Judy Blume Vibes, First Crushes, and All the Feels: Meet The Scott Fenwick Diaries!

 

It's the perfect day outside to finish one of my favorite upcoming books of the year, The Scott Fenwick Diaries.  

This is Kristin Nilsen's newest book, and the sequel to her first hit, Worldwide Crush.  

As I set off to read The Scott Fenwick Diaries, I visited Kristin's website. 

When the lights went out at bedtime, Kristin would pretend to fall asleep and sneak a flashlight under the covers to read just one more chapter. She grew up in a neighborhood full of readers, friends who’d call her up and say, “you wanna come over and read?” And then she moved to a new town and felt like a huge nerd because no one else read as much as she did. That’s when Judy Blume became her best friend; she read every Judy Blume book in the library – even the naughty ones written for adults – because all the people in Judy’s books seemed to have the same problems she did. Kristin finally got to meet Judy Blume as an adult, when she was writing Worldwide Crush, and told Judy that her influence on Worldwide Crush was undeniable. “If this book gets published,” Kristin said, “you can consider yourself one of its creators.”

As soon as I heard about The Scott Fenwick Diaries, I knew it would carry the same fun, heartfelt vibe of Worldwide Crush so I was excited to dive into this advanced copy, thanks to my friends at Media Masters Publicity.

Let me share why Kristin’s latest story swept me off my feet!

In the spirit of Judy Blume, The Scott Fenwick Diaries perfectly captures the charm, cringe, and chaos of middle school life. From the very first page, I connected with Millie—her daydreams, awkward first crushes, close-knit friendships, and quirky family felt so real and relatable. She’s the kind of character you cheer for, laugh with, and sometimes want to gently nudge through the more embarrassing moments.

Kristin does a fantastic job of bringing Millie's world to life with a cast of lovable, eccentric characters. Millie’s grandmas (with their hilarious takes on cute boys, or “foxes”) reminded me of my own grandma. And Pringles the bulldog, along with Tibbs, the bunny-obsessed neighbor, add just the right amount of chaos and charm to Millie’s already messy middle school journey.

Through every hilarious mishap and heartfelt moment, Millie discovers what really matters—learning to trust herself, hold tight to her friends, and embrace growing up on her own terms. I especially love that this story goes beyond crushes; it’s also about confidence, self-discovery, and the power of friendship.

I can’t wait to add The Scott Fenwick Diaries to our library and recommend it to all the tweens navigating the rollercoaster of middle school life. This book is a true gem!

The Scott Fenwick Diaries hits the shelves July 22, 2025.  You will find it here.  

It's such a wonderful new laugh-out-loud, heartfelt, and charming book. I know you and your middle school readers will love it too.