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The Dirt Diary #1
The Dirt Diary
WANTED: Maid for the most popular kids in 8th grade.
Cleaning up after the in-crowd gets Rachel all the best dirt.
Rachel can't believe she has to give up her Saturdays to scrubbing other people's toilets. So. Gross. But she kinda, sorta stole $287.22 from her college fund that she's got to pay back ASAP or her mom will ground her for life. Which is even worse than working for her mother's new cleaning business. Maybe. After all, becoming a maid is definitely not going to help her already loserish reputation.
But Rachel picks up more than smelly socks on the job. As maid to some of the most popular kids in school, Rachel suddenly has all the dirt on the 8th grade in-crowd. Her formerly boring diary is now filled with juicy secrets. And when her crush offers to pay her to spy on his girlfriend, Rachel has to decide if she's willing to get her hands dirty...
Cleaning up after the in-crowd gets Rachel all the best dirt.
Rachel can't believe she has to give up her Saturdays to scrubbing other people's toilets. So. Gross. But she kinda, sorta stole $287.22 from her college fund that she's got to pay back ASAP or her mom will ground her for life. Which is even worse than working for her mother's new cleaning business. Maybe. After all, becoming a maid is definitely not going to help her already loserish reputation.
But Rachel picks up more than smelly socks on the job. As maid to some of the most popular kids in school, Rachel suddenly has all the dirt on the 8th grade in-crowd. Her formerly boring diary is now filled with juicy secrets. And when her crush offers to pay her to spy on his girlfriend, Rachel has to decide if she's willing to get her hands dirty...
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 7, 2014
736 people are currently reading
2664 people want to read
About the author
Anna Staniszewski
34 books322 followersAnna Staniszewski lives in the Boston area and teaches in the MFA Writing for Children Program at Simmons University. She's the author of over twenty books for young readers, including the The Dirt Diary series and Clique Here series, the picture books DOGOSAURUS REX and BEAST IN SHOW, and the Once Upon a Fairy Tale chapter book series. You can visit Anna at www.annastan.com or follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/annastanisz.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 416 reviews
August 2, 2023
This was so fun and CLEAN!!!! I was rlly happy that a middle grade novel was finally clean, bc that doesn't rlly happen.
What made this a four star rating instead of a five:
Rachel was rude to her best friend. She takes her grief about her parents separation out on her. I did appreciate that she messed up so much bc it made her seem human instead of a glossy mc!
Marisol was insensitive to Rachel. Sometimes you need to be blunt, but that wasn't the time.
The mom kept way too many secrets from Rachel that she should know.
+10 points: That cover is looks super cool!!!!
That's all be now! Thanks for reading!!
What made this a four star rating instead of a five:
Rachel was rude to her best friend. She takes her grief about her parents separation out on her. I did appreciate that she messed up so much bc it made her seem human instead of a glossy mc!
Marisol was insensitive to Rachel. Sometimes you need to be blunt, but that wasn't the time.
The mom kept way too many secrets from Rachel that she should know.
+10 points: That cover is looks super cool!!!!
That's all be now! Thanks for reading!!
January 25, 2014
http://theprettygoodgatsby.wordpress....
I'll get this out of the way by saying I would have enjoyed The Dirt Diary so much more if it hasn't been watered down with simple language more suited for a Kindergarten class. Writing a Middle Grade (or even Young Adult!) novel does not mean the language needs to be dumbed down. Some of the most thought-provoking and powerful novels I've ever read have been targeted toward children, authors!! The characters in The Dirt Diary are in 8th grade, gearing up for high school. Let that sink in. High. School. The way 14-year-olds speak and interact is far different than the interaction of a group of five-year-olds, yet it's all the same to Ms. Staniszewski. Admittedly, there were two characters who said 'hell,' but the main character sticks to Helsinki and holy bean dip. Even ignoring the characters' speech, The Dirt Diary's writing is extremely juvenile. The novel breaks the cardinal sin of literature over and over: it tells rather than shows.
As for the story itself...the summary is a bit misleading. It makes the story sound a bit Harriet the Spy-ish, which isn't the case at all. Rachel's parents recently split, her father moving to Florida to start up a scuba diving business. Her mother is now faced with having to take a second job - a cleaning business - and asks Rachel to tag along and help out. That money Rachel stole? She used it on a plane ticket. She concocted a plan to fly down to her father (all the while keeping it a secret from her mom) and somehow making him realize he needs to come home and be a family again.
Because the houses Rachel and her mother clean are in their neighborhood, many of the children go to Rachel's school...and that's not a good thing. It's one thing picking up the dirty underwear of the twin boys in the grade below her, but it's another thing entirely to scrub the toilets of her mortal enemy. Especially when there's a cute brother involved (who refers to Rachel as Booger Crap). The more Rachel visits these houses, the more she uncovers about her fellow classmates' lives and what she discovers could be dangerous.
