Module 13 - Diary of a Wimpy Kid

April 15-21, 2013

Bibliography:

Kinney, J. (2007). Diary of a wimpy kid: Greg Heffley's journal. New York: Amulet Books.

Summary:

Greg is a typical boy starting middle school with all the angst and pressure to fit in and seem normal. He spends his time reluctantly creating a journal about his days, following interactions with teachers and other students and revealing the hierarchy of the middle school food chain. Greg has a best friend, Rowley, but mostly because he feels sorry for him. Greg gets Rowley in trouble for something he did himself and lets Rowley take the blame before fessing up. Rowley and Greg go through the typical talking – not talking – talking phases as they work through their issues and traverse middle school and all its nuances.

Impressions:

I really did not enjoy this book at all. I did like the short, chunked writing and captions but thought that Greg was a poