Review Detail

Jamie Kelly is back, and this month she is focusing on manners. Of course, in Jamie's writing, that looks like, "You are cordially invited to stop reading my diary. If you can't accept that invitation, I'd like to offer you an invitation to the emergency room." When the handsome lunchroom monitor (!) sits with them at lunch, and the kids start to get crushes on each other, Jamie's crew decides to start having better manners. This is easier for some than others, but always funny to experience.

It's Jim Benton's little details that make the DUMB DIARY series a pleasure to follow. This includes Jamie's dream of six-inch thick Pop Tarts, her medical condition known as "blonde intolerance", and the idea of addressing someone who has been married twice as Mrsrs. My favorite is Jamie's fantasies is bumper stickers as literature. They are sprinkled throughout the book and are really just summaries of movies, such as this gem: "Find a golden ticket and win a prize. Not really. Just kidding, you do."

Fans of the series will love this addition and be eager to see what topics Jamie tackles next.