Review and Opinions Wanted: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days by Jeff Kinney

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days by Jeff Kinney




My rating: 4.0/5.0

An interesting quick read that middle grade kids will enjoy.

Mixing a chapter book with comics and drawings on every page makes this easy and enjoyable to read. My son has read all of these books and was thrilled when his book fair coincided with the release week of this book.

The rating above is based on readability and the fact that my son loved it.

Now on to my personal thoughts:

I let him read through all of these and didn't think anything about it. Then my husband flipped through it and didn't like what he saw, so he asked me (being the more open-minded one) to read it and see what I thought.

So I did and I was surprised. I'm not sure I like this book - this child wants to sit around and play video games and not do anything with his family. He admits he and his dad have nothing in common and even goes as far as to call the police on his dad during one episode because he thinks his dad is going to leave him somewhere when his dad is just taking him to a baseball game.

I am disturbed by this child and I'm not sure why. I really don't want the values he is espousing to be planted in my child's head. Maybe I need to read the first three, maybe they are better and I would understand the character more.

I am Christian but I don't usually feel strongly about books. I wouldn't hesitate to let my boys read Harry Potter as I have read the first one and loved it and see no harm in it. But I do see harm in this book. At least from my stand point.

So help me out here - have you read this series - am I wrong - I'm willing and really want some other opinions here. I don't believe my opinion is the end-all and be-all, I'm unsure as far as these books are concerned.

So tell me your thoughts on this series. Should I let me son read the next one whenever it comes out or should I discourage him? What do you think of the book?


About the Book:

It’s summer vacation, the weather’s great, and all the kids are having fun outside. So where’s Greg Heffley? Inside his house, playing video games with the shades drawn.

Greg, a self-confessed “indoor person,” is living out his ultimate summer fantasy: no responsibilities and no rules. But Greg’s mom has a different vision for an ideal summer . . . one packed with outdoor activities and “family togetherness.”

Whose vision will win out? Or will a new addition to the Heffley family change everything?

100+ Book Challenge
Fall Into Reading Challenge 2009