I Can't Believe I Have to Do This (Novel)

When Dean Matthews gets a journal as a 12th birthday present from his mom, he's sure he'll never have anything exciting to write about. But that year in his life turns out to be a real roller-coaster ride. Dean ends up writing about having his ear pierced, getting stuffed into a locker on the first day of junior high, his dog's accident, and the time he ends up in the police station for getting into a car with a guy who'd been drinking. He mostly writes about his best friend Aaron and how their friendship changes after Aaron starts getting into lots of trouble--sometimes with Dean along.

"The novel authentically captures the vibrant thoughts and careless actions of adolescent boys....Readers will be rewarded by the strong conclusion, in which the consequences of Dean's weak choices become frighteningly clear." --Publishers Weekly

"Dean's brief, sullen journal entries, embellished with narrative as though he were actually conversing with the reader, are funny and authentic." --Booklist