| Title | : | Diary of a Wimpy Kid (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0810993139 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780810993136 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 226 |
| Publication | : | First published April 1, 2007 |
| Awards | : | Borders Original Voices Award YA or Independent Reader (2007), Books I Loved Best Yearly (BILBY) Awards Younger Readers (2010, 2012) (2010), West Australian Young Readers' Book Award (WAYRBA) Younger Readers (2009), Vermont Golden Dome Book Award (2009), North Carolina Children's Book Award (2009), Hea Lasteraamat (2011) |
Desperate to prove his new found maturity, which only going up a grade can bring, Greg is happy to have his not-quite-so-cool sidekick, Rowley, along for the ride. But when Rowley's star starts to rise, Greg tries to use his best friend's popularity to his own advantage. Recorded in his diary with comic pictures and his very own words, this test of Greg and Rowley's friendship unfolds with hilarious results.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, #1) Reviews
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Jesus, what an asshole.
-
I got this book based on a quick skim in the store where I saw lots of funny line illustrations and large fonts that mimic handwriting. Although the tone was sarcastic, I thought that it would prove to be a good read-aloud for my 6 year old son, who still needs some enticement into stories. I pictured him, the boy who fancies himself an author and artist, just eating up this book. And actually, he would have--except after one night of reading this out loud I discovered that the content was definitely not age appropriate (nor redeeming in any way, to my mind). I'm willing to cut an author some slack with characters that start out rough but learn valuable life lessons, but not with a character that embodies mediocrity, laziness, and is a smart aleck to boot...
To be fair, I didn't finish the book, and it may very well be a great book to give to a fifth or sixth grader who still struggles with recreational reading. But I did what I almost never have to do--I took the book back to store. I suppose one good thing came from it: Jacob came home from school the next day, sat down with a new notebook, and proceeded to design a cover and several entries for his new "diary" book.
**************** Update **************
Oddly enough, this book review seems to be engendering strong reactions in a number of readers. Thought I'd offer an update to be more specific and put to rest unfounded concerns...
This book is about a middle schooler. It is, despite the easy vocabulary and large font and illustrations and incessant marketing towards younger children, apparently intended for middle school ages and up.
Normally, in my hunt for challenging reading and listening material for my children, I pre-read books or read lots of reviews. My mistake here was in not doing so. However, I stand by my feelings about the main character, and when my children reach middle school, I will still encourage them towards books with redeeming characters. Until then, I guess we'll have to continue reading all the other books about older children that manage to both entertain AND provide a challenging reading/listening experience, develop vocabularies, broaden horizons, and remain, in some way, worthwhile.
**********Most recent update 10/2011 ***********
Funny, the way things we write in cyberspace stick around...or maybe not so funny. This review is continuing to get the occasional "like" or comment, so I guess people are still discovering it. Just thought I'd add a note, in the interest of honesty. My son, with whom I tried to read this book three-plus years ago and found inappropriate at the time, has since read all the books (much to my chagrin) and has pre-ordered the latest (are we up to #6?!) I've made him spend his own money or get them from the library, as my feelings about this series haven't changed that much that I'm willing to purchase them myself. However. I do not believe in censoring my readers, although I hope to guide them in their choices. He's read these. He's also read some other books that I feel are more exemplary. Frankly, my own literary choices include both the laudable and the merely fluffy. So there you have it. These books are in my house. I'm not an evil mom who refuses her child access to popular fun lit. But I still don't like them. :) -
Yes, I know kids love it. Duh. Kids are dumb. And so is this book. (Ok, that was mean. I apologize.)
One of my students gave me his copy of Wimpy Kid and then asked me every day for a month if I had read it yet. Not wanting to disappoint a student excited about a book, I finally sat down one afternoon and flew through it. Eh. The protagonist is a mean, unfunny little jerk. I freely admit that I probably "just don't' get it," and I'm okay with that.
