Book Review: Diary of A Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

Publisher: Amulet Books

Publish Date: April 1, 2007

Hardcover, 244 pages
Middle Grades, Ages 9-12

My Review:
Why I read this: I read the 4th book in the series and was unimpressed, and not sure I wanted my son to read it.  But to be fair I wanted to read the series from the beginning and see how the character develops and understand the series better.

How is the novel driven: Plot, in short takes, it's like reading a bunch of comics.  It works great for kids (and adults) with short attention spans.  Each take is a different point in a several month period of Greg's life.

My thoughts: This is a really quick and funny read.  It kept me in stitches throughout the book and it felt very real to the middle school experience.  Middle school is a very tough time and I think this book brings quite a bit of humor to the experience.  Adults can remember this time of life and kids will see there is humor even when things seem hard.

I did not see anything disrespectful in this book that I thought I saw in the 4th book.  I will continue to read through the books and make my decision when I am through, but at this time I definitely feel the first book is a great for any middle gfrader to read, to show they are not alone and there is humor in this time of life.  I'm also a proponent of whatever gets a child to read and it doesn't harm them in any way let them read it.  I have always said if comics gets my child to read then so be it - it's still reading which is awesome.  Jeff Kinney does a great job mixing the comics with the book to make this a highly entertaining read.

I already have the second book coming to me from the library. 

My Rating: 4.25/5.0


About the Book:

Boys don’t keep diaries—or do they?

The launch of an exciting and innovatively illustrated new series narrated by an unforgettable kid every family can relate to

It’s a new school year, and Greg Heffley finds himself thrust into middle school, where undersized weaklings share the hallways with kids who are taller, meaner, and already shaving. The hazards of growing up before you’re ready are uniquely revealed through words and drawings as Greg records them in his diary.

In book one of this debut series, Greg is happy to have Rowley, his sidekick, along for the ride. But when Rowley’s star starts to rise, Greg tries to use his best friend’s newfound popularity to his own advantage, kicking off a chain of events that will test their friendship in hilarious fashion.

Author/illustrator Jeff Kinney recalls the growing pains of school life and introduces a new kind of hero who epitomizes the challenges of being a kid. As Greg says in his diary, “Just don’t expect me to be all ‘Dear Diary’ this and ‘Dear Diary’ that.” Luckily for us, what Greg Heffley says he won’t do and what he actually does are two very different things.

Since its launch in May 2004 on Funbrain.com, the Web version of Diary of a Wimpy Kid has been viewed by 20 million unique online readers. This year, it is averaging 70,000 readers a day.
About the Author:

Jeff Kinney is an author of children's books including Diary of a Wimpy Kid book series. Jeff was born in College Park, Maryland, in 1971 where he created a comic strip called "Igdoof."

Website

FTC Information: I received this book from my local library for my reading enjoyment, or simply to check up on what my kids read (really, no I didn't want to read or enjoy this one) ;).  I have Amazon links on my review pages but I do not make any money from these because of NC laws.  I put them solely for people to check out the books on a retail site.