The Prank List

The Dirt Diary #2

by Anna Staniszewski

Rachel Lee never thought she'd fight for the right to clean toilets. But when a rival cleaning business starts stealing her mom's clients, Rachel will do whatever it takes to save herself the horror of moving to Connecticut — which would mean giving up her almost, sort of boyfriend, her fantastic new pastry classes, and her best friend Marisol.

Operation Save Mom's Cleaning Business is a go!

But when the series of pranks Rachel and her BFF cook up to take down the competition totally backfires, Rachel worries that her recipe for success is a dud. You know what they say — if you can't stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen...

Genres: Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Contemporary, Young Adult, Teen, Fiction, Childrens

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Anna 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.

Reviews

[Gisbelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Provided by the Publisher via NetGalley

This book is a sequel to The Dirt Diary which I read (and loved) just a few days earlier. Similar to the first installment, in this book, Rachel manages to get herself in more trouble while trying to solve the problem she is facing.

I always find Anna Staniszewski's writing very enjoyable. Humorous, but still serious at the same time. In this book, there was nothing much to complain about as the writing was quite nice, along with the loveable and funny characters.

However, if compared to the first book, Prank List seemed lack of something. The plot, though it wasn't bad at all, didn't wow me. I liked Rachel, as well as the rest of the characters, honestly. Nevertheless, what Rachel did didn't appear to be pranks, but more like sabotages. And that wasn't cool at all. Besides, the romance didn't work for me, but maybe if I were 10 years young, I might have been all over that.

The book did end pretty nicely. I loved how everything wrapped up perfectly and the message it conveyed was nothing less than wonderful.

Overall, it was a really fun, sweet and fast paced book with a nice message. It's suitable for young readers in their early teens.

The next installment The Gossip File is said to be released in 2015.

Thanks Sourcebooks Jabberwocky for the e-galley

Blog: The Sweetest Reads

[Yaritza R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

*LATE REVIEW*

When I read the first book, I read it in one sitting. When I finished it, i spent about an hour bawling my eyes out, screaming," I NEED A SEQUEL." Like, no joke! Then about a year later I found out that this book was part of a trilogy....and that the next two were already out! So obviously I bought the second one, and can I start off by saying that I love these covers? And that I'm so bad with memory that I had to re-read the first one?

Just like the first book, I read this in one sitting! I thought that Rachel was a little annoying every now and then. However, I thought that all of the new characters were great. And just like the first book, it was fun, a nice little adventure, adorable, and had me cracking up! Definitely need the last book, because the writing is great, and they're just great books!

[CheyAnn Robin ·ᴥ· · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was better than the first one but I had one problem with this book.

Before I explain why I had a problem with this book I first need to explain something so what if have to say would make sense.
First of the main characters parents are not really split up, her father moves to Florida for a business he wants to start. So this is when things get kind of messed up, the author decided it would be ok for the main characters mother & father start dating other people. The messed up thing is that the parents are not divorced, so basically they both are cheating on each other. That part of the book made me very uncomfortable. This isn't something that should be in a book for tweens.

[Jeff Raymond · Rating 3 out of 5]

Closer to a 3.5.

Anna Staniszewski has come up with a pretty solid story on this series, where there's a quick tale that has a solid message and yet doesn't come across as preachy. A continuation of what started with The Dirt Diary, this focuses more on revenge and being the better person than anything else, and that we see Rachel not only have to deal with the consequences of her actions, but also grow from her experiences from book to book is just an added bonus.

Adult readers won't find much to love in this due to the overall simplicity. But kids, mainly pre-teen girls, looking for more serious fare without touching on truly dark stuff? This continues to be solid.

[CallMeLil · Rating 3 out of 5]

WARNING: Contains Spoilers!