I celebrate any book that makes kids want to read. I suffered through all four of the ridiculous Twilight books just so I could keep up with my obsessed students, and when asked my opinion I gave it freely - Bella is a fool. The result was one I couldn't have planned; my kids became more entrenched in their identities as readers. They loved Twilight with an unashamed passion.
I'm gentler with the Wimpy Kid fans. I lie. I say: "It was funny. I guess. He was kinda mean." And then I listen as they defend this mess of a book - asserting opinions and then backing them up by flipping through well-worn copies and citing passages. I watch in amazement as my students become not only readers, but scholars.
So maybe I should give this book more than two stars - for all it has done for kids - but I won't. And you can't make me. -
this is a classic work of literature as far as i'm concerned, and nobody can convince me otherwise.
f. scott fitzgerald's green light has nothing on the cheese touch. jane austen's portrayals of polite society pale in comparison to this rendering of modern middle school life. romeo and juliet's star-crossed romance wishes it was as memorable as our protagonist's crush on the popular girl.
this should be studied. theses should be written on this. master classes should be constructed around this book alone.
in conclusion: we're all sleeping on Greg Heffley.
part of a series i'm doing where i review books i read a long time ago and inevitably get worked up -
This was so cute and funny, i laughed out loud many times even the comedy books that i have read didn't make me laugh this hard!
“I'll be famous one day, but for now I'm stuck in middle school with a bunch of morons."
“The best person I know is Myself.”
Ha, Me too!! XD
“And if you don't spend every second outdoors, people think there's someting wrong with you.”
i know, Right?
-
I find this whole series depressing. Sure, there are funny moments - I even laughed out loud once or twice, seriously - but the fact of the matter is, Greg is so completely devoid of any kind of human feeling or understanding of other people that I'm beginning to suspect he's some kind of clinical narcissist. He blames everyone else for his problems; he doesn't care about anyone. He doesn't grow, he doesn't learn, he doesn't change (does he even age? He's still in junior high after four books? I know one is set in summertime, but still). There is nothing there for me to LIKE, except Rowley.
At the end of the first book it seemed like maybe, just maybe he'd had some little epiphany about the nature of friendship, but no, next book he's back to the same ol' same ol' sociopathic crap. Very disappointing. -
I bought this book for my 9 year old son, who had begged me for it relentlessly for over a month. After i got it, i would hear him giggling and laughing in his room, and when i would peek in, he was always reading this book. So when he was done, i picked it up and started reading it myself.... and it really is funny! The voice of the main character is very authentic - a thing which is hard to find. I wish that people had been writing material like this when i was a preteen.
Edited to add:
I'm reading a lot of reviews that downgrade the book for the fact that Greg doesn't learn any lessons or redeeming values... Seriously?!?! One thing that i remember HATING as a kid in school was when lit teachers used to make us analyze every thing a character did to see the symbolism the author was trying to portray. Now while i believe that a lot of books DO have symbolism, can't there be some books that are just entertaining and not anything more? Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar, you know?
Middle school kids are often all the things in this book, shy, awkward, selfish, lazy, and ruthless. Its a tough time in their life, trying to fit in, adjusting to new rules and changes in themselves. Its refreshing to me that an author takes the stance of writing a character that represents these kids, warts and all. Nothing is more alienating than reading about a kid your age who always has the lesson learned and the happy ending. Some folks need to look at these not through the eyes of an adult reader, but of an awkward pre teen. -
I don’t think we can judge this graphic novel along traditionalist lines. The world is changing so dramatically that - admit it - it is impossible to say wherein our identities really lie.
In a bank account? In our good names? Those things are in constant flux. And advertising misinformation and newspeak have pretty well cleaned us out of our selfhood. Admit it.
Oh, sure, I know we adults tend to use a kind of tunnel vision to negotiate the world. We have to. If we don’t we’d be like the Kid’s creator, Jeff, who admits he’s still back with these kids in freshman year, outclassed by all the big boys. Personally, I see nothing wrong with that!
