Dumbness is a Dish Best Served Cold

Dear Dumb Diary #19

by Jim Benton

Jamie Kelly is back and dumber than ever in this super-deluxe four-color Dear Dumb Diary special edition! Life at Mackerel Middle School is as dumb as ever -- but Jamie Kelly may have finally found the key to fame, fortune, and fabulousness. Together with Isabella and Angeline, she's come up with a moneymaking idea, and it has to do with food. Everyone likes food! They're going to be rich!The only problem? They have to come up with something that people actually want to eat.Jamie has some sophisticated thoughts on food, like, "She was manipulating us like dough. Like the sweet, delicious dough that we are. And she was baking us into the type of delicious cookies you can only get from dough like us. And she was putting sprinkles of us on top of us, and -- forget it. I'm hungry. I want some cookies." This is sure to go well.

Genres: Middle Grade, Humor, Realistic Fiction, Childrens, Diary, Graphic Novels, Animals

224 pages, Hardcover

Published June 28, 2016

About the author

Benton began his career in a custom design t-shirt shop where he started designing his own characters. At the same time, Jim did illustrations and artwork for magazines and newspapers. People magazine named him "the most visible cartoonist in America" .

Benton also created greeting cards and worked in the magazine and publishing industry. In 1998, his SpyDogs characters became an animated series, The Secret Files of the Spy Dogs, that aired on Fox Kids. Licensing his own creations brought them widespread attention on products, such as It's Happy Bunny, The Misters, Just Jimmy and more.

Benton currently lives in Michigan, where he operates out of his own studio.

Reviews

[Syd · Rating 5 out of 5]

"So the carton says this stuff we buy is 2% milk. Am I the only one who wonders what the other 98% is? It could be anything, right? Mouthwash, udder sweat..." -page 1

[Teresa Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can see why students like this book: humor, fun illustrations, and ridiculous situations. In this book of the series, Jamie states at the start that this book is about "A Big Weird Thing". Is that weird thing the food group plates she and her friends design and try to sale? Is it the strange salad dressing they create and market? Is it the challenges of moving away, loved ones dying or nearly dying, or a parent losing a job? Or is it something else all together. Though Benton takes a long time to tell a story, he makes it entertaining enough to stick with it. Those who love the Dumb Diary series will enjoy this new addition.

[Gabriella Ramirez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like all of the other Dear Dumb Diary books,I loved this one.I really,really hope Tim actually continues this series,even though it's been going on for years.

Although I did love the full colored and polished paper format,I actually prefer the "old" one.It just seems like she actually wrote in a diary.It feels more "real".

I also don't understand the Stinker almost dying subplot?
I got worried there but whatever.

Other than that,loved this one and I can't wait for the next one (there's some speculation that this is the last Dear Dumb Diary book,please don't let that be it!)

[Allen Central · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very creative story where the girls become just as creative. This isn't too girly to read because it is actually about how dumb ideas work, not about dumbness being served cold.

[Gabrielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

awwww this book gave me nostalgia and it was so cute

[Different Is Beautiful · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

This full-color special edition of the Dear Dumb Diary series is written not as a diary, but in chapters related by Jamie Kelly as she and her friends Isabella and Angeline try to figure out how to make money selling food. Though I ordinarily think Jim Benton is brilliant, and that his observations about middle school are laugh-out-loud funny, this book didn't have the same spark as most of the titles I've read in the regular series format. I enjoyed the artwork being in color for a change, and Jamie's meta comments about chapter numbers and titles early in the book, but the story overall felt more tedious. I think this is probably because of the shift away from the diary format. The appeal of the series is feeling like you are reading Jamie's daily thoughts - having her write the story in novel format takes away that feeling of realism, which is what I ordinarily like most about Benton's work. Obviously fans of the series will want to read this either way, but I will personally look forward to reading another of the regular Dumb Diaries.

