetza finds bright spots, but most of all she looks forward to summers and holidays at home. This autobiographical novel is written in the form of Seepeetza’s diary.

My Diary from Here to There/Mi Diario De Aqui Hasta Alla

A young girl describes her feelings when her father decides to leave their home in Mexico to look for work in the United States.

Millicent Min: Girl Genius

Millicent Min is having a bad summer. Her fellow high school students hate her for setting the curve. Her fellow 11-year-olds hate her for going to high school. And her mother has arranged for her to tutor Stanford Wong, the poster boy for Chinese geekdom. But then Millie meets Emily. Emily doesn’t know Millicent’s IQ score. She actually thinks Millie is cool. And if Millie can hide her awards, ignore her grandmother’s advice, swear her parents to silence, blackmail Stanford, and keep all her lies straight, she just might make her first friend.

Read more about Millicent Min: Girl Genius in WOW Review.

The Tin Princess: A Sally Lockhart Mystery

After witnessing a mysterious explosion, three young Londoners–Becky, Jim and Adelaide–journey to a tiny country high in the mountains of Central Europe in 1882. They’re an unlikely trio to lead a country, but when Adelaide’s husband, the new king, is assassinated, she finds herself fighting for the crown–and for her very life.

The Carbon Diaries, 2015

It’s the year 2015, a time when global warming has begun to ravage the environment. In response, the United Kingdom becomes the first country to mandate carbon rationing–a well-intentioned plan that goes tragically awry. This story of one girl’s attempt to stay grounded in a world where disaster has become the norm is told in short diary entries.

Stolen Voices: Young People’s War Diaries, from World War I to Iraq

Zlata Filipovic’s diary of her harrowing war experiences in the Balkans, published in 1993, made her a globally recognized spokesperson for children affected by military conflict. She and co-editor Melanie Challenger have gathered fifteen diaries of young people coping with war, from World War I to the struggle in Iraq that continues today. Profoundly affecting testimonies of shattered youth and the gritty particulars of war in the tradition of Anne Frank, this extraordinary collection— the first of its kind—is sure to leave a lasting impression on young and old readers alike.

A Hand Full of Stars

A teenager who wants to be a journalist in a suppressed society describes to his diary his daily life in his hometown of Damascus, Syria.

Sondok: Princess of the Moon and Stars, Korea, A.D. 595 (The Royal Diaries)

During the seventh-century, the land which is now Korea was fraught with political and religious intrigue. The country was split into Three Kingdoms, each fighting for supremacy: Silla, Koguryo, and Paekche. Besides the warring kingdoms, there are three religions in conflict: Shamanism, the ancient female-dominated faith wherein Shamanist priestesses wield great power at court, foretelling the future, performing important national rituals, and healing sickness; Buddhism, the contemplative State religion; and Confucianism, a recent import from powerful China.  Written as a first-person diary, a young princess expresses her frustrations at not being able to study astronomy because she is a girl.