I for one believe our identities are as variable as our moods. I, too, am with these kids. Sure, we may have fixed beliefs, but so do these kids. And I think the reason we all dig this book to some extent is… because these kids are our Authentic Selves. They haven’t grown outer armour.
It seems scary, but it’s as if Jeff is exposing ourselves to ourselves.
The chuckling release we feel in reading this series is, as Freud says, a cathartic release from our self-imposed adult repression of our real, insecure self. We all goof up all the time like these kids. But Freud says our superegos repress that fact.
Comedy - and these comedies of the wimpy kid - take that lid off.
And suddenly we’re young again.
We can BREATHE.
Isn’t that GREAT?
And so, fellow wimpy kids, why continue forever in overdrive when your foot is tapping that Brake Pedal?
Grow DOWN, for a change! -
كتاب هزلي لطيف يمكن أن تنهيه في جلسة واحدة
إذا قُدر لي أن أكمل تلك السلسلة، فسوف أقرأها بلغتها الأصلية، ليس لأن الترجمة سيئة، ولكن لأن النكات والحكايات الفكاهية تفقد جزءاً كبيراً من قوتها عند ترجمتها -
The only thing I liked in this book was Greg's handwriting.
-
“I'll be famous one day, but for now I'm stuck in middle school with a bunch of morons."
~ Rating- 0.5 stars ~
Content / Trigger Warnings- Sexism, Misogyny, Discussions on gender roles and things 'appropriate' for each gender, Bullying, Mentions of smoking, Parents arguing (on page), Toxic friendships, Toxic parents, Unhealthy sibling relationships
Note- I have tried to include all the content warnings that I noticed, but there is no guarantee that I haven’t missed something.
-Mention of some of these in the review-
The Diary of a Wimpy Kid, by
Jeff Kinney is a book I remember flashing around a lot in my early childhood. It was the book practically everyone had read, and not reading it meant you were 'uncool' and 'boring'. For some reason, I didn't want to pick this book up, so of course I was considered the 'uncool' and 'boring' kid.
Something about The Diary of a Wimpy Kid always sounded unappealing to me. Maybe it was because I was someone who liked long novels and graphic novels weren't my cup of tea (at that time, I love them now), or maybe it was because everyone was reading them and I wanted to step away from the hype. Or maybe, even at that time, I knew it was a book I wouldn't like.
The reason I decided to finally read The Diary of a Wimpy Kid, was because my cousin and uncle loved the book, and they lent me their copy for a while. Since they liked it so much, I decided it was about time I read The Diary of a Wimpy Kid and formed an opinion on it. I hadn't expected to be so utterly disappointed.
“Be yourself and people will like you.”
The main problem I had with The Diary of a Wimpy Kid, is the main character Greg Heffley. I have never read about such an awful character before. He is rude, obnoxious and insufferable. Before people come at me with pitchforks saying he is a kid, let me explain. The reason I hate his character so much is because he is meant to be a 'good' character. We are suppose to root for him. But I couldn't bring myself to do so.
Greg is a terrible role model. He is a bully, and treats people horribly. He never matures or learns, and none of the adults in his life tell him off or teach him better. He is never given room to grow as a person. The tone of the book promotes all of his actions, as its his diary, and all the people in his life are painted as 'bad', when in reality its the opposite! Greg does not face any consequences for his actions whatsoever, and his behavior is always excused. Its ridiculous.
Overall, I did not enjoy this at all, but I liked the art style. I wouldn't recommend this book for its target audience, that is kids, because this book just sends all kinds of wrong messages.
“If there's one thing I learned from Rodrick, it's to set people's expectations real low so you end up surprising them by practically doing nothing at all.”
Review written on 21st January, 2022.
DISCLAIMER-All opinions on books I’ve read and reviewed are my own, and are with no intention to offend anyone. If you feel offended by my reviews, let me know how I can fix it.