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jamie Kelly is back and in living color in this Dear Dumb Diary Deluxe edition. While studying finances as part of math class at Mackerel Middle School, Jamie, Isabella, and Angeline realize how important money is and their need for earning some, especially since Angeline’s dad has lost his job. They come up with an idea for smart nutrition plates, but when that idea bombs, they try several others. They hit pay dirt on a unique salad dressing: their recipe is bought and manufactured and the girls receive sizable checks. Throw into the mix Jamie’s inimitable humor (punctuated by the bright illustrations), the drama of a sick dog and happy endings all round and you have another rollicking good read. Fans of the series will relish this colorized version.

[Cristy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fans of the Dork Diaries or Diary of a Wimpy Kid will love this title. It is the diary of Jamie Kelly. The chapters are set up very similar to the other titles and it flows well. Humor abounds as well on every page. Kids will get the silly slapstick humor that Jamie describes with her childlike drawings. The illustrations are in color, which helps to draw the readers’ attention to the details in the story. I would recommend this for any collection owning others in the series, or if they are just looking for more funny slapstick stories for children.

[Alana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book a lot. It had tons of humor and uses a lot of vocabulary words to help build students up. Although it is really funny, I'd recommend this book for ages 10+ due to some of the words and word choice overall slightly difficult for youth. Adults may not find this book as humorous as kids will, but the plot is amazing and it really shows kids to really try and solve worldwide problems.

[Amari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still silly and adorable! Stinker’s little surprise almost broke my heart, but luckily nothing bad ever happens to funny little dogs ❤️

[Kelly Carey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This color version of the series attempts to make the jump between illustrated fiction to graphic novels. It might serve as a go between for 2 different genres. I enjoyed this book better than most of the others in the series. This is probably because it utilized chapters instead of diary entries to tell the story.

[Nikayla Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

That's short

[Destiny25g · Rating 5 out of 5]

hi

[Summer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute & clever.

[aarifa · Rating 3 out of 5]

i kinda learned some things so that was pretty unexpected

[Makayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you ever had an idea that seemed so utterly crazy? Well that's exactly how it was for three middle school girls, Isabella, Jamie, and Angeline. Isabella was very crazy and definitely had some crazy ideas, so did Jamie. Jamie was the one girl in the group that wasn't the smartest but she still had some productive ideas. Now, Angeline was very different compared to the other girls because she was very smart and ideas weren't crazy but they were very good ideas. I know so much about these three girls because the author was very descriptive, suspenseful, and had good speech throughout the book.

The author was descriptive because he described each character thoroughly and he described their ideas very clearly, along with putting a lot of detail into them. For instance if he hadn't been descriptive then I wouldn't have known every single part of the girls' ideas and I would've been very confused what was happening. It also made the book more interesting to read and kept me entertained.

The author was suspenseful because I didn't know what was going to happen next with the ideas. Which kept me reading because I wanted to know what happened next and why it was going to happen. So if the author wouldn't have added suspense then I would've been bored and uninterested with what was happening.

When I say that the author had good speech throughout the story I mean that it was easy to understand what was happening and who was talking because he wrote the book clearly. If he wouldn't have wrote the book that way then I wouldn't have understood the book with a clear picture and understand who was talking. Which means I would've been really confused and wouldn't have understood what was happening throughout the book.

With this being said I would suggest this book to people that like descriptive, well put together, suspenseful, and entertaining books. I would suggest for anyone to read this book honestly because it was a really good book and I feel like other would enjoy it too.

[Klaudia Janek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: Jamie Kelly returns in this super-deluxe, full-color edition of the "Dear Dumb Diary" series, bringing her trademark humor and quirky observations to life at Mackerel Middle School. In this installment, Jamie, along with her friends Isabella and Angeline, embarks on a mission to make money through a food-related venture. Despite their initial struggles with ideas like smart nutrition plates, they eventually strike gold with a unique salad dressing that captures attention and earns them some cash. The book is filled with Jamie's hilarious thoughts, colorful illustrations, and relatable middle school drama, including themes of friendship, financial awareness, and overcoming challenges.

