New Releases by Jim Benton

Fans of Goosebumps and Bill Nye the Science Guy will fall head over heels for Franny K. Stein, who is back with another laugh-out-loud experimental adventure in the tenth book in the Mad Scientist series. Franny K. Stein has had quite enough of her feelings getting in the way. So she physically removes them with the help of one of her machines. But it turns out that not having feelings can make things even worse, especially when you’ve accidentally released a virus that’s turning everybody into toads. Good thing she has the help of her grandma, Granny Fran, and her Sense of Duty to help her shake the apathy.

It's Sixth time's the charm! Catwad and Blurmp venture out of the living room and into the world in this hilarious graphic novel! Attending a comic convention, taking a swim deep inside a toilet bowl, gazing into the future with Blurmp’s crystal ball, shredding on guitar, and horseback riding are just a few adventures in this laugh-out-loud collection. It’s the zaniest Catwad yet!

*Winner of the 2022 Pop Culture Classroom Excellence in Graphic Literature Award for Best Children’s Nonfiction!* Two curious robots seek the answers to life’s most pressing—and hilarious—questions in this full-color graphic novel series by Jim Benton, New York Times bestselling author and creator of Franny K. Stein and Catwad! Join Jop and Blip as they follow their curiosity and investigate these seemingly odd questions using their own brand of logic, critical thinking skills, STEM knowledge, and humor. • Can you hear a penguin fart on Mars? • What if you wanted a dragon sandwich? • Why do we need TWO ears? With Jop and Blip, everything is worth knowing! Perfect for fans of Dav Pilkey and Dan Gutman!

Catwad, Blurmp, Pigmichael, and more of Jim Benton's hilarious comic creations return in this roaringly funny fifth graphic novel! In this poignant and emotionally wrenching tale, famous curmudgeon Catwad faces loss, fear, and struggles with his own mortality when his best friend Blurmp receives news of... wait, who are we kidding? This isn't a melodrama -- it's another laugh-out-loud Catwad from Jim Benton! Catwad and Blurmp are back with more ridiculous fun that will have readers high-fiving each other with joy. This volume sees the big blue grump and his slow but lovable friend get a pet, try new hobbies, explore the newest videogame technology, and more! If you love laughing (and who doesn't??), this book is for you!

There's something FOUR everyone in this laugh-out-loud Catwad graphic novel from New York Times bestselling author Jim Benton! Catwad and Blurmp reach new highs (and lows) with an all-new group of hilarious comic stories and a few bonus back-of-book activities! Join this hilarious duo as they dive into the world of video games, go camping, fight a mighty dragon, and more! Packed with funny adventures, this fun-filled book is a gift that keeps on giving!

Catwad, the snarky blue furball with a funny take on just about everything, is BACK in this second graphic novel in an all-new series from New York Times bestselling author Jim Benton! New York Times bestselling author Jim Benton's latest creation, Catwad, returns!Catwad and Blurmp are back and ready for more adventures! In this newest collection of hilarious stories, the dynamic feline duo explore fine art, travel to an alternate reality where the world has become extraordinarily dumb, get into gaming, and more! From monsters under Blurmp's bed to all the reasons you should NEVER eat salad, this newest volume of Catwad has something for everyone!

Franny K. Stein is back with another laugh-out-loud experimental adventure in the eighth book in the Mad Scientist series from Jim Benton, the New York Times bestselling author-illustrator of the Dear Dumb Diary and It’s Happy Bunny series. Franny K. Stein isn’t a fan of glamour. She doesn’t style her hair, the thought of wearing makeup makes her want to gag, and she couldn’t care less about wearing dressy dresses when she’d much prefer her lab coat. But sometimes Franny wonders if her mom wishes she were different. Which gives Franny an idea…for an experiment! What if she can turn the beauty products her mom loves into something more exciting? Every experiment has its experimental error, and when Franny’s hair takes on a life of its own, Franny must save the day (and her hair) to finally realize her mom loves her just the way she is.

A new series from the bestselling author of Dear Dumb Diary and Franny K. Stein! Fresh from his intergalactic adventure, Victor is casting about for something new to apply his formidable know how to. The obvious next step is cello-making. However, the not so mellifluous sounds that emanate from his creations are enough to wake the dead. That's right, there are zombies let loose and it's up to Victor, Patty, and the long-suffering, always faithful Dumpylumps to not get eaten.

