New to Jamie's diary
Begin with Let's Pretend This Never Happened, which introduces Jamie, Isabella, Angeline, and Mackerel Middle School.
Book Series · 12 Books
Dear Dumb Diary Books
In order from Let's Pretend This Never Happened to Okay, So Maybe I Do Have Superpowers.
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
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?
Finished the original twelve
Continue with School. Hasn't This Gone on Long Enough?, the first Year Two diary.
Where the story begins
First Book in the Series
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
#1
Sale price
$759
Let's Pretend This Never Happened
Chapter Book · Ages 9–12 · 2004
Jamie navigates school drama and family chaos with humor and wit. Can she survive her diary-worthy dilemmas?
#2
Sale price
$759
My Pants Are Haunted!
Chapter Book · Ages 7–10 · 2004
A pair of thrift-shop jeans with a haunting twist disrupts Jamie's life.
#3
Sale price
$759
Am I the Princess or the Frog?
Chapter Book · Ages 9–12 · 2005
Middle school chaos: unrequited crushes and diary confessions.
#4
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?
#5
Sale price
$759
Can Adults Become Human?
Chapter Book · Ages 9–12 · 2006
Jamie wonders if adults lose humor like teeth. Why doesn't Mr. VanDoy smile?
#6
Sale price
$759
The Problem with Here Is That It's Where I'm From
Chapter Book · Ages 9–12 · 2007
A new girl challenges Jamie's idea of perfection at Mackerel Middle School.
#7
Sale price
$759
Never Underestimate Your Dumbness
Chapter Book · Ages 9–12 · 2008
Jamie's diary reveals Angeline's dumbest, strawberry-scented antics yet.
#8
Sale price
$759
It's Not My Fault I Know Everything
Chapter Book · Ages 9–12 · 2008
A diary reveals past blunders and a sudden leap to wisdom. What changed?
#9
Sale price
$759
That's What Friends Aren't For
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2010
A secret diary reveals unexpected friendships and hilarious dilemmas.
#10
Sale price
$759
The Worst Things in Life Are Also Free
Chapter Book · Ages 9–12 · 2010
Summer mischief unfolds as middle schoolers team up for a risky plan.
#11
Sale price
$674
Okay, So Maybe I Do Have Superpowers
Chapter Book · Ages 9–12 · 2014
Jamie gains the power to understand boys, uncovering strange secrets at school.
#12
Sale price
$674
Me! (Just Like You, Only Better)
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2011
A secret diary reveals the hilarious trials of dealing with a perfect frenemy.
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.
#1
Sale price
$574
School. Hasn't This Gone on Long Enough?
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2012
Middle school gets dumber as Jamie's diary reveals her hilarious take on life's big questions.
#2
Sale price
$674
The Super-Nice Are Super-Annoying
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2012
Jamie Kelly's diary reveals hilarious secrets and misadventures. Don't tell her you're reading!
#3
Sale price
$1734
Nobody's Perfect. I'm as Close as It Gets.
Chapter Book · Ages 9–12 · 2012
Middle schooler Jamie's diary reveals hilarious, snarky insights. Don't let her know you're reading it.
#4
Sale price
$674
What I Don't Know Might Hurt Me
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2013
A student committee's fate hangs on an unexpected awareness mission. Chaos ensues.
#5
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?
#6
Sale price
$574
Live Each Day to the Dumbest
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2015
Jamie discovers her grandma's diary, revealing unexpected truths about everyone.
Collected edition
Dear Dumb Diary Deluxe
1 book · Published 2016
A deluxe collection of previously published diary material, not the next numbered story.
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.
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