Straight Talk for Librarians: Middle school students will enjoy this book for its humor, engaging illustrations, and the relatable antics of Jamie and her friends. The lighthearted narrative tackles real-life issues, such as financial struggles and the importance of creativity in problem-solving, making it both entertaining and educational. The diary-style chapters, though presented in a novel format, maintain a fun and easy-to-read flow, appealing to fans of similar series like "Dork Diaries" or "Diary of a Wimpy Kid." The vibrant illustrations enhance the storytelling experience, capturing the attention of young readers. Overall, Jamie's adventures and her humorous take on middle school life resonate with students aged 10 and up, encouraging them to embrace their own challenges with laughter and creativity.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jamie Kelly continues to share her innermost thoughts in her diary as she and her best friends Isabella and Angeline seek a measure of fame and fortune at Mackerel Middle School. In addition to ruminating on various family issues, Jamie focuses primarily on food here and ways to get rich since her friend Angeline is worried about her family's economic situation. In an effort to earn extra credit from Mr. Henzy and give Angeline hope, the girls come up with a paper plate project, which sounds promising but doesn't really get off the ground. But Jamie wants to encourage Angeline so she weaves a set of lies about a company interested in marketing those plates. Eventually, in a most unlikely way, the girls come up with a salad dressing based on some odd ingredients, including soft drinks, and the product blows up--in a good way. I don't know why anyone would consider Jamie or her ideas to be dumb at all. Nor are these books dumb. Even in this food-related title, real problems such as the high cost of college are explored in meaningful ways.

[Ashley (FridayCab) · Rating 4 out of 5]

All of Jamie Kelly’s diaries are hilarious, even for adults. DIADBSC wrapped and resolved its own plots smoothly, and showed (through how she treats others) Jamie’s growth over the series. Although it’s longer than the others, part of that seems to be the author wasting a bit of page space. It’s not written as much like a diary as the others, but the author warns you about that in the beginning. Those are small complaints, though; my main one is that Jim Benton didn’t write more of these.

This installment makes a good case for compromise; could inspire kids with creative/leadership skills; and could encourage self-esteem and introspection, if the reader pays attention to how characters solve problems by directing individuals’ strengths. It doesn’t always model good friendship, so I think a parent could discuss pitting girls against each other (a bigger problem earlier in the series) and recognizing Isabellish behavior.

[Rita · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is by far my favourite series from my childhood.

The adventures of Jamie, a pessimistic middle-schooler, her best-friend Isabella whose absurdity I can still vividly remember to this day, and her... 'rival' Angeline create the perfect set of characters for a series I'll never forget. I'm so glad these were the books I grew up with, they were all funny and unique in their own way and I'd love to reread them in the future.

[Lirius · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sim, eu errei a ordem e li o epílogo antes de finalizar o Ano Dois, massss, não me arrependo. Que história fantástica e incrível. Todas as protagonistas estão no ápice de sua amizade. É muito bom acompanhar a parceria (entre altos e baixos) que se desenvolve entre a Jamie e a Angelina, enquanto ambas são vítimas das loucuras da Isabela. Um encerramento com chave de ouro e muitas otarices.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

As good and better than the rest of the Dear Dumb Diary series, this full-color version is a special one! I really enjoyed the story line and the encouragement for young people to eat healthy foods and to try entrepreneurial activities!

[Katy Lovejoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kind of all over the place

[Jared · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly this book is so funny

[Akua · Rating 5 out of 5]

ICE CREAM

[San Diego Book Review · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reviewed by Hannah Hom for San Diego Book review

In this Dear Dumb Diary, Jamie Kelly’s best friend Isabella, and the popular girl Angeline, want to be rich and famous and want tons of money, and they also want a phone, so they try to make money. So they sell plates with the four food groups on it. They try to convince people to eat healthier, and try to teach them something about obesity

You can read this entire review and others like it at San Diego Book Review.

[Vedika Das]

I have read this book series and I really loved and got into it so I thought of finishing the series.