Ok, I’ve finished book two. What can I say?
Well, for starters, Rachel is TERRIBLE in this book. I’m not even exaggerating. She blames people without proof and ropes her friend into this trash. All because her mom’s business is struggling because of the “Ladybugs”. I get she had good intentions, but, the way she acts makes her sound like a 2nd grader. Also, I’m getting a little (sarcasm) sick of her weird swears. “Booger crap”? What even is that? Anyway, Marisol needs to go get better friends, cause’ Rachel is not one. Marisol helps Rachel with these crazy schemes. Literally, they both make caramel and dump it into the rival cleaning businesses’ vans. Who does that?! Oh, but Rachel isn’t the worst in this.
Angela. Angela, Angela, ANGELA. The word “Angel” in her name is very ironic to her personality. She is a stalker, a liar, and a bad person. Oh, even BRIANA is better than her in this book. Angela basically ruined Rachel’s mom’s business for like, NO REASON. She thinks Briana will be proud of her. If this was the Briana form book one, then she would get praise. But, she wasn’t, thank goodness.

Anyway, I’m bored so I’m not gonna go into more detail, but honestly, the story was good. Just two characters got on my nerves, but, that’s my opinion.

[Nick Pes]

A new year isn't exactly another chance for Rachel Lee. Chef Ryan is still making her do baby steps, even though she thinks she has a lot of potential. Then, something even more important strikes the Lee family. Rachel's mom is being rivaled by another cleaning business, and customers go down. Can she stay away from Conneticut, stay with her sort of boyfriend, and save Marisol?

This book was okay. It was pretty well-written, but not exactly my type. I would give this to a 5th-7th grader.

[lotus ✧˚ · . · Rating 3 out of 5]

{Spoiler Alert} The Main Character, Rachel, panics when she realizes her mom's cleaning business was lowering thanks to the new company in town. Rachel and her best friend, Marisol, team up to set up pranks on the new company so they would leave and her mom's business would be fine again. Unfortunately, all actions have consequences as Rachel tackles through the problems she caused thanks to her pranks.

I find this book decent. I don't think it reaches 4 stars for me, but it was a good book.

[Aleta · Rating 5 out of 5]

My one complaint is that this book has no recipes in it! And after it made me seriously crave some caramel squares! That's just cruel:)

[Bec · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book gave me anxiety

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would give it more stars if I could!

[Riley Travis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good book but there were some things I didn't like about it. It's about a girl named Rachel who's dad just left to go to Florida because her parents split up. She loves to cook and bake so much, so she is taking a baking class that costs money. But her mom isn't well paid because she has her own cleaning service. The problem is there is a new cleaners called the Ladybug Cleaners. They are stealing customers left and right. When she enters the bake off, she comes it second place. Her mom and dad were really proud of her. And her dad surprised her from Florida. I think the theme is don't give up on what you love.

[Miranda · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Prank List is written by Anna Staniszewski, this is the 2nd dirt diary,this book is so interesting, it talks about a girl, her name is Rachel Lee, She writes her own Diary,she writes everything on it,when i say everything is everything, she writes all that happens to her in her diary, obviously Rachel needs to have a best friend her name is Marisol, Rachel really enjoy to be with Marsol and be her best friend, that´s why Rachel pass all the time happy.

The mom of Rachel is always taking care of Rachel she always worried about Rachel, But you know it can´t missing the mom that takes care of the house, Rachel´s mom always want to see clean the house. Rachel really, really,really likes to cook, she likes when her best friend Marisol cooks with her. This book is 226 pages i recommended.

[Violet Garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

The main character in the Prank List is a 14 year old girl named Rachel Lee. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to know the frustrations, fears and adventures of a preteen. My favorite part is when Rachel takes baking class, but her chef teacher does not like Rachel because she makes too many mistakes. One time she added soap instead of baking soda to a recipe. Rachel is also worried that her mom's cleaning buissness wiil go down because of a new cleaning company in town. Rachel and her mom might have to leave to conneticut. An effort to save her moms job Rachel comes out with a prank list to stop the other company from succeeding. This book has many funny moments because Rachel has a good heart and wants to help her mother. You should read this book.