The Dirty Diary is a super easy read; I finished the book in one sitting. The plots move along quickly enough, though they're a bit disjointed and half-hearted. Mixed in with the divorce storyline and these secrets Rachel uncovers, there's a story I wished had been explored further. Rachel's passion is baking. She channels her emotions through cupcakes and brownies and keeps a notebook full of recipes (the majority being her own creations). The previous school year Rachel had entered a bake sale and wound up taking second place. This year she's determined to take first. I loved this storyline and wanted to see it progress. The goodies Rachel bakes had my mouth watering the entire time (hello, banana nutella swirl brownies!), but it was spoiled with the hurried conclusion. The bake sale arc wrapped up so quickly I was caught off guard.
My largest problem with The Dirt Diary was how Rachel reacted upon discovering secrets (or, in some cases, what she misinterpreted). Her first reaction is to giggle and make fun of people. One of the resident Mean Girls is depressed and Rachel discovers it's because her father recently passed away. Rather than comforting her, Rachel thinks about how this girl will no longer be popular - she's wearing sweatpants to school! Upon discovering a package of adult diapers at her vice principal's house, Rachel immediately thinks about how juicy this is and has to stop herself from laughing in his face the next time she sees him. That scene nearly pulled me out of the book completely. Rachel's actions were awful and disgusting.
While the story itself was enjoyable, so many things about The Dirt Diary made me upset, and in some instances, positively livid. Initially this had been a three-star book, but the more I wrote and the more I thought back on this story, the angrier I got. I can see a younger crowd liking this book, but unfortunately, The Dirt Diary just wasn't for me.
I'll get this out of the way by saying I would have enjoyed The Dirt Diary so much more if it hasn't been watered down with simple language more suited for a Kindergarten class. Writing a Middle Grade (or even Young Adult!) novel does not mean the language needs to be dumbed down. Some of the most thought-provoking and powerful novels I've ever read have been targeted toward children, authors!! The characters in The Dirt Diary are in 8th grade, gearing up for high school. Let that sink in. High. School. The way 14-year-olds speak and interact is far different than the interaction of a group of five-year-olds, yet it's all the same to Ms. Staniszewski. Admittedly, there were two characters who said 'hell,' but the main character sticks to Helsinki and holy bean dip. Even ignoring the characters' speech, The Dirt Diary's writing is extremely juvenile. The novel breaks the cardinal sin of literature over and over: it tells rather than shows.
As for the story itself...the summary is a bit misleading. It makes the story sound a bit Harriet the Spy-ish, which isn't the case at all. Rachel's parents recently split, her father moving to Florida to start up a scuba diving business. Her mother is now faced with having to take a second job - a cleaning business - and asks Rachel to tag along and help out. That money Rachel stole? She used it on a plane ticket. She concocted a plan to fly down to her father (all the while keeping it a secret from her mom) and somehow making him realize he needs to come home and be a family again.
Because the houses Rachel and her mother clean are in their neighborhood, many of the children go to Rachel's school...and that's not a good thing. It's one thing picking up the dirty underwear of the twin boys in the grade below her, but it's another thing entirely to scrub the toilets of her mortal enemy. Especially when there's a cute brother involved (who refers to Rachel as Booger Crap). The more Rachel visits these houses, the more she uncovers about her fellow classmates' lives and what she discovers could be dangerous.
The Dirty Diary is a super easy read; I finished the book in one sitting. The plots move along quickly enough, though they're a bit disjointed and half-hearted. Mixed in with the divorce storyline and these secrets Rachel uncovers, there's a story I wished had been explored further. Rachel's passion is baking. She channels her emotions through cupcakes and brownies and keeps a notebook full of recipes (the majority being her own creations). The previous school year Rachel had entered a bake sale and wound up taking second place. This year she's determined to take first. I loved this storyline and wanted to see it progress. The goodies Rachel bakes had my mouth watering the entire time (hello, banana nutella swirl brownies!), but it was spoiled with the hurried conclusion. The bake sale arc wrapped up so quickly I was caught off guard.
My largest problem with The Dirt Diary was how Rachel reacted upon discovering secrets (or, in some cases, what she misinterpreted). Her first reaction is to giggle and make fun of people. One of the resident Mean Girls is depressed and Rachel discovers it's because her father recently passed away. Rather than comforting her, Rachel thinks about how this girl will no longer be popular - she's wearing sweatpants to school! Upon discovering a package of adult diapers at her vice principal's house, Rachel immediately thinks about how juicy this is and has to stop herself from laughing in his face the next time she sees him. That scene nearly pulled me out of the book completely. Rachel's actions were awful and disgusting.
While the story itself was enjoyable, so many things about The Dirt Diary made me upset, and in some instances, positively livid. Initially this had been a three-star book, but the more I wrote and the more I thought back on this story, the angrier I got. I can see a younger crowd liking this book, but unfortunately, The Dirt Diary just wasn't for me.
July 19, 2020
This was pretty childish, more middle grade than young adult, so I'm confused as to why it was in the young adult section of the library.