A new series from the bestselling author of Dear Dumb Diary and Franny K. Stein! MEET VICTOR, TOTAL EXPERT IN EVERYTHING(except Guy Who Cleans Up Bedrooms) With his confidence, imagination, and trusty sidekick Dumpylumps (who happens to be a duck), there's no telling what trouble he'll get into. Lucky for him, he has a knack for getting himself out of trouble, too. So when he finds himself at the center of an intergalactic conflict, he's pretty sure the only way out is his top-secret kitchen concoction; his teacher, the extraordinary Mrs. Nozzleburp; and the help of his friend Patti. Will he be able to save the day and find his way back to class? And just what is he going to do next?

Jim Benton's first cartoon collection was nominated for an Eisner. This new volume collects more of Jim's most popular strips from Reddit, shining a light on talking animals, relationships, fart jokes, and death. From whimsical to cutting, from gross to poignant, Benton's grasp of the form is on full and hilarious display.

Return to Mackerel Middle School with a special full-color extra-dumb diary from the New York Times–bestselling author! Life at Mackerel Middle School is as dumb as ever—but Jamie Kelly may have finally found the key to fame, fortune, and fabulousness. Together with Isabella and Angeline, she's come up with a moneymaking idea, and it has to do with food. Everyone likes food! They're going to be rich! The only problem? They have to come up with something that people actually want to eat. Jamie has some sophisticated thoughts on food, like, "She was manipulating us like dough. Like the sweet, delicious dough that we are. And she was baking us into the type of delicious cookies you can only get from dough like us. And she was putting sprinkles of us on top of us, and—forget it. I'm hungry. I want some cookies." This is sure to go well. Praise for Jim Benton's books "An amusing antic sensibility." — Publishers Weekly "Preteens will be onboard immediately." — Kirkus Reviews

A new picture book from the hilarious author of the bestselling Dear Dumb Diary series! When Donut the bear is told his story is over and he has to leave, he donut want to do it. After all, he hasn't had a chance to have any fun! Will Donut's sneaky schemes and elaborate disguises be enough to keep his story from ending?Donut's silly antics in this clever picture book from New York Times bestselling author Jim Benton are sure to delight kids who never want their favorite stories toreach The End.

New York Times–Bestselling Author: Middle schooler Jamie Kelly spends lots of time writing in her diary—but right now she's taking a peek at someone else's . . . It's not easy being a middle-schooler, and nobody knows that better than Jamie Kelly. There are surprises around every corner: some good, some bad, all dumb. But when Jamie inherits a trunk of her grandmother's things, she never expects to find the biggest surprise of all—Grandma's diary. Violating the privacy of a diary is something Jamie would never do . . . unless she was absolutely certain that she wanted to do it. And when she does, she learns that, deep down, everyone is exactly the same. Dumb. By the way, Jamie still has no idea that anyone is reading her diary, so please, please, please don't tell her. And definitely don't tell her that she's the star of her very own Dear Dumb Diary movie, available on streaming. (Her glamorous ego might not be able to handle it.)

Jim Benton brings on the humor in a brand-new line of board books! I have a fnurgle but I can't find him.Where's my fnurgle?Oh, look. My fnurgle's on the chair.Don't you see my fnurgle there?Jim Benton, the international bestselling author and illustrator of Dear Dumb Diary, presents a clever, rollicking new board book program that will leave toddlers wide-eyed and laughing. Fans of Sandra Boynton will rejoice in this fresh line of funny stories!Each board book features: - Hilarious stories based on early concepts - Endearing characters- Young, bold, colorful artwork

Bestselling cartoonist Jim Benton of It’s Happy Bunny and Dear Dumb Diary fame has also been posting whimsical, dry-humored, and at-times nasty cartoons on Reddit.com, where nearly half of the top-100 cartoons on the “Cartoons” subreddit are his. Now, for the first time, these cartoons have been gathered into a single book. From wry observations about the absurdities of life and acerbic comments to poetic musings, from cats and dogs to humans, and from one style to another, this compendium will astound readers as it exposes them to the breadth of Benton’s seemingly inexhaustible talent for humor.

Bestselling author Jamie Kelly has been keeping diaries for years . . . and each one just gets funnier! But she has no idea that anyone is reading them. So please, please, please don't tell her.Something strange is happening at Mackerel Middle School. Even stranger than Jamie and Isabella becoming friends with Angeline. (Which is still really, really strange.) Jamie can suddenly and inexplicably understand the weirdest and most mysterious creatures around: Boys.And there's only one logical explanation --- superpowers.

New York Times Bestselling author Jamie Kelly is back with another hilarious, candid, and sometimes not-so-nice diary!Dear Dumb Diary,I went back and read some of my very oldest diaries. The entries say things like "I eated salad dressing" and "I got a Barbie shoe stuck in Stinker's nose again" and "The vet was mean to me about the Barbie shoe so I tried to bite him but vets are quick at not getting bit because dogs try all the time but dogs don't usually kick so I did that."What amazed me was just how dumb I used to be, considering how smart I am now. There must have been a day when I just woke up smart.

