Book Series · 12 Books

Dear Dumb Diary Books

In order from Let's Pretend This Never Happened to Me! (Just Like You, Only Better).

Jim Benton's illustrated diary comedies follow middle schooler Jamie Kelly through friendship drama, school mishaps, jealousy, and wildly confident opinions.

Reviewed by the Bookroo Editors Updated

Let's Pretend This Never Happened
My Pants Are Haunted!
Am I the Princess or the Frog?
Never Do Anything, Ever!
Can Adults Become Human?
Reading order

How to Read the Dear Dumb Diary Books

Read the twelve original diaries in numbered order, beginning with Let's Pretend This Never Happened. Each book covers another stretch of Jamie's school life, so the jokes stand alone while friendships and rivalries carry forward.

Dear Dumb Diary: Year Two is a six-book continuation and works best after the original twelve. The Deluxe book collects existing material and is not book #13.

Sources: Scholastic's official Dear Dumb Diary books, Scholastic's Year Two introduction.

For parents

What Parents Should Know

Jamie's diary is intentionally exaggerated and not always kind. The humor includes insults, gossip, embarrassment, body-image worries, crushes, school pranks, and jokes about classmates and adults. The books invite readers to notice that Jamie's version of events is not always the whole story.

Frequent cartoons and short diary entries make the series approachable for children who enjoy school comedy and visual breaks but are ready for more text than a graphic novel.

Where to start

Where Should My Child Start?

New to Jamie's diary

Begin with Let's Pretend This Never Happened, which introduces Jamie, Isabella, Angeline, and Mackerel Middle School.

Where the story begins

First Book in the Series

Let's Pretend This Never Happened
Sale price
$759
Book #1 · Chapter Book · Ages 9–12 · 2004

Let's Pretend This Never Happened

By Jim Benton

Jamie navigates school drama and family chaos with humor and wit. Can she survive her diary-worthy dilemmas?

112 pages· 8,677 words· Est. 58 min read
$7.99Save 5%
Mass Market Paperbound
Summary: Jamie Kelly's diary reveals her hilarious struggles with school rival Angeline and a chaotic family visit. As she navigates the perils of popularity and a troll-like cousin, Jamie's witty observations and candid confessions promise laughter and surprises. Will she outsmart her nemesis, or will her plans backfire? Dive into her world to discover if she can handle the chaos or if her mom's casserole will end up in Wheretheheckistan. Join Jamie on her comedic journey through the ups and downs of middle school life.
In reading order

Dear Dumb Diary Series

12 books · Published 2004–2014

#4
Never Do Anything, Ever!
#4 in Series
Sale price
$759

Never Do Anything, Ever!

Chapter Book · Ages 9–12 · 2005

Jamie navigates school drama, betrayal, and a quest for inner beauty. Can she win love and stay true to herself?

Continuation series

Dear Dumb Diary: Year Two

6 books · Published 2012–2015

Six more numbered diaries begin a new school year after the original twelve books.

#5
You Can Bet on That
#5 in Series
Sale price
$674

You Can Bet on That

Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2014

A friendly competition spirals into chaos with a game of Dare or Worse Dare. What could possibly go wrong?

Collected edition

Dear Dumb Diary Deluxe

1 book · Published 2016

A deluxe collection of previously published diary material, not the next numbered story.

Dear Dumb Diary, Deluxe
Sale price
$1248

Dear Dumb Diary, Deluxe

Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2016

Middle schoolers scheme to get rich with a food idea. Will it succeed?

Good to know

Common Questions

How many books are in the Dear Dumb Diary series?

There are 12 books in the Dear Dumb Diary series. It began with Let's Pretend This Never Happened in 2004, and the newest book, Okay, So Maybe I Do Have Superpowers, was published in 2014.

What order should you read the Dear Dumb Diary books in?

Start with Let's Pretend This Never Happened and follow the series order — the books above are numbered #1 through #12.

What ages are the Dear Dumb Diary books best for?

The series is best for ages 7–12, based on the age ranges of the individual books.

Which Dear Dumb Diary book is the longest?

The Worst Things in Life Are Also Free (Book #10) is the longest book in the series at 18,243 words (160 pages).

Which Dear Dumb Diary book is the shortest?

Let's Pretend This Never Happened (Book #1) is the shortest at 8,677 words (112 pages).

The people

The Creative Behind the Books

The people who bring Dear Dumb Diary to life.

01

Jim Benton

Author & Illustrator
JB

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