How I Rate-
1 star- Hardly liked anything/was disappointed
2 star- Had potential but did not deliver/was disappointed
3 stars- Was ok but could have been better/was average/Enjoyed a lot but something was missing
4 stars- Loved a lot but something was missing
5 stars- Loved it/new favourite
...............................
The MC needs to become more self-aware. Review to come. -
While attending open house this year at my 10 year old sons school, he found this book for sale at the book fair. We thumbed through it, and thought it looked cute, so we purchased it, and read it together.
Its narrated by this middle-school aged kid in the form of a diary, with sketches and doodles included on every page, and basically follows his days from the begining of the school year to the end. He is a bit of a loser, and trys to create a better image for himself through attempts at being class treasurer, a cartoonist for the school paper, a saftey patrol member....
We were both cracking up most of the way through the book. But there were times we also both looked at each other and shook our heads.. as the wimpy kid in question did some very mean and backhanded things as well....
Very cute, very interesting, and well worth the read for any school age kid and his parents....
We are going to run out to buy the new sequel.... -
it was an awsome and very funny book it got the laughes right out of me
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When I told my friend I was reading 'Diary of a Wimpy Kid', she said only one thing "What are you... 12"? If enjoying reading this book makes me 12, so be it. I liked this book. Its funny, a very quick read, unique and very cute. Worth a read for anyone who has a child living inside them.
-
مذكرات خفيفة لطالب في المرحلة المتوسطة
الرسومات كانت جيدة، الأفكار كانت مألوفة إلى حد ما، فكثير من الأفلام الأجنبية تناولت تلك المرحلة، ولا اعتقد أنها ستتوقف عن تناولها طالما ما زال يتابعها ملايين المشاهدين
بشكل عام مذكرات خفيفة الظل لا تشعر بالوقت معها، لكني لا أشعر بالحماس لتكملة تلك السلسلة -
في كتب كتيرة اوي تستغرب انها موجودة في قائمة البستسيلر او الكتب الاكثر مبيعا على مستوى العالم وتيجي تقراها تلاقيها سيئة جدا وتقول سبحان الله طب ازاي الكتاب ده اشتهر
وفي كتب بتكون تجارية بحته بتناقش حاجات مثيرة للفضول عند الناس ويتعملها بروباجندا وبتاع
وفي كتب بقى في وسط الحاجات دي كلها تلاقيها فعلا تستاهل
مذكرات عيل مشاكس...عيل رزل...عيل كبر قبل اوانه....هذا الويمبي كيد....مذكرات لطيفة جدا جدا
اولا اسم الكتاب نفسه لذيذ ومثير....ثانيا اجمل واقوى حاجة في لكتاب ده التصميم الداخلي بتاعه
الكتاب صفحاته فيها سطور زي الكراسة بالضبط وفيها الكلام مكتوب بخط الايد مش كتابة كمبيوتر زي كل الكتب....وفي رسومات في النص بمعدل رسمتين في كل صفحة يمكن...بتوضحلك الجانب الهزلي في الحكاية
التصميم ده عبقري جدا مبتكر جدا وجديد جدا يخليني عندي رغبة شديدة اقتني الكتاب ده
المذكرات بقى نفسها بتبدي بداية قوية باسلوب ساخر للولد الصغير ده اللي انت حتستغرب انه مش صغير انه كبير بعقله واللي حتستغربه اكتر انك مش حتستهيفه بل على العكس حتلاقي نفسك فيه في جوانب كتير جدا حتى وانت كبير
النقطة الجميلة في الموضوع انها مش مذكرات عادية دي تشريح لنفسية المراهقين في السن ده بشكل مبسط جدا وعميق جدا في اسلوب ساخر يخليك مستمتع ومتفهم
بيوصلك رؤية معينة لفئة عمرية....للغة الفئة العمرية دي...لاهتماماتهم...لثقافتهم...حتى لطريقة حكهم على اللي حواليهم كل ده وانت اصلا مش واخد بالك وفاكر انك بتقرا كتاب لطيف ظريف خفيف يعديلك الوقت
اه بالمناسبة الكتاب ده حلو جدا للي لسة بادئ يقرا انجليزي زي حالاتي كدة
كمان ذكاء الكاتب في تقديم الشخصيات الجديدة على مدار الفصول وعلى مدار الايام وربط اول الكتاب باخره والشخصيات ببعضها
الكتاب ده فعلا السهل الممتنع...ابسط الماتريل طلعت اجمل الحاجات
انا بكل تأكيد حاقرا جميع اجزاء الكتاب باذن الله وبارشحه للناس تقراه حتى لو ما استفدتش حاجة حتضحك من قلبك
حتى لو ماضحكتش ولقيته دمه تقيل
