Diary of a Wimpy Kid
by Jeff Kinney
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Book Reviews of Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Book Review: Very Entertaining!!
Summary: 4 Stars
I have a son that doesn't like to read, and he absolutely loved this book. It's funny and entertaining. Not only has he read the book several times, but he has listened to it on CD. This book has actually increased my sons interest in reading and gotten him reading other books as well. I couldn't be happier. We're anxiously awaiting more books in this great series.Book Review: Great Book!
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a great book all around for kids! My ten year old son loves it and can't put it down.Book Review: A bad attitude.
Summary: 1 Stars
A mean, lazy kid with a bad attitude makes for a boring read. Don't waste your money.Book Review: Author/illustrator Jeff Kinney perfectly nails the voice of a fifth-grade boy
Summary: 5 Stars
Fifth-grader Greg Heffley chronicles his life in what he hastily explains is a journal and NOT a diary (his mom bought him a journal titled "diary," to his humiliation). Cartoons on every page enhance his laugh-out-loud quest to become more popular than his current standing, at around 52nd or 53rd. Even though he has always liked girls, his history doesn't seem to help him much. He tries to explain the whole popularity game to his clueless best friend Rowley, who Greg estimates is probably around the 150th most popular kid in their grade, but to no avail.
Greg has other concerns. He wants to avoid the terrible Cheese Touch, which occurs when someone touches the ancient, moldy cheese blob on the basketball court and passes it along to someone else. Since the only way to prevent contamination with the Cheese Touch is to cross your fingers, Greg tapes his fingers crossed --- which results in a D grade in penmanship. ("...but it was totally worth it.") The Cheese Touch plays a part in a heartwarming yet unsentimental thread relating to Greg's friendship with Rowley.
Another big goal for Greg is to become wealthy. To that end, at Halloween Greg and Rowley sell tickets to their own Haunted House. After their pack-o-lies advertising blitz (their posters promise live sharks), kids shell out to enter their Hall of Screams. However, Greg and Rowley unfortunately run out of time to prepare, so the Hall of Screams turns out to be just a bed for the youngsters to crawl under --- and yet, the first kid to enter is so terrified, he can't come out and must be rescued by Rowley's not-exactly-happy father.
When the coach introduces a wrestling unit during physical education class, Greg decides that he's going to bulk up. His parents refuse to buy him expensive weight-lifting equipment until he proves he'll stick with a fitness program, so he fashions a weight set out of milk jugs and broomsticks. However, his bodybuilding routine is disrupted when his mother forces him to try out for the school play, which is "The Wizard of Oz." Although Greg sings very, very quietly during tryouts, the teacher singles him out as "a lovely soprano," causing great hilarity among the girls. The humiliation is almost too much to bear, especially when Greg gets picked to be a tree. His part entails speaking just one word during the entire play, which makes him grumble...until the teacher decides that the trees should sing the lamest song ever written. It does not bode well for the actual performance, to say the least.
Author/illustrator Jeff Kinney perfectly nails the voice of a fifth-grade boy. Greg's (mis)adventures move along rapidly, with one hilarious scene after another, augmented with the equally hysterical comic illustrations. Since its release in April 2007, DIARY OF A WIMPY KID has proven itself to be a winner. This New York Times bestseller has appealed, and will continue to appeal, to middle-grade boys, including reluctant readers --- and is irresistible to adults as well.
--- Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon
Book Review: Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Summary: 4 Stars
If there was an "IT" book of 2008 in the school where I teach 5th grade, forget about Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows; it had to be Jeff Kinney's Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Book orders could not send copies fast enough. Book stores could not restock their shelves quickly enough. Everywhere I turned I was met by a student with his or her nose buried in its pages. So naturally, I had to see what all the fuss was about.
Greg Heffley is your everyday, run-of-the-mill, middle school "wimp". Sure, someday he's going to amount to something big, but for now, he's "stuck in middle school with a bunch of morons." Greg's journal, not "diary", but "journal", takes us through the hilarious events that make up Greg's days in his first year of middle school. Lucky for us, whether it's avoiding his older brother Rodrick, or abusing his best friend Rowley, Greg's days are never short on laughs.
I can't remember the last time I laughed this hard when reading a book. There are laughs on every page, literally. Greg's mudslinging student council posters, Greg and Rowley's failed attempt at a haunted house, the students' wrestling unit in PE ("muscles are gross"), and Christmas time at the Heffley home. Situations like these that Greg finds himself in are comical enough, but it's his voice and commentary that sets this book apart. Jeff Kinney has cleverly captured the inner workings of a middle school student, and because of this book's popularity, it's obvious that students connect with Greg.
However, that's also what scares me about this book. I'm afraid that Kinney is too smart for his own good and without realizing it, has created a lovable character that advocates laziness and using your best friend for his family's money and his video games. Beneath all the laughs, Greg is a deceitful, selfish, jerk of a boy and the fact that students relate to him so easily doesn't sit well with me. I admit, I laughed hysterically at Kinney's tongue-in-cheek irony, but I'm an adult. I can tell the difference between Greg the character being serious and Jeff the author being sarcastic. I'm not so sure all the kids reading this will be able to.
I'm torn though. This book is funny and relevant and I guess if children are excited about reading it, then who am I to complain. Any time children WANT to read, it's a good thing, and I commend Kinney for this. He's discovered a great medium to tell his stories. The pictures only add to the humor and the journal format makes for an easy read. I think most of my students would be able to distinguish between Greg's selfish behavior and acceptable, respectful behavior, and if they don't, eh . . . kids will be kids. Either way, I have a feeling that Kinney is going to be around for a while. I may be better off enjoying the laughs.