Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Fiction Series
For ages 7 to 9
Abrams, 2007 ISBN: 0810993139
Greg Heffley is now in middle school, and his life has taken a decided turn for the worse. He is not popular and he is small and rather scrawny. This means that he does not hang out with the cool kids, and he is frequently singled out by the school bullies.
As the school year unfolds, Greg does his best to come up with strategies that will help him get through this middle school year without being utterly miserable. It is true that Greg does have a sort of best friend, Rowley. However, Rowley is not the brightest of sparks, and he frequently does things that drive Greg up the wall.
As we read Greg’s journal entries (he refuses to call it a diary) we soon discover that Greg is, alas, prone to having bad luck. During Halloween, Greg’s father accidentally douses Greg and Rowley with water, ruining their haul of candy. Greg is forced to try out for the school play and he ends up playing the part of a tree - yes I did say a tree. At Christmas Greg gets the worst gifts imaginable and he decides to “throw in the towel” because the day was such a disappointing wash out. Sadly enough, things get decidedly worse over time.
Middle schoolers are sure to love this quirky, funny, and engaging title. Presented to look like a real diary…um journal, the book is full of cartoon style drawings. Readers who have an interest in cartooning will find the story particularly attractive, as they will see how a storyteller can combine text and cartoon art to great effect.