حتستفيد من الانجليزي بتاعه من الجمل البسيطة المتداولة....لو ما استفدتش من ده برضه
حتستفيد من الرسومات ههههههههههه -
Due to a Jeff Kinney visit to my local book store, I read Diary of A Wimpy Kid Hard Luck--and found it delightful. When a respected children's librarian, however, reported her dislike of the series, I was puzzled. After reading this book, the first of the series, I understood.
Greg Heffley of Hard Luck says, on the first page, "I love my family..." he then goes on to befriend the nerdy Fregley and act as a wise, compassionate observer when describing his extnded family and their interactions.
This first book of the series, in contrast, could be called Diary of a Sociopathic Kid. The Greg Heffley of this book exhibits, frequently, sociopathic or antisocial personality disorder, behavior.
According to the National Library of Medicine, Antisocial Personality Disorder "is a mental condition in which a person has a long-term pattern of manipulating, exploiting or violating the rights of others." Other attributes of a sociopath include; an inability of feeling shame, guilt, remorse or empathy.
In the first Diary book:
1. Greg happily kicks his little brother's toys;
2. begins with attack ads against his opponent when running for treasurer;
3. advertises his "haunted mansion" for $.50 then charges $2 to the first kid to whom, after the child is callously terrified at the start (so that Rowley's dad stops the thing) he doesn't return the child's money;
4. when Rowley is punished for the Haunted House with a week without tv and no Greg over, Greg sees it as unfair that he, in effect, is being punished as well;
5. Does not see the callousness of giving Rowley a "play by play" of the tv shows that Rowley can't watch;
6. makes Rowley wait 45 minutes to take a potty break Halloween night;
7. his grandmother 's house is tp'd because he yelled at some teenagers and then took refuge there, but feels no compulsion to help clean it up;
8. designs a bench press for himself but, rather than use it, forces Rowley to use it, scares Rowley so that he drops the barbell and traps himself and Greg delays helping until Rowley is in serious distress;
9. feels a need to revenge himself on Patty because she screws up a plan he had to cheat;
10. Bops Patty with an Apple during the school play that starts an apple fight that shuts down the play;
11. calls a fellow tree Bubby so he is not associated with the nickname and his classmate is;
12. uses the gift Rowley gives him of a Big Wheel to have Rowley repeatedly ride down a street Greg is too scared to ride down so Greg can throw a football at Rowley to try and knock him off--until Rowley breaks his hand;
13. causes his little brother to swallow a small clump of thread which he says is a scary spider;
14. sees no problem in rolling up the turf with his giant snowball;
15. allows Rowley to take the punishment for Greg's terrorizing of the kindergarteners AND takes the ice cream date his mom gives him as a reward for "doing the right thing" ;
16. considers Rowley a "back stabber" after assuming Rowley was the anonymous tipper to report Greg was really the one terrorizing the kindergarteners;
17. when Rowley gives Greg a "cold shoulder, tries to get back with Rowley by throwing a snowball to Rowley's head;
18. excited about a substitute coming to class because "you can say just about anything you want" to them without getting into trouble; and, finally,
19. considers he did the greater sacrifice by saying he touched the cheese than actually eating the cheese--which Rowley had to do twice since Greg claimed to have a problem with dairy, when the mean teenagers Greg had angered on halloween night, return.
