California Diaries Books in Order

Thirteen-year-old Amalia manages a band and dates its older guitarist, James. His jealousy first seems flattering, then starts cutting her off from friends and family, leaving her questioning whether his possessiveness has anything to do with love.

Back in California, Dawn reunites with old friends while her eighth-grade classes move into the high school. Keeping a journal helps her face changing friendships and new social pressures as she tries to discover where she belongs.

Thirteen-year-old Maggie Blume excels at school, but her controlling father has plans for her future that leave little room for music. Joining a band creates a painful choice when an important performance clashes with her father's movie opening.

Sunny Winslow avoids facing her mother's cancer by skipping school and spending time at Venice Beach. Meeting Carson, a runaway with troubles of his own, complicates her escape as her family and friendships become harder to deal with.

Amalia supports Maggie through an eating disorder, including accompanying her to therapy. With their band's first paying performance approaching, Amalia feels overwhelmed by her friend's needs and struggles to make room for a life of her own.

Dawn feels overlooked after her father and stepmother have a baby, and her friendship with Sunny has broken down. Although other friends offer support, she considers spending the summer in Stoneybrook and wonders whether she should stay there permanently.

Ducky feels stranded as Jay joins the boys who bully him and Alex grows increasingly withdrawn. With his parents away, he finds comfort among new friends, but a party offers a troubling chance to reconnect with the old ones.

Worried that Alex may be hurting himself, Ducky hopes his parents' Christmas visit will provide support. Their return leaves him feeling overlooked, forcing him to confront his friend's behavior without the family guidance he wanted.

Pressure from her father, her mother's drinking and doubts about her band leave Maggie desperate for control. Restricting food seems like an answer, but her friends' concern forces questions about the choices she is making.

As her mother's illness worsens, Sunny struggles to find comfort from Dawn and her busy father. Talking to Carol and spending time with boys offer distractions, but cannot remove the fear she is trying to keep buried.

After a promising date with Brendan, Amalia is attacked by drunken girls using racist insults. The incident shakes her trust in Palo City and makes her pull away from friends, her boyfriend and plans involving her family.

Ducky hopes a concert will help Dawn and Sunny repair their friendship, but the outing only deepens their anger. Their shared sadness about Sunny's mother's illness may offer common ground, if they can overcome the hurt between them.

Maggie unexpectedly starts dating a young movie star involved in her father's latest production. Gossip coverage and a film opportunity for her band make celebrity life feel overwhelming, forcing her to weigh the attention against what she actually wants.

Sunny's mother stops cancer treatment and returns home for her final days. Struggling with exhaustion and the approaching loss, Sunny tries to spend time with her, help the family and find words for everything she still wants to say.

Working at Sunny's father's bookstore brings Ducky and Sunny closer, but he senses she wants more than friendship. Without romantic feelings to return, he struggles to be honest without adding to her pain or losing their bond.