Rachel Renée Russell is an American cartoonist, attorney, and author known for her popular children's book series, Dork Diaries, and its spin-off, The Misadventures of Max Crumbly. She was born on March 13, 1959, and grew up in Saint Joseph, Michigan, with four younger siblings.

Russell's series, Dork Diaries, is written in a diary format and features doodles, drawings, and comic strips that detail the life of the main character, Nikki Maxwell, as she navigates middle school life. The series draws inspiration from Russell's own middle school experiences. Her daughter, Nikki, is the illustrator, and the character Nikki Maxwell is named after her. As of December 2023, the series has sold over 55 million copies worldwide in 52 languages and has been on the New York Times Best Sellers list for 331 weeks in the Children's Series category.

The spin-off series, The Misadventures of Max Crumbly, details the life of Maxwell Crumbly, who shares his middle school challenges through his diary, first introduced in Dork Diaries: Tales From A Not-So Perfect Pet Sitter.

Rachel Renée Russell attended Northwestern University for her undergraduate studies and later, law school. She currently resides in Chantilly, Virginia.