Of course life does get a few whacks in on Greg--e.g. he ends up being outed as the kindergarten terrorizer, Rowley gets all the girls to baby him when he has a broken hand and Rowley is elected class clown--but this doesn't change the heartlessness of the actions.
What is really disturbing is that this book--as a #1 New York Times best seller--clearly speaks to many kids; what does that say about our society? -
Diary of a wimpy kid: Greg Heffley's journal (#1), c2007, Jeff Kinney
Diary of a Wimpy Kid is a satirical realistic fiction comedy novel for children and teenagers written and illustrated by Jeff Kinney. It is the first book in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. The book is about a boy named Greg Heffley and his struggles to fit in as he begins middle school.
تاریخ نخستین خوانش: بیستم ماه سپتامبر سال 2012 میلادی
عنوان: خاطرات یک بی عرضه: دفترچه قرمز خاطرات؛ نویسنده و تصویرگر: جف کینی؛ مترجم: ندا شادنظر؛ مشخصات نشر: تهران، ایران بان: نشر قطره، 1389، جلد یک در ؟؟ ص، مصور، اندازه 5/14 در 5/19 س.م، شابک جلد 1: 9789642980802؛ شابک دوره: 9789642980444؛ چاپ سوم جلد 1 در تابستان 1390، گروه سنی ب و ج، موضوع: داستانهای فکاهی مصور، دفترچه های خاطرات، مدرسه ها، داستان
جلد نخست / دفترچه قرمز / خاطرات گرگ هفلی
بچه بودن واقعا بد است. هیچ کس بهتر از گرگ هفلی ریزه میزه این را نمیداند. او در مدرسه ی راهنمایی، با بچه هایی همکلاس است که بلندتر و زيرکتر از او هستند و موهای صورتشان را اصلاح میكنند. در دفترچه خاطرات یک بیعرضه، نویسنده، گرگ هفلی را قهرمانی شک برانگیز معرفی میکند. خود «گِرِگ» نيز درباره ی دفترچه خاطراتش میگويد: از من انتظار نداشته باش بنويسم «دفترچه خاطرات عزیزم» چنین شد و «دفترچه خاطرات عزیزم» چنان شد. شانس آوردیم که هفلی به گفته اش عمل نمیکند و رفتار و گفتارش کاملا با هم فرق دارند
ا. شربیانی -
My first Wimpy Kid and is surely not the last. Who knew this Wimpy Kid would be playing with my head for such a long time.
-
Haven't actually read this, am writing the review for my grandson. He'll be seven in a month.
He's not here, so I'm guessing five stars. It could be a four.
He's read this one and the next in the series. Liked them both.
As he was leaving this afternoon I showed him
Asterix the Gaul, telling him it was sort of a comic book.
"Oh so that's what a comic book is!", he said.
I mentioned that there were some rather large words in it (just glancing) and that he might not be able to read it quite yet.
"I think if I can read two Wimpy Kid books I can probably read anything, Pop-Pop."
That's a positive outlook I guess.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Previous review:
Invitation to the Dance
Next review:
War and Peace
More recent review:
Robert Frost: Critical Essays
Previous library review:
The Three Astronauts
Next library review:
Wimpy Kid #12 : The Getaway -
It's my second read of the book. The first was during 2018-2019 and it took me ages to finish, not because it was boring but away from learners' books, reading in English was torture for me. I couldn't flip two pages without using a dictionary or Google translater even though the language isn't hard. But my level didn't help at the time... alongside it has a lot of slang. So I ended up with uncountable pauses besides reading other books (including Moby Dick) until I finally finished in 2019.
This year I wanted to see what'll happen if I give it another shot, and it was much smoother than what I expected as I finished it in 3 days.
