Promotional Information

This hilarious middle-grade series about unforgettable Billie Upton Green, perfect for fans of Tom Gates, marks the arrival of major new author-illustrator Jen Carney.

About the Author

Jen Carney is an author-illustrator who lives in Lancashire with her wife and three children. She writes contemporary laugh-out-loud middle-grade fiction that celebrates diversity and modern families.

Reviews

For readers of seven-plus, Jen Carney's The Accidental Diary of BUG (Puffin) introduces sparky eponymous heroine Billie Upton Green . . . This cheery, highly illustrated diary story, more rooted in contemporary reality than Liz Pichon's Tom Gates books, is the first in a series that's sure to find devoted fans.
*The Guardian*

A sparky, funny new series perfect for fans of Diary of A Wimpy Kid.
*Daily Mail*

Fun, funny, inclusive and warm-hearted, these books are pure, cheery joy
*Sophie Anderson, author of The House with Chicken Legs*

Ideal for fans of Tom Gates, or Pamela Butchart's books . . . a wonderful new series.
*The Week Junior, Book of the Week*

I really enjoyed reading the adventures of Billie Upton Green (not Bug!!)! Billie is a delightful and relatable character, and her escapades are both funny and heart-warming. I particularly enjoyed the inclusivity in the text, and it's a real joy to see such positive LGBTQ+ representation in children's books. Jen has written a real treat for younger readers, and the artwork is fabulous, too!
*L. D. Lapinski, The Strangeworlds Travel Agency*

Readers will love Billie's adventures, and her funny, doodle-filled way of sharing them, as much as they love the Dork Diaries or Wimpy Kid stories, and it's great too to see such a warm celebration of diverse family life.
*Andrea, LoveReading4Kids*

Jen Carney writes family life with warmth, nuance and a phenomenal eye for detail. Plus, she knows how to make kids laugh . . . and I mean totally unreserved roll-on-the-floor belly laugh. Billie Upton Green is a firm favourite in our house.
*Emma Mylrea, author of Curse of the Dearmad*

Carney's lively, upbeat Billie is a welcome inclusive addition to the world of illustrated diaries. Her two mums feel like people I know, her weariness at explaining their existence just as familiar - and Billie herself is a treat, from her passion for biscuits to her determined pursuit of the school thief. Fun, funny, and deceptively clever.
*Susie Day, author of Max Kowalski Didn't Mean It*

The Accidental Diary of B.U.G. is immense fun and is the first book I have read in a single sitting in a long time! It's warm, funny and has the best joke involving childbirth that you could put into a children's book!
*Louie Stowell, author of Otherland*

A brilliant, hilarious and heartwarming book! I'm pretty sure if I'd read this as a child it wouldn't have taken me quite so long to understand and accept my own queer identity. Amazing for normalising same-sex parenting and adoption, completely laugh-out-loud funny and a feast for the eyes with lots of fun and engaging doodles. I loved it!
*Abigail Balfe, A Different Sort of Normal*