Synopses & Reviews
Jamie is crushing on Hudson. Someone too-gross-to-be- named is crushing on Jamie. And Hudson is crushing on . . . Princess Turd of Turdsylvania (a.k.a. The Prettiest Girl in the World).
Middle school may be grim, but it's no fairy tale. And crazy doesn't even begin to cover it.
"Dear Dumb Diary,
I got another poem today from You-Know-Who!
'She is the fairest blossom, true,
She blooms in any weather.
But I must love her from afar.
We'll never be together.'
Signed,
M.P.
Can you believe the pain he's in? His suffering? The crushing heartache he endures every time he sees me? Gosh, it just makes me so happy!"
ABOUT JIM BENTON:
JIM BENTON is not a middle school girl, but do not hold that against him. He has managed to make a living out of being funny anyway. He is the creator of many licensed properties, some for big kids, some for little kids, and some for grown-ups that, frankly, are probably behaving like little kids. You may already know his properties It's Happy Bunny!, or Just Jimmy, and you are about to get to know Dear Dumb Diary. He's created a kids TV series, designed clothing, and written books. Jim Benton lives in Michigan with his spectacular wife and kids. They do not have a dog, and they especially do not have a vengeful beagle. This is his first series for Scholastic. Jamie Kelly doesn't know who Jim Benton is and wonders why he is even being mentioned in connection with her diary. She also wonders when the poison will take effect and if he is a boy . . . and cute.
Review
What's new, what's cool: Dear Dumb Diary'
By Jennifer Tobia
Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service
(KRT)
An entertainment or product review - anything from books and video games to
Web sites and music.
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"Dear Dumb Diary," by Jim Benton (Scholastic, $4.99).
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Middle-schooler Jamie Kelly is mad. She's mad at Angeline, the most popular
and prettiest girl in the world (or at least in Mackerel Middle School).
Jamie is mad at the fact that she has to go to middle school in the first
place. She's mad at her disapproving parents, and mad at Hudson Rivers (the
eighth cutest guy in her grade) for not noticing her. Her only hope is to
console in her diary, the one place where she can spill her heart out and
draw pictures of how things really look.
"Dear Dumb Diary" (Scholastic, $4.99) by Jim Benton is a look at Jamie's
life in her own words. Her adventures include avoiding trouble (or getting
into it) with her partner in crime, Isabella; rating people on a "Loser"
scale; dealing with crazy cafeteria monitor Miss Bruntford; and observing
and caring for her dog Stinker.
You'll laugh out loud at what this girl has to say.
From Our Editors The Barnes and Noble Review
The hilarious author of the Franny K. Stein, Mad Scientist books zaps fans with another new series, this time about a girl braving the trials and tribulations of middle school. Told in knee-slapping diary entries, the first installment of Jamie Kelly's tales begins as "the worst thing that can happen to you in middle school" almost occurs: getting a nasty nickname (for all of you uneducated souls out there). From there, Jamie goes on to describe a schoolmate's misfortune of using ChocoMint lip smacker; her interest in almost-hunk boy Hudson Rivers; and most of all her unkind feelings toward Angeline, a pretty blonde girl who Jamie's sure is "scorpion-like" beneath her sweet exterior. But when a mysterious culprit smacks the school's cafeteria monitor in her "neck blubber" with meatloaf, Jamie takes the heat and winds up almost-pals with Angeline. Jim Benton delivers a wonderfully silly series that combines his knack for knowing what kids love to read with fun illustrations. Young audiences will eat up Jamie's diary descriptions of stealing Angeline's hair out of the wastebasket, her "glazed" cousin, and just about every other crazy event that happens, while parents are sure to see their kids beg for more Dumb Diary books. As the subtitle suggests, we can pretend this never happened, but in reality we're sure happy it did. Shana Taylor
"This book's witty and satiric sense of humor is sure to resonate with kids and make these books a must-have.” BIG BLUE DOT Trend Update
From the Fans
omg u totally rule!!!! i luv happy bunny! and i read dear dumb diary... its so hillarious!
lol” --dani
yo mr.benton, u r totally AWESOME!!! I'm totally trying to get my mom to buy me the 2nd dumb diary book!! they r hilarious!! (but true!!!) :)” -- sk8erbear
dear dumb diary is an awesome book I did that for my book report.” Keith
I'm going to start collecting your books. I'll call it, My Collection of Books By Jim Benton.” -- Olivia L.
Thanks for making reading so much fun!” --Jennifer L.
My daughter recently purchased your first edition of your Dear Diary books at a school book fair. I must admit. . . I don't know who enjoyed the book more, my daughter or me. (I am 31 and my daughter is 9!!) I can't remember the last time I laughed that hard! It was hysterical! Congrats on a great new series!” --Marisa W.
My 9-year-old daughter loved your book! She actually laughed out loud
while reading it! It is qui
Synopsis
Read the hilarious, candid (and sometimes not-so-nice), diaries of Jamie Kelly, who promises that everything in her diary is true -- or at least as true as it needs to be.
Jamie is crushing on Hudson. Someone too-gross-to-be- named is crushing on Jamie. And Hudson is crushing on . . . Princess Turd of Turdsylvania (a.k.a. The Prettiest Girl in the World).
Middle school may be grim, but it's no fairy tale. And crazy doesn't even begin to cover it.
Synopsis
Fresh off their epic summer road trip, Lydia and Julie are back and ready to take seventh grade by storm. Well, Lydia is: She wants to start a band, and sheand#8217;s convinced Julie to join her. The Macramand#233; Owls are joined by Roland (expert at the
hardingfele) and Jane (expert at drama). None of them, unfortunately, are experts at rocking out. The band needs more practice, but instead Lydia and Julie find themselves riding an unexpected wave of popularity to their own belated birthday party. The girls may have accidentally stumbled upon the secret to popularityand#151;if only the secret werenand#8217;t so completely humiliating. Hilarious, observant, and honest, this installment of the series has all of Amy Ignatowand#8217;s signature charm, while bringing our beloved heroines to a new turning point in their lives.
Praise for The Popularity Papers: Book Five
"Ignatowand#8217;s illustrations (attributed to Julie), humorous comments, and the storyand#8217;s sticky situations make this a gregarious addition to the series."
and#151;Booklist
Synopsis
After spending six months apart in Book Two, best friends Lydia and Julie are reunited at last! Julie has said good-bye to the mean girls, and Lydia is ready to apply her hard-earned friendship lessons to founding their own crew. But bad news interrupts their reunion: Their friend Sukieand#8217;s mother, ill for many years, has passed away. This shakes Lydia and Julie, who reevaluate their goals and decide to focus more on being supportive of the friends they have. Unfortunately, their well-meaning schemes almost immediately start to go awry, and everyone seems to be mad at them for reasons beyond their control. How can they be better friends when no one seems to want to give them the chance? As always, Lydia and Julieand#8217;s hilarious back-and-forth notes form the backbone of the novel, in which Amy Ignatow reveals all-too-true truths about friendship and loyalty.
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About the Author
Jim Benton is a New York Times bestselling author and the creator of many licensed properties, including the hugely successful It's Happy Bunny. He's created a kids' TV series, designed clothing, and written books, such as the Franny K. Stein series and the bestselling Dear Dumb Diary series. Jim lives in Bloomfield, Michigan with his spectacular wife and kids. Visit him online at www.jimbenton.com and on Twitter at @JimBenton.