Now about the book itself, it was really enjoyable and I laughed a lot! It's just a read for fun (aside from catching new vocabs and getting used to reading in English for me). In this book at least Greg is not trying to be a role model by any means, actually he's a bad example. Just living as a mostly selfish middle school kid who doesn't learn from his experience nor offer any direct valuable lessons to his readers... a reason for adults to give it one star here, and on the other hand why kids may find it amusing.
It shows some aspects of the mentalities that kids in this age may have in a fun simple way that the little ones (and also me) can relate to easily, so it can grab them into reading.
Apart from that, it's interesting to see middle school life in a different culture/country though it's just a fiction book that may not intend to represent reality. The book's design is friendly for a learner which made it easy to continue, and the sketches looked very nice.
I'm definitely going to keep up with the series as it's fun and to improve my English.
Note to self: I filled one page and a half with vocabs and phrases this time. -
meh.
Ps: I feel so cool writing a one-word-review. Yaay! -
I have been hearing so much about these books. I saw the first movie and it was very funny and smart. I even saw the float in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and I decided, ok, I need to read this. I picked it up.
This is smartly told with some honesty. There are several times it is honest enough I don't really like Greg. He is telling it like it is. We want to be liked. This is about middle school, humanity in the raw. These years are ripe for humorous riffing.
I believe my favorite scene is the play of the Wizard of Oz. That was so funny. I'm glad I gave this beloved novel a read. It was worth it. -
Loved reading it.
Reminded me a lot of my schooldays.
However, there's a lot difference from the Indian scenario. But this cute book has all the right tricks to keep you hooked👍
The sketches are really AWESOME! -
I am sorry to say that my kid sample on this one turned out to be very small. One of my regulars in the book group was reading and laughing away at home, but stopped in the middle. His mom suspects he was just ready for a break after a long school year. So, my opinion is all you get. This is a fun, fast read in diary form. Greg Heffley is a sixth grade boy and his thoughts and drawings are reflective of his age. He has his good days and bad days. But what to do about that piece of cheese on the playground? Can he avoid getting the dreaded "cheese touch?" Zoo-wee, Mama!
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A web comic turned novel, Diary of a Wimpy Kid strikes the funny bone of kids everywhere.
This "novel in cartoons" is a hilarious addition to the tween fiction section. Presented as a 'journal,' because the word diary is much too girly, this story chronicles the misadventures of Greg Heffley, middle school student. This was a fast read that was hard to put down. Each page featured at least one, sometimes many, cartoon illustrations that added to the humor of the book. Kids of the targeted age group will identify with Greg and all of the middle-school issues he has to deal with, like popularity, little siblings, PE and girls. Jeff Kinney deals with these issues with humor, insight and compassion.
This is a great book to get reluctant readers into reading in the novel format. Each page has large, easy to read text interspersed with cartoons, however the book is long enough to tell a fairly complex tale and has a complicated enough vocabulary to keep kids from feeling 'talked down to.' This is definitely a book that will be popular among the tween set.
Publishers Weekly
Kinney's popular Web comic, which began in 2004, makes its way to print as a laugh-out-loud "novel in cartoons," adapted from the series. Middle school student Greg Heffley takes readers through an academic year's worth of drama. Greg's mother forces him to keep a diary ("I know what it says on the cover, but when Mom went out to buy this thing I specifically told her to get one that didn't say 'diary' on it"), and in it he loosely recounts each day's events, interspersed with his comic illustrations. Kinney has a gift for believable preteen dialogue and narration (e.g., "Don't expect me to be all 'Dear Diary' this and 'Dear Diary' that"), and the illustrations serve as a hilarious counterpoint to Greg's often deadpan voice. The hero's utter obliviousness to his friends and family becomes a running joke. For instance, on Halloween, Greg and his best friend, Rowley, take refuge from some high school boys at Greg's grandmother's house; they taunt the bullies, who then T.P. her house. Greg's journal entry reads, "I do feel a little bad, because it looked like it was gonna take a long time to clean up. But on the bright side, Gramma is retired, so she probably didn't have anything planned for today anyway." Kinney ably skewers familiar aspects of junior high life, from dealing with the mysteries of what makes someone popular to the trauma of a "wrestling unit" in gym class. His print debut should keep readers in stitches, eagerly anticipating Greg's further adventures. Ages 8-13. (Apr.)
