The Worst Things in Life Are Also Free (Dear Dumb Diary #10): Volume 10

My 10-year-old daughter absolutely loves this series of books. She is constantly laughing out loud when she reads them and enjoys reading us the funny parts and showing us the silly illustrations. Hard to believe these are written by a man, since they perfectly describe the inner thoughts of a pre-teen and her battles with the world. Please keep them coming!

It's summer vacation time. No school means time to do whatever, but Jamie Kelly and her friends Isabella and Angeline quickly discover that anything worth doing costs money. It's even more infuriating when grown-ups keep telling them, "The best things in life are free." Yeah, right! Uncle Dan saves the day when he makes a deal with the three girls. He says if they can earn $100 each over the next month, he will take them to the amusement park Screamotopia. How hard can it be to earn a little vacation money? The girls try everything. Their first money-making venture is a lemonade stand. Someone drinks all the profits and all Jamie knows is it wasn't her. Then they try babysitting, car washing, and an eBay auction of all their unwanted treasures. With each new idea the girls have high hopes which are soon dashed to smithereens. By the middle of the month, they've managed to earn a total of $5.50. There is no way they'll be going to Screamotopia this summer. Jim Benton continues his hilarious DEAR DUMB DIARY series with this entry. Thanks to a 5th-grade student, I discovered this series and have laughed hysterically with each book. Readers will have a great time following the adventures of Jamie and her friends. Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"