Rachel Lee is a 13 year old girl who's dad up and left her and her mom to teach scuba-diving in Florida. She wants her parents to get back together, so she borrows $287.22 from her college account thing for a plane ticket to Florida to convince her dad to come back to them, and now has to find a way to pay her mom back before she finds out. She starts going with her mom to clean people's houses, and finds a lot of dirt on those people, especially people who've bullied her...
This book kind of terrified me. Do our cleaning ladies go through our stuff? That's honestly terrifying. Hopefully they don't. That's awkward.
The story was well-written, but the title, The Dirt Diary, doesn't really correspond to the story as much. The 'Dirt Diary' is part of the book, but not as huge that it should be the title.
There's girl on girl hate for (mostly) no apparent reason, and Rachel feels another girl's bra. Not while she's wearing it, of course, but that doesn't make it despicable. Who does that? I was dees.gus.ted.
Overall, I think the idea was an okay one, but it wasn't executed the best way. That could have been done better.
Rachel Lee is a 13 year old girl who's dad up and left her and her mom to teach scuba-diving in Florida. She wants her parents to get back together, so she borrows $287.22 from her college account thing for a plane ticket to Florida to convince her dad to come back to them, and now has to find a way to pay her mom back before she finds out. She starts going with her mom to clean people's houses, and finds a lot of dirt on those people, especially people who've bullied her...
This book kind of terrified me. Do our cleaning ladies go through our stuff? That's honestly terrifying. Hopefully they don't. That's awkward.
The story was well-written, but the title, The Dirt Diary, doesn't really correspond to the story as much. The 'Dirt Diary' is part of the book, but not as huge that it should be the title.
There's girl on girl hate for (mostly) no apparent reason, and Rachel feels another girl's bra. Not while she's wearing it, of course, but that doesn't make it despicable. Who does that? I was dees.gus.ted.
Overall, I think the idea was an okay one, but it wasn't executed the best way. That could have been done better.
June 19, 2014
This is such an adorable concept and so appropriately middle grade, when outside appearances and keeping up pretenses is so crucial. I was cringing thinking what it would have been like to have to scrub the toilet of my middle school's "mean girl", but also how heady it would have been to have had full access to her drawers and closets. I think girls are going to LOVE this premise.
February 27, 2023
Rachel is helping her mom clean up the houses of her classmates, and it is getting all the good dirt. Rachel cannot believe her weekends will now be filled with dirty toilets and mortal enemies. But she kind of borrowed $287.22 from her college fund, and she needs to pay it back before her mom realizes. Which is even worse than cleaning the toilets of her classmates because that isn't helping her nonexistent popularity rise. But, cleaning up after them proves fruitful when she uncovers all of their secrets. So when Rachel is offered money to spy on her arch nemesis, she needs to decide if she's willing to play dirty.
This was AWFUL! I actually hated it.
Rachel was the standard damsel in distress waiting for Steve to sweep her off her feet. I was hoping books and authors would have moved away from the damsel in distress theme because it doesn't show how strong women truly are. But Rachel thoroughly depressed me.
Marisol was ok. She did speak some sense into Rachel at times. But their interactions, and others, we're so juvenile. I am not a child but this book seems to be made for one.
This book also promotes bad habits. Keeping a Diary of everyone's secrets is not ok. Rachel doesn't even get in trouble for the diary, and she still decides to use it and do what she said she wouldn't.
This was AWFUL! I actually hated it.
Rachel was the standard damsel in distress waiting for Steve to sweep her off her feet. I was hoping books and authors would have moved away from the damsel in distress theme because it doesn't show how strong women truly are. But Rachel thoroughly depressed me.
Marisol was ok. She did speak some sense into Rachel at times. But their interactions, and others, we're so juvenile. I am not a child but this book seems to be made for one.
This book also promotes bad habits. Keeping a Diary of everyone's secrets is not ok. Rachel doesn't even get in trouble for the diary, and she still decides to use it and do what she said she wouldn't.
February 24, 2015
I LOVED this book!! It was amazing and I always wanted to read more. Whenever I started reading the book I always got so into it and I felt like I was in the story too! I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series.
Read
August 14, 2024Pre-Review
This book was so weird.
Pre-Read
This book has been following me every time i open the kindle app and i finally read the description! I actually think it might be good..?
This book was so weird.
Pre-Read
This book has been following me every time i open the kindle app and i finally read the description! I actually think it might be good..?
February 28, 2025
The humorous side of this novel gives it a touch of endearment. Who doesn't remember the humiliations of adolescence? First loves, high school clicks and the feeling of not belonging anywhere. Through Rachel's character, we experience the ups and downs of adolescence. It was a good novel!
Le petit côté humoristique de ce roman vient lui donner un petit quelque chose d'attachant. Qui ne se rappel pas des humiliations lors de notre adolescence ? Les premiers amours, les clics du secondaire et l'impression de n'appartenir à aucun monde. Nous vivons à travers le personnage de Rachel les hauts et les bas de l'adolescence. C'était un bon roman !
