The Worst Things in Life Are Also Free

This humorous chapter book, part of the popular "Dear Dumb Diary" series, follows middle schooler Jamie Kelly and her friends, Angeline and Isabella, as they navigate summer vacation with empty pockets and big dreams of an amusement park. Isabella, the ringleader, convinces Jamie and Angeline to join her in various money-making schemes, which inevitably go awry in comical ways. The book explores themes of friendship, teamwork, and the often-frustrating pursuit of a goal, all wrapped in a lighthearted, diary-entry style narrative that appeals to young readers. It's a fun, quick read that normalizes the desire for independence and the sometimes-clumsy attempts to achieve it.

School's out for the summer, and that means no more Meat Loaf Thursdays, Sunday homework-cramming, or teachers (way way unsuccessfully) trying to act cool. It also means that certain Mackerel Middle Schoolers have a lot of time on their hands . . . and seriously empty pockets. Isabella is going to change all that. And Jamie and Angeline are going to help --- whether they like it or not. It's the best kind of teamwork: When a whole bunch of people work together to do something wrong, instead of doing it wrong one at a time.