The Scott Fenwick Diaries

In the tradition of Judy Blume, a contemporary coming-of-age middle-grade comedy for teens and tweens with the honest truth about the angst and uncertainty of pursuing your first real-life crush.

In this laugh-out-loud, feel-good sequel to Worldwide Crush, superfan Millie grows out of her celebrity crush and lands awkwardly in something even more dramatic: her first ever IRL middle school crush.

Is Millie ready to graduate from posters on the wall to a living, breathing boy who sits next to her in Social Studies? By herself, absolutely not. But with a little help from her friends--maybe! Feeling comically unprepared for this next phase of middle school, Millie calls on an adorkable cast of characters for instructions and support: Shauna, her wise bestie who uses her Magic 8 Ball for advice; her two cranky grandmas, who call cute boys "foxes"; Pringles, her beloved bulldog; and her bunny-loving neighbor, Tibbs, who dedicates herself to getting Millie an invite to the bar mitzvah of her dreams. But when a secret game of Truth or Dare at the bar mitzvah leads to her ultimate fantasy--Millie and Scott swaying together on the dance floor--the moment is ruined in humiliating fashion. And Millie doubts she'll ever be ready for real-world middle school love after all.

Amidst a whirlwind of embarrassing family shenanigans and side-splitting missteps, Millie learns to trust her own instincts, grow up on her own terms, and never, ever sacrifice her friends for a crush.

Author: Kristin Nilsen
Publisher: Sparkpress
Published: 07/22/2025
Pages: 272
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 1.00lbs
Size: 8.40h x 5.40w x 0.80d
ISBN: 9781684633265
Audience: Young Adult


Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 09/15/2025
Foreword 08/15/2025

About the Author
Kristin Nilsen is a bookseller, a youth services librarian, and the author of Worldwide Crush, a finalist in the Humor/Comedy category of the 2024 Next Generation Indie Book Awards. She is also a self-proclaimed "pro crushologist" and cohost of the popular Pop Culture Preservation Society podcast, celebrating the cultural nuggets of the Gen X childhood (and often sharing stories of awkward, preteen heartthrobs of yore). Kristin lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with her Gen X husband, her Gen Z son, and their rock-and-roll goldendoodle, Axl Rose Nilsen.