Le petit côté humoristique de ce roman vient lui donner un petit quelque chose d'attachant. Qui ne se rappel pas des humiliations lors de notre adolescence ? Les premiers amours, les clics du secondaire et l'impression de n'appartenir à aucun monde. Nous vivons à travers le personnage de Rachel les hauts et les bas de l'adolescence. C'était un bon roman !
April 11, 2015
The Dirt Diary is a book about a girl named Rachel. Her father just left her mom so her mom starts a cleaning business to make extra money. Only reason Rachel joins in is because she owes over $200 for a plane ticket to visit her dad. With the bake sale coming and her crush paying her to spy on his girlfriend while Rachel cleans her house, will she pay the money back it time before her mom checks the bill?
This book is really exciting, although I was able to predict what would happen next. I recommend this book to people who like things to relate to.
This book is really exciting, although I was able to predict what would happen next. I recommend this book to people who like things to relate to.
did-not-finish
August 31, 2024dnf at 2% (pg 7) 😅 i don’t really know why i even started reading this book in the first place
September 28, 2021
I really enjoyed this book once I got more into the story. I am excited to start the second book in this series.
January 7, 2014
Review first appeared on my blog: Book Addict 24-7
I received a copy via NetGalley and Sourcebooks Jabberwocky in exchange for an honest review and for a blog tour
The Dirt Diary by Anna Staniszewski is a middle grade novel about a girl facing troubles at home and bullying at school. I wasn’t sure what to expect because I don’t read a lot of middle grade novels, but I was pleasantly surprised. Being a victim of bullying at a younger age, I think that a story like this one, where the victim is an imperfect character, is important to note. Not only does the protagonist learn to stand up for herself, but she also learns an important lesson herself. Bullying is never okay, but we see in this story that there are always two sides to a story. Written in fast-paced prose and introducing a witty protagonist, The Dirt Diary is a great quick read.
The quirkiness of Rachel, the protagonist, makes the story unique because it makes her character unforgettable. Her creative way of cussing (though she doesn’t actually swear) is a funny touch and her character growth makes the story run smoothly. A character like Rachel is a great example for younger readers, especially those suffering from bullying and from separated parents. Her need to fix the broken issues in her house and her desire to be noticed by the most popular guy are very relatable issues in today’s youth.
The idea of a dirt diary that shows all of the dirty secrets of the rich and popular isn’t something entirely new, but it is still entertaining, especially when the antagonist of the novel is so horrible. Staniszewski’s novel is very tongue in cheek, especially with how Rachel views the world and how she is treated. At least, it’s risqué for a middle grade novel, but this makes it a lot more fun. Though The Dirt Diary is a slightly predictable read, it’s still good fun.
I loved reading this one because it was so different from what I’ve been reading lately. The storyline was refreshing and the characters endearing. If you enjoy novels about girls who come into themselves, while also learning to trust and appreciate those who love her, then this is the novel for you. Also, there’s a touch of romance, and who doesn’t like a little dose of that in their literature?
I received a copy via NetGalley and Sourcebooks Jabberwocky in exchange for an honest review and for a blog tour
The Dirt Diary by Anna Staniszewski is a middle grade novel about a girl facing troubles at home and bullying at school. I wasn’t sure what to expect because I don’t read a lot of middle grade novels, but I was pleasantly surprised. Being a victim of bullying at a younger age, I think that a story like this one, where the victim is an imperfect character, is important to note. Not only does the protagonist learn to stand up for herself, but she also learns an important lesson herself. Bullying is never okay, but we see in this story that there are always two sides to a story. Written in fast-paced prose and introducing a witty protagonist, The Dirt Diary is a great quick read.
The quirkiness of Rachel, the protagonist, makes the story unique because it makes her character unforgettable. Her creative way of cussing (though she doesn’t actually swear) is a funny touch and her character growth makes the story run smoothly. A character like Rachel is a great example for younger readers, especially those suffering from bullying and from separated parents. Her need to fix the broken issues in her house and her desire to be noticed by the most popular guy are very relatable issues in today’s youth.
The idea of a dirt diary that shows all of the dirty secrets of the rich and popular isn’t something entirely new, but it is still entertaining, especially when the antagonist of the novel is so horrible. Staniszewski’s novel is very tongue in cheek, especially with how Rachel views the world and how she is treated. At least, it’s risqué for a middle grade novel, but this makes it a lot more fun. Though The Dirt Diary is a slightly predictable read, it’s still good fun.
I loved reading this one because it was so different from what I’ve been reading lately. The storyline was refreshing and the characters endearing. If you enjoy novels about girls who come into themselves, while also learning to trust and appreciate those who love her, then this is the novel for you. Also, there’s a touch of romance, and who doesn’t like a little dose of that in their literature?
