Friday, December 19, 2014

MIDDLE GRADE WONDERS—Book Review on THE DIRT DIARY

With a title like that—THE DIRT DIARY—who wouldn’t read this book (published by Sourcebooks, Inc., 2014)? Anna Staniszewski, author, has done a magnificent job of creating a wacky yet serious character, Rachel, an eighth grader whose hokey expressions stick to your brain long after you’re done reading the book. I found only one morsel of disappointment: I would’ve liked to find a tad more dirt in that diary, or dirtier dirt that brings a little more catastrophe. But that’s me. I never had a dirt diary, and I’m probably feeling a bit deprived. All in all, getting to know Rachel and her friends, as well as her foes, was truly a joy. The book has secrets, heartbreak, romance, and humor—a great mix.

Creating her own dirty little secrets, Rachel learns the hard way about friendship and life in a most delightful way. Tension and pacing never falter, so I couldn’t put the book down. I’d recommend this novel to anyone, middle grade, young adult, or old geezer. I’ll definitely be reading more of this author’s work.

Happy reading!

19 comments:

  1. If a diary is supposed to have dirty secrets, I suppose the dirtier the better. But hey, if it's a book you couldn't put down, it must be a pretty good book just the same. It's nice when you find authors you really enjoy reading, making you become a fan of theirs.

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    1. Yes, great enjoyment. Her next book stars the same character, and I can't wait to see what she's up to now. :-)
      Thanks for stopping by.

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  2. I agree with M.J.'s comment! Great review! LOL It's funny that I used to journal all the time, and yet even in my journals I didn't spill every secret or every bad thought, always fearing that someone might find it and then I'd be outed as a horrible person.

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    1. Yeah, I wasn't too forward in diaries either. Had two sisters so I had to worry about snooping. ;-)

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  3. Sounds like a good book! I was always afraid to commit any 'dirt' to paper in case it was ever discovered or lost!

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    1. Yeah, even now I always worry if I write anything bad down, then when I die, my kids will find it and be all, "Seriously! Mom, how could you even think like that!?
      :-) But then, I have a warped sense of humor, so I just might enjoy it, watching from heaven, you know. :-)

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  4. Guess there's only just so dirty you can get and still get parents to let the kids buy it!

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    1. True, but I was looking for more things like who's flirting with whose crush and things like that. :-)

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  5. Sounds like it has it all as the dirt gets written on the wall

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  6. Hi Debi - sounds like a great read .. especially as you've recommended it across the age levels ... Dirt Diary - nope .. I don't think I'd like to start one of those .. but an excellent way of creating a story line ..

    Cheers and happy Christmas week - Hilary

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    1. Yeah, I might read one, but I wouldn't write one. :-)

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  7. Sounds awesome. And if a book is good, the age level doesn't matter to me. I'll read it. Thanks for the recommendation, Deb.

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