Ellie’s Secret Diary

Ellie’s Secret Diary is a dual language English Vietnamese children’s book from Mantra Lingua. It is aimed at kids roughly ages 9 to 14, and it also works for parents, teachers, or tutors who want a simple story to read together and talk about. If you want very gentle Vietnamese reading practice with a real-life topic, this is an approachable place to start.

The story follows Ellie as she writes about being bullied at school and hiding it from the adults around her. Because it is written like a diary, the language is easier to follow than a long novel, and the personal tone can make the story feel more immediate. The bilingual format is useful if you want to compare English and Vietnamese while picking up everyday words tied to feelings, school, and relationships.

What makes this book more useful than a standard storybook is that it includes advice and discussion support around bullying. That gives you something to talk through after reading, especially if you are using it with a child. The main limitation is that it is still a short children’s story, not a structured Vietnamese course, so it will not teach grammar in a step-by-step way or give you much speaking practice.