September 22, 2021
Well, that was TERRIBLE. The author wrote year nine girls (a demographic I happen to be a part of) as boy-crazy nine year olds with no moral compass. No one even speaks or thinks like written in the book. Terrible plot. Enjoyed none of it. Why the hell would Even forgive Rachel after she revealed that she was a total bitch? Rachel was a terrible character. Also, why is everyone basically either a spoiled rich kid or “weird”? Marisol seemed OK but honestly? The romance arc between her and Andrew? No. Terrible. Pointless and made no sense. Could they not just be friends? They had interests in common. Just because “boys and girls can’t just be friends in middle school”? False. No. How did she even get access to her college fund anyway? And did she think this plan through for a moment? And why are her parents such terrible people? They basically separated, told her nothing, started dating other people, TOLD HER NOTHING, and then said she was immature for getting upset? As far as she knew they were still very much together?! I don’t know WHAT American middle schools are like, but if they are like this I am glad I don’t go to one. And Rachel was such a HORRIBLE human being. She spied on people, used their secrets to humiliate them privately and to feel better about herself. Briana was SUCH a one sided character. How did she get broken glass? Why would she take the time to get hundreds of drawing pins and balance them face up on the ground of her probably large rich girl room? Did she have a personality? No. Why did Angela’s mum help her cheat? No idea. Will not read again, do not recommend.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 23, 2016
Pretty decent read. It just wasn't for me and wasn't for my age.
May 18, 2015
*LATE REVIEW*
THIS WAS A RE-READ:
I absolutely love this book! When I first read this, i remember I cancelled all my plans, got my headphones, locked myself in my room, and spent my day reading it. This book, is so fun...and funny. See what I did there? Omg, anyways, I re-read this again, so I could read the second book, and it was just great! It's a very unique book, and deserves to be recognized for it.
THIS WAS A RE-READ:
I absolutely love this book! When I first read this, i remember I cancelled all my plans, got my headphones, locked myself in my room, and spent my day reading it. This book, is so fun...and funny. See what I did there? Omg, anyways, I re-read this again, so I could read the second book, and it was just great! It's a very unique book, and deserves to be recognized for it.
November 16, 2020
While this was a quick read , Rachael actions often were cringeworthy. I just wished she would have more moments of compassion for others.
December 31, 2024
A great book I enjoyed whilst reading to my girls, good topics for discussion and not stressful or worrying.
February 23, 2024
☆2
OK so I've gotten into the habit of picking up middle-grade books that market themselves as diaries and it sort of became a tradition to rank them based on how accurate they are to the life of a middle school girl.
When I opened this book I found out it isn't even a diary, it's just a novel which was disappointing but I can still enjoy a good book. Unfortunately, this was not a good book.
The main problem I have with middle-grade diaries is how formulaic they are, it's always about troubles at school with a love interest and a best friend and a mean girl and it pretty much never changes. I hate this because 80% of the time that's not the case, they always have some guy who's dreamy and does no wrong who's involved with the mean girl and it always bugged me because if anything the boys are usually the ones who get on your nerves.
OK the school trope, is not my thing, but you can do things with that, you can add new elements to make it interesting so what do they add? Well, what they add is great but it doesn't stand out to me. Rachel cleans houses with her mom and ends up learning that popular people aren't one-dimensional characters woah crazy. This also adds to the main conflict of the book which is how she will deal with all these secrets.
There's a lot to unpack about this book but let's start with how the first 10 pages made me want to throw the book out the window.
"I try to nod and move forward at the same time, but that just makes me lose my balance. I stumble forward and- Crash!
The mop and broom fly out of my hands and land on the floor, followed by several bouncing rolls of paper towels. "Booger crap!" I cry, stooping to gather everything up. Wait, did I just say that out loud?"
Guys, she's so different! She's clumsy! She's not like other girls!! She's so clumsy and says funny words!! What a relatable main character!! Can I barf?
Not every main character has to share the same personality yet here we are!
"HOLY BOILED ARTICHOKES!"
Please lose your ability to form sentences.
"It all smells like lavender and fanciness. Everything is hung up like it's on display in a fashion museum. Even Briana's bras are on hangers! She probably has them specially made for her noticeably full chest, which sprouted the summer before sixth grade (and made her the envy of all the girls)."
I can't tell you how much I physically cringed at that line. "Noticeably full chest" STOP. THIS IS A 12-YEAR-OLD. PLEASE.
It ends up coming back into play later but seriously WHAT?
"I can almost smell his cologne-- it always makes me think of the color blue."
CAUSE HE'S A MAN GRAHHHH MANLY MAN MAN MAN MAN MAN🗣🗣🗣💯💯💯🫵🫵🫵🟦♂️♂️♂️♂️♂️🔵🔵🔵🔵Ⓜ️Ⓜ️Ⓜ️🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅
But seriously though they keep him smelling like "blue" GIRL WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN
"I have to admit that the dress does look pretty good on me. My normally stick-straight body actually seems to have a little bit of shape to it."
I just..... hate that. I understand girls have body issues at this age but seriously I feel like this is going to make people more self conscious rather than feeling seen. And once again: the protagonist is like 14, her mom describes her as "barely even 14" she isn't gonna have curves and on top of that the book never calls this out.
Just the whole idea of dating and body image and everything as you're barely in high school is so wild to me how did this become the norm?