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I agree with the age range and synopsis. I don't think this review keys into exactly how funny this book is, as it had me and my kids rolling.
VOYA
Even though Greg Heffley would rather play video games with his friend Rowley than write in the journal that his mother gives him, he uses it to record, in pictures and in text, the harrowing and clever ways in which he navigates the middle school social scene. Undersized and skinny, Greg has adventures that center on how he manages to separate himself from the geeks and how he evades bigger bullies by employing quick wit and harebrained ideas. Unfortunately Greg's schemes usually backfire, providing readers with the opportunity to delight in his distress. Picked on by an older brother, embarrassed by his baby brother, and closely monitored by his clever parents, Greg reacts in typical middle school fashion, making him a character with which many readers will be able to identify. Kinney provides readers with a realistic view of middle school life as seen through the eyes of the entertaining but not very bright class clown. Readers can expect lots of middle school humor and exaggeration. Kinney manages to inject enough humor in the simple drawings to make them an integral element in the book. Because Kinney began his Wimpy Kid adventures on a Web site, many middle schoolers already familiar with the character will ensure a ready audience for this print version.
I liked this review better as it showed insight into Greg's character and makes the reader really want to read the book. A good description and evaluation in this review. -
A funny, interesting and highly entertaining book. I read it after my nine year old brother did -by the way, he loved it- and i had an amazing time.
The cartoon style of this novel, is amusing and an element that makes quite an impression.
To be honest though i have to point out that some of the situations make the reader believe the hero is of younger age. But beside that i think it's a fine choise for any boy to read.
All in all, it's enjoyable, with a quick tempo and the author doesn't drag the stories for long. The characters also are many and vary. I will definitely read the next one.
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Even though I'm definitely well outside of the target audience for Jeff Kinney's Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, considering the fact that it's middle grade series, and I'm 34 years-old, I still thought that Diary of a Wimpy Kid was a really fun book! I'll definitely be continuing on with the series! :)
My rating/score: 5 out of 5 stars on Goodreads' rating system / 10 out of 10 on my own personal scoring system. -
Reviewed by Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com
If you work with middle grade kids, be sure to check out DIARY OF A WIMPY KID.
Greg Heffley is a 6th-grade weakling trying to make his mark in the middle school world. His family includes a mom, a dad, a heavy metal big brother, and a whiny, tattling little brother. His best friend is Rowley, another odd 6th-grader with overprotective parents and the world-class ability to annoy.
Greg is always a victim of the big, mean bullies in the school. He constantly seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. In an attempt to be "cool" he experiments with the idea of weightlifting, creating his own haunted house, running for class treasurer, and building a snowman big enough to be considered for the Guiness Book of World Records. However, the only mild success he accomplishes is as a safety guard whose job is to walk the kindergarten kids home at lunchtime.
At least with that job he gets free hot chocolate and misses twenty minutes of math class.
Readers will be able to relate to Greg's typical teenage problems. His parents ground him from his video games, his older brother picks on him, his little brother gets him in trouble, and the girls in his school think he is a waste of their time. He'd like to pretend he's just a mediocre student when he is really one of the "uncool" gifted kids. The odds are just stacked against him.
Kinney bills his books as "a novel in cartoons," which is sure to be a popular feature with middle grade readers, especially those of the reluctant variety. The clever illustrations were a fantastic way to play up the already great humor in the book.
Once again, if you have anything at all to do with middle graders, get this book in their hands ASAP.