[blaize ! · Rating 4 out of 5]

i’m not gonna lie, anna had me in the first half but omg the execution was excellent.

rachel is always in some mess but having marisol by her side in this one was so much fun. also the drama??? like hello devi moment.

the plot twist GOT me. like i was really blindsided which was super refreshing, especially for a middle grade. the characters stayed true to themselves which was also great because usually they change drastically in this genre.

the prank list is now required reading and i’m so serious. this book is FUN and we all need more fun.

also, i need these movies in production IMMEDIATELY.

[Kathryn Ruiz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I overall really liked this book. It was a pretty good book with lots of emotion. This book is good for tweens and young adults. When you read this book you learn to feel bad for Racheal and you learn to love her. She really is an amazing character that makes Racheal, Racheal. She has a humorous side which I really love. You can really feel the emotion, and I really love that. I really recommend this book to people who love realistic fiction.

[Monique · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing is good. Solid.
But, can I say I enjoyed this book?

There seems to be a running theme throughout pertaining to secrets, pranks, and gossip that I'm not liking at all. The decisions she makes are just horridly stupid and selfish, and I wouldn't recommend to anyone because of the message and theme it carries.

2 stars only because the writing was good, but the story line unethical.

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I raced right through this one, and I already can't wait for book three (in four more months -- d'oh!). The message was maybe a little more heavy handed than it was in the previous book, but the story and the characters, including a lot of new characters, were just as fantastic.

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

Adorable, yet predictable. A fast, fun, sweet read.

Rachel is a hot mess again, but super likable even through all her clumsiness and teenage mistakes. This is a great, little story for the tween crowd and has some nice messages about family and loyalty.

[Book Lovers · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's funny. I had so mu h fun reading this.

[Emily L · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Prank list by Anna Staniszewski is an adventurous book following the summer of Rachel Lee. Normal, awkward teenager who is a wizard with a whisk! Cooking has always been a kind of a super power she has, and a way to take out all her frustrations when life throws a curveball her way. And trust me when I say that life sure does have it in for Rachel when it comes to curveballs. First off, her dad left her and her mom to pursue some crazy business dream of his, leaving the, to pay for all the bills and sending no money to help. So her moms dream to start her own business gets thrown into effect to make so,e extra cash to afford everything. Things are going great until a new cleaning business moves into town. The Ladybug cleaners. Rachel knew from the first time she saw those red vans with black dots that those Ladybugs were gonna be trouble. And she was right. But trying to get back at the ladybugs gets her into a lot more trouble. Especially after she finds out that the person she's been venting to in her baking class was actually the ladybugs leaders brother! He was only pretending to care about what she had to share because he wanted to keep his sister one step ahead of Rachel. The problem is, the whole time she thought the ladybugs were trying to sabotage her and her moms business and that made her furious, especially since they are barely hanging on by a thread and can possibly loose their hips and have to move to her aunts hous in Australia. She soon finds out that the one sabotaging them wasn't even the ladybugs. It was Angela, one of Rachel's classmates. She was furious at this news but eventually calmed down. Her life eventually winded down and for once all was well. Her mom was happy with her new boyfriend. They got to keep their house. And she even won a bake-off! You know what they say, alls well that ends well!

[Sonora · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy this one as much as the first one, and that's disappointing. In had high hopes for this book, and sadly, not all of them were realised. I still enjoyed it, if course, but it just wasn't as sweet or satisfying as the last one.

The main problem I had with this book was the plot. It felt exactly like the plot of The Dirt Diary, except it was a lot less fun. I found myself being disinterested with the story and kind of annoyed with Rachel. It was like all of the character development and the lessons that Rachel learned were thrown out the window and she had to go through it all over again. That was very disappointing to see.

My favorite little storyline in here had to be the one about the dad coming back. I wish that it would have been more fleshed out than say, the pranks, but it was still interesting. I'm curious to see how all of the family drama will play out in future books.

So, all together, the book isn't bad. It just wasn't super good either.