I want to make note of the secrets and how she keeps them: she doesn't. She's really just an awful person through this whole book the only redeeming quality is her realizing she's an awful person with how she's kept these secrets BUT THEN AT THE END she literally uses Brianna's secret against her.
Did she learn nothing??
OK now onto things I actually liked in this book:
-The plot outside of the romance was great. Rachel talking with Caitlin, dealing with her parents divorce, the bake sale it was all good.
-I was craving brownies through the entirety of this book good Lord.
-I like how they handled the Steve plot line it was close to reality and sent a good message about how people aren't always what they seem and it's OK to let go of crushes that are you know, the worst.
-Rachel opening up to her mom and actually communicating was also a good message
-When it did mention a diary and how it helped Rachel process her emotions it was good but then she just never used it again so ehhh.
Even though the ending saved parts of this book it's still weighed down by it's many faults.
I would not recommend this for preteens which tells you a lot.
OH YEAH ALSO THE BAKE SALE?? HOW DID THOSE BROWNIES WIN all the other brownies made in the book (the sea salt ones especially) sounded really good- they had caramel chip, peppermint, salt, coconut, so many good flavor profiles that were interesting and different only for her to go with BANANA NUTELLA.
Of all the flavors- like I get why she did that narratively-wise but dang I really want some sea salt fudge brownies
☆2▪︎ 246 pg
OK so I've gotten into the habit of picking up middle-grade books that market themselves as diaries and it sort of became a tradition to rank them based on how accurate they are to the life of a middle school girl.
When I opened this book I found out it isn't even a diary, it's just a novel which was disappointing but I can still enjoy a good book. Unfortunately, this was not a good book.
The main problem I have with middle-grade diaries is how formulaic they are, it's always about troubles at school with a love interest and a best friend and a mean girl and it pretty much never changes. I hate this because 80% of the time that's not the case, they always have some guy who's dreamy and does no wrong who's involved with the mean girl and it always bugged me because if anything the boys are usually the ones who get on your nerves.
OK the school trope, is not my thing, but you can do things with that, you can add new elements to make it interesting so what do they add? Well, what they add is great but it doesn't stand out to me. Rachel cleans houses with her mom and ends up learning that popular people aren't one-dimensional characters woah crazy. This also adds to the main conflict of the book which is how she will deal with all these secrets.
There's a lot to unpack about this book but let's start with how the first 10 pages made me want to throw the book out the window.
"I try to nod and move forward at the same time, but that just makes me lose my balance. I stumble forward and- Crash!
The mop and broom fly out of my hands and land on the floor, followed by several bouncing rolls of paper towels. "Booger crap!" I cry, stooping to gather everything up. Wait, did I just say that out loud?"
Guys, she's so different! She's clumsy! She's not like other girls!! She's so clumsy and says funny words!! What a relatable main character!! Can I barf?
Not every main character has to share the same personality yet here we are!
"HOLY BOILED ARTICHOKES!"
Please lose your ability to form sentences.
"It all smells like lavender and fanciness. Everything is hung up like it's on display in a fashion museum. Even Briana's bras are on hangers! She probably has them specially made for her noticeably full chest, which sprouted the summer before sixth grade (and made her the envy of all the girls)."
I can't tell you how much I physically cringed at that line. "Noticeably full chest" STOP. THIS IS A 12-YEAR-OLD. PLEASE.
It ends up coming back into play later but seriously WHAT?
"I can almost smell his cologne-- it always makes me think of the color blue."
CAUSE HE'S A MAN GRAHHHH MANLY MAN MAN MAN MAN MAN🗣🗣🗣💯💯💯🫵🫵🫵🟦♂️♂️♂️♂️♂️🔵🔵🔵🔵Ⓜ️Ⓜ️Ⓜ️🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅
But seriously though they keep him smelling like "blue" GIRL WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN
"I have to admit that the dress does look pretty good on me. My normally stick-straight body actually seems to have a little bit of shape to it."
I just..... hate that. I understand girls have body issues at this age but seriously I feel like this is going to make people more self conscious rather than feeling seen. And once again: the protagonist is like 14, her mom describes her as "barely even 14" she isn't gonna have curves and on top of that the book never calls this out.
Just the whole idea of dating and body image and everything as you're barely in high school is so wild to me how did this become the norm?
I want to make note of the secrets and how she keeps them: she doesn't. She's really just an awful person through this whole book the only redeeming quality is her realizing she's an awful person with how she's kept these secrets BUT THEN AT THE END she literally uses Brianna's secret against her.
Did she learn nothing??
OK now onto things I actually liked in this book:
-The plot outside of the romance was great. Rachel talking with Caitlin, dealing with her parents divorce, the bake sale it was all good.
-I was craving brownies through the entirety of this book good Lord.
-I like how they handled the Steve plot line it was close to reality and sent a good message about how people aren't always what they seem and it's OK to let go of crushes that are you know, the worst.