Read the hilarious, candid (and sometimes not-so-nice), diaries of Jamie Kelly, who promises that everything in her diary is true -- or at least as true as it needs to be.Jamie is crushing on Hudson. Someone too-gross-to-be- named is crushing on Jamie. And Hudson is crushing on . . . Princess Turd of Turdsylvania (a.k.a. The Prettiest Girl in the World). Middle school may be grim, but it's no fairy tale. And crazy doesn't even begin to cover it.

Bestselling author Jamie Kelly is back with an all-new, all-funny diary! But she has no idea that anybody is reading it. So please, please, please don't tell her.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.

Everyone's favorite Mackerel Middle-Schooler, Jamie Kelly, is back with another hilarious, candid (and sometimes not-so-nice) diary!There's a new girl in at Mackerel Middle School.Colette is friendly, fabulous, smart, totally talented, and an all-around amazing individual. She is more brilliantly diabolical than Isabella, as blindly loyal as Stinker, and even harder-to-resist than Angeline. It's enough to make Jamie throw up a little. And Jamie just can't help but wonder: Is it humanly possible for a girl to be more perfectly perfect than the most perfect girl in the world?

Sneak a peek inside the NY Times bestselling diary of Jamie Kelly, who promises that everything she writes is true -- or at least as true as it needs to be.Dear Dumb Diary,Isabella is probably right. She almost always is.When I think back on all the things I've seen Angeline do, the one thing they have in common is that they're all dumb. (They're all strawberry-scented, too, but I think that's just her conditioner -- although her body might actually secrete its own strawberry scent.)But of all the dumb things she's ever done, this has got to be the dumbest. . . .

Bestselling author Jim Benton is back, continuing a new spin on a favorite series! Dear Dumb Diary, Just when I was pretty sure we could let the Student Awareness Committee quietly die a dignified death like some majestic old elephant or the Square Dancing Club, Angeline has to be aware of something. Great.And, of course, it couldn't be something interesting like nail polish or why maybe there should be a special class in nail polish and how to get it out of your beagle's ear. (Mom, if you're reading this, I'm not admitting anything. Somebody else could have painted a heart in his ear.)Angeline just had to be aware of one of those THINGS THAT ADULTS LIKE.

Goosebumps and Bill Nye the Science Guy fans, meet Franny! Franny’s faithful Lab assistant, Igor, has swallowed a doomsday device that is ready to go off at any moment! For a regular scientist, it might seem like there’s only one way to get the device out—um...make that two ways. But Franny K. Stein is no ordinary scientist, so she concocts her own way to get the device back and save her friend. With her miniaturization machine, Franny shrinks herself to the size of a pin and goes on a field trip like no other...through the body of a ticking time-dog! Fasten your seat belts, it’s going to be a bumpy ride!

Goosebumps and Bill Nye the Science Guy fans, meet Franny! Franny K. Stein, Mad Scientist, has always had her eye on world domination, and she has to start somewhere...like her class elections! If people vote for her, they’ll be giving her all the control she wants. But Franny’s platform doesn’t have the same appeal as her competitors who are offering new playground equipment, so she creates The Frandidate. Made of DNA samples from a dog, a chameleon and a parrot, along with a scrap of carpet (so she’ll know where people stand), Franny’s special suit helps her say and do exactly what people want! But when The Frandidate starts making promises she knows she can’t keep, Franny realizes she might have gone too far…

Bestselling author Jim Benton returns, with a brand-new spin on a favorite series! Dear Dumb Diary is a hilarious hit! Now after twelve books (each covering a month of her life), Jamie Kelly's upcoming diaries have a fresh look and a fun twist. It's Dear Dumb Diary: Year Two! The diary entries are still laugh-out-loud funny but this is a whole new beginning. Everything is another year dumber! As Jamie grapples with school, grades, and more of middle school's Big Questions, don't miss even more of her words of wisdom like, "If someone is really, really intelligent, it would be polite if they would ugly it up a bit before they left the house." Jamie STILL has no idea that anybody is reading her diary. So please, please, please don't tell her.)

Jamie's struggles continue with school issues, grades, and getting along with others.

Jamie Kelly chronicles her second year of middle school in her diary, where she deals with new teachers, confronts Angelina and the other pretty people in school, and struggles in math class.

Jamie's struggles continue with school issues, grades, and getting along with others.

"It's an eventful month for Jamie Kelly. Stinker and Stickybuns' litter of puppies has arrived, which makes Jamie and her nemesis Angeline "in-laws by dog". " -- publisher.

Jamie's struggles continue with school issues, grades, and getting along with others.