I will always have a soft spot for Dear Dumb Diary. When I was a little girl, my mom and I would cuddle on Saturday mornings and read these books together. I was old enough to read them on my own (one could argue I was way beyond the reading level of them), but I liked reading them with her. I still remember laughing with her at Jamie's antics with her and drinking hot chocolate. Those are some of my favorite memories.

What I love about Jim Benton's books is that they are so funny. At 19, I still find them unbelievably funny. Benton writes Jamie's sarcastic, middle school girl scarily well for a middle-aged man. I loved Jamie because she wasn't persistently cheerful like the girls in the American Girl books or super smart like Nancy Drew. Jamie was real. Her diary felt real. She didn't always get what she want, and things didn't usually go her way. She might be the first character I ever really felt was real. I still love her.

Recommended to anyone who wants a good laugh. Read them with your kids if you have them. Read them to your nieces or nephews. If you're an elementary school teacher, read them to your students. I dare you not to laugh.