-Rachel opening up to her mom and actually communicating was also a good message
-When it did mention a diary and how it helped Rachel process her emotions it was good but then she just never used it again so ehhh.
Even though the ending saved parts of this book it's still weighed down by it's many faults.
I would not recommend this for preteens which tells you a lot.
OH YEAH ALSO THE BAKE SALE?? HOW DID THOSE BROWNIES WIN all the other brownies made in the book (the sea salt ones especially) sounded really good- they had caramel chip, peppermint, salt, coconut, so many good flavor profiles that were interesting and different only for her to go with BANANA NUTELLA.
Of all the flavors- like I get why she did that narratively-wise but dang I really want some sea salt fudge brownies
☆2▪︎ 246 pg
October 11, 2017
Well the book I read is "The dirt diary" and it is about this girl named Rachel and her mom and dad split up. She has not seen her dad in a while so she needed to have over $200 dollars for a plane ticket but she doesn't want her mom to know but to make the money she helps her mom clean peoples houses. One of the houses she is cleaning is one of her crushes but he has a mean sister. But during when she was cleaning the their house she finds out that he has a girlfriend. So that was bad news then school and she didn't really have any friends but she had another dream crush and she thought he liked her, but also they had a bake sale and her other crush asked her to spy on his girlfriend. But that doesn't go well, but finally having all these crazy adventures she makes some good friends and had a good year and she finally got to speak to her dad. So all this came to a good ending!
If you like drama and crazy adventure. Meeting new people and making new connections I would regiment it for you. This was a good book, It had a good purpose but you should read it sometime.
If you like drama and crazy adventure. Meeting new people and making new connections I would regiment it for you. This was a good book, It had a good purpose but you should read it sometime.
April 28, 2020
A quick, cute little read that entertained me for a few hours at work! While it wasn't perhaps the most outstanding book I've read this year, I didn't hate it either. Like I said, it was cute and quick and I appreciate that in a book sometimes. I want to read for fun and not always have to think super hard about it.
I will say that while the Dirty Diary bit of the story was a little silly sometimes....a lot of the feelings and plots going on here also felt very real. I can remember 8th grade vividly, and it sucked. A lot. One minute your best friend has turned on you because you like the same boy, or your friends don't want you to sit with them at lunch anymore. It's a weird nexus where you still feel young, but you're also trying to prepare to go to high school.
I dunno, I just sympathized a lot with our protagonist in this, that's for sure. 8th grade sucks. Middle school sucks. ages 12-15 sucks.
So yeah. If you want to read something light and fluffy, this is it!
I will say that while the Dirty Diary bit of the story was a little silly sometimes....a lot of the feelings and plots going on here also felt very real. I can remember 8th grade vividly, and it sucked. A lot. One minute your best friend has turned on you because you like the same boy, or your friends don't want you to sit with them at lunch anymore. It's a weird nexus where you still feel young, but you're also trying to prepare to go to high school.
I dunno, I just sympathized a lot with our protagonist in this, that's for sure. 8th grade sucks. Middle school sucks. ages 12-15 sucks.
So yeah. If you want to read something light and fluffy, this is it!
November 11, 2023
pretty decent read, i did really enjoy it. the dirt diary is about a young girl named rachel, her father upped and left her, and her mother for business. leaving them with financial issues, her mother starts a new side hustle cleaning peoples houses, unbeknownst to rachel the houses they were cleaning were actually her enemies. she helps her mum with her new business as she needs money for a plane ticket to go visit her dad, but as she’s balancing the bake sale, her crush paying her to spy, and dealing with bullying, will she be able to pay off what she took out of her college fund in time before her mother finds out?
I do recommended this book, it was a cute & easy read, i wanted more tbh, i would say that it would get anyone out of a reading slump
I do recommended this book, it was a cute & easy read, i wanted more tbh, i would say that it would get anyone out of a reading slump
September 11, 2017
I chose to read this book because I wanted what I call a "bored book" its like really cheesy, predictable, and short books. So I got the first on in 6th grade, and of course when each year a new one came out, I had to read them haha. I rated it high because it did its job of being a good "bored book" the other ones in the series are:
1: Dirt Diary
2: prank list
3. gossip file
4. truth game
they are all about this girl Rachel who is really clumsy and exaggerates all of her drama. once again, sounds really bad but I think the word i'd use is amusing...
If you like "bored books" like me, I recommend! I'm going to add the other 3 books but put no review.
1: Dirt Diary
2: prank list
3. gossip file
4. truth game
they are all about this girl Rachel who is really clumsy and exaggerates all of her drama. once again, sounds really bad but I think the word i'd use is amusing...
If you like "bored books" like me, I recommend! I'm going to add the other 3 books but put no review.