[Mina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the Dirt Diary, the first book in the series, but this book was not good at all. Rachel makes assumptions about the cleaners who are cleaning her mom's clients' houses instead of her and her mom cleaning their clients' houses. She thinks they are trying to sabotage her so she sabotages them. In the end, they were only repeating rumors they heard before, but the son of the owner of the cleaning service was posting fake mean reviews about Rachel. Still, I think Rachel overreacted. Also, there was a part that I didn't quite understand. In the first book, it says Rachel's parents got divorced and signed the papers, but in the second book, Rachel kept saying they were almost divorced. And how did both parents find a new boyfriend/girlfriend so quickly?

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rachel and her mom clean houses and when a customer cancels she sees another cleaner company called Ladybugs cleaning their house. Someone spreads rumors of her stealing stuff in people's houses. She thinks it's the ladybugs and is determined to make them pay meanwhile she joins a cooking class. There her teacher hates her and a new guy Wit joins the class and thinks he's better than her. Rachel tells her sorta boyfriends about him and Evan and her go-to eat but, then Rachael sees wit and hides. She and her friends come up with a park list to destroy the ladybugs and Rachelle tells Wit about it.....

[Jenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew Whit was related to the Ladybug Cleaners, awful for Angela wanting to be so popular she stole. I think Bianca is finally coming around and maturing. So cute that Evan is in her head lets me know they are meant to me. I just didn’t like Whit even though it was Angela who did everything to hurt her Mom’s cleaning business. Rachel is helping her Mom achieve her dreams by saying they can move into an apartment. Still not proud of the Dad and his bright idea I don’t think it’s his dream seeing how he did something like this before. This middle grade series is good and not to long.

[BubblegumG · Rating 4 out of 5]

เป็นเล่มที่อ่านแล้วสนุกเพราะนางเอกสร้างเรื่องให้เรือหายเกือบทุกตอน จนเรารู้สึกว่าอยากจะดูว่านางเอกจะทำให้เรือหายไปได้อีกมากแค่ไหน เล่มนี้สนุกกว่าเล่มแรก เนื้อเรื่องเข้มข้นกว่า ปมหนักกว่า และแก้ไขปัญหาและจบได้ลงตัวกว่าเล่มแรกด้วย เลยทำให้เรารู้สึกว่าเล่มสามและเล่มสี่ก็น่าลองอ่านดูเหมือนกัน
Btw นะคะ เป็นนิยายที่พล็อตคลีเช่อารมณ์หนังไฮสคูลเมกา แต่พล็อตแน่นมากพอที่จะทำให้เราสนใจที่จะอ่านต่อ ใครอยากหาซีรีส์นิยายที่พล็อตคลีเช่ แนวคอมฟอร์ทโซนที่พล็อตไม่กลวงจนโล่ง ปักซีรีส์นี้แล้วอ่านต่อได้เลย

[☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

really cute book! like the first one, it's weird they talk a lot like 5-6th graders even though it's the summer before high school, but it's not a bother. once again i see how much a pre-teen would love this and it's honestly like a two bite brownie. short, but not too short! perfect for any pre-teens who don't really like to read.

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

The prank list is a relatable book because bad things happens to all of us even if your the luckiest person or perfect everyone makes mistakes. She made a mess in her first cooking class and he chef got mad at her and she gets put to clean toilets and she fights back to not clean toilets.

[Ashley Waugh · Rating 3 out of 5]

My 9 year old daughter and I read this series together at bed. We both wished that this book focused more on the relationship Rachel had with her dad instead of the boys in her life, but I do know that may come later in the series.

[Ranette · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun book about a teen who loves to bake and her family who has some problems. Her dad left and mom is having money problems. They have a cleaning business which is under attack. This book is clean, funny and deals with some real life problems.

[yaragirlboss · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5*

Ahhhhh this book was so funnnnn I loved it as well. Such a fun series I need to read more middle grade lolllll. It’s a four stars because it emitted tears from me when she first saw her dad at the fashion show! So heartfelt and beautiful with many important lessons 🤍