April 7, 2017
In the book The Dirt Diary the main character is Rachel Lee she is a sweet,kind,loving teenager. But she going through a lot her mom and dad are splitting up and it's hard for her. She and her best friend are not getting along very well they had a big fight and that's Rachel's only best friend. She's also getting bullied by this girl named Briana and she's one of the most popular mean girls in eighth grade. The setting takes place in the middle of the school year in school and after school. It all mostly started when Rachel's parents split up and her dad moved to Florida because then her mom had to get a new job and she cleans people's houses and Rachel goes and helps her mom. Well Rachel and her mom get stuck cleaning the houses of the most popular kids in 8th grades houses and Rachel is not very happy with that which it makes it easier for Briana to pick on Rachel even better.
One day after she got home from school her dad called Rachel she didn't really want to answer it but she decided to and her dad told Rachel some news but he thought it was good but for Rachel it was bad news. Also when Rachel and her mom go to clean Briana Riley's house usually Rachel cleans her room and Briana has been putting dirt on her floor to make Rachel clean it up and the she put push pins sticking up on her floor then the Next few days she put something and it's worse and could cut and hurt Rachel pretty bad.
I loved this book the one thing I didn't really like was it didn't give as much detail like other books I read. I wish it would tell us why Briana is so mean to Rachel and what did she do!But so far this book was a great book for kids 4th grade to 8th grade. My favorite part of the book was when Rachel and her best friend Marisol made up and became best friends again I just love that part because it's great to know who a true friend is because if they didn't apologize and where stuck up that's not what friendship is.It was also predictable because throughout the book I would vision it and it was easier and better to understand. But by far this has been one of my favorite books I have read.
I would recommend this to a student from 4th grade to either 7th or 8th grade.I would give this book a 4 star because if they just added more detail and told us why Briana is mad at Rachel I think it would be a better book.One thing I didn't like what a character said was Steven Muller he called Rachel and said
“Hey, its Steven.Steven Mueller”
“Um yes?” Rachel said
“Listen,” he goes on
“Have you had a chance to look around in Brianas room for you know what?”steven said
That's only really the one thing I don't like what a character had said because you should talk to your girlfriend and see what's going on and why she's acting weird.
And Rachel agreed to help him out and that's not right at all.
One day after she got home from school her dad called Rachel she didn't really want to answer it but she decided to and her dad told Rachel some news but he thought it was good but for Rachel it was bad news. Also when Rachel and her mom go to clean Briana Riley's house usually Rachel cleans her room and Briana has been putting dirt on her floor to make Rachel clean it up and the she put push pins sticking up on her floor then the Next few days she put something and it's worse and could cut and hurt Rachel pretty bad.
I loved this book the one thing I didn't really like was it didn't give as much detail like other books I read. I wish it would tell us why Briana is so mean to Rachel and what did she do!But so far this book was a great book for kids 4th grade to 8th grade. My favorite part of the book was when Rachel and her best friend Marisol made up and became best friends again I just love that part because it's great to know who a true friend is because if they didn't apologize and where stuck up that's not what friendship is.It was also predictable because throughout the book I would vision it and it was easier and better to understand. But by far this has been one of my favorite books I have read.
I would recommend this to a student from 4th grade to either 7th or 8th grade.I would give this book a 4 star because if they just added more detail and told us why Briana is mad at Rachel I think it would be a better book.One thing I didn't like what a character said was Steven Muller he called Rachel and said
“Hey, its Steven.Steven Mueller”
“Um yes?” Rachel said
“Listen,” he goes on
“Have you had a chance to look around in Brianas room for you know what?”steven said
That's only really the one thing I don't like what a character had said because you should talk to your girlfriend and see what's going on and why she's acting weird.
And Rachel agreed to help him out and that's not right at all.
January 30, 2023
The Dirt Diary was a decent read. If I were about ten years old again I think I’d enjoy the drama, cuteness, and honesty of the main character. But overall it just wasn’t that memorable, and the characters weren’t particularly likable. The writing style was not my favorite, and all of this added up to me almost DNFing the book several times, each time deciding not to because of the promising premise. All in all, I think the book serves its purpose, with some funny and colorful moments, but it’s a bit simplistic and just not the best pick for most people over the age of 11.
April 20, 2017
The dirt diary is about a girl named Rachel she has to give up her Saturdays to scrub other peoples toilets.But she has to pay $287.22 back to her college fund before her mom finds out because she used it all. And she docent want to work with her mom because her moms work would be her being a maid all day. Rachel now suddenly has all the dirt in the 8th grade and her crush asked her if she can spy on his girlfriend and he will pay her Rachel she now knows how to get that cash before her mom finds out about any cash getting out of her collage refunds.
This book would be good for people who like to read drama books but this book was sort of difficult so i would have to recommend it to sixth graders but some fifth grades might be able to read this as well
This book would be good for people who like to read drama books but this book was sort of difficult so i would have to recommend it to sixth graders but some fifth grades might be able to read this as well
January 29, 2019
Lots of fun!
June 27, 2021
For a YA book I really enjoyed it, lived the characters and what they got up to, look forward to reading the next book by this author.
October 27, 2024
Good book for pre-teens
December 2, 2018
I absolutely LOVED this book :)
June 26, 2025
this book was so cute. it reminded me of being a teenager, and it was a nice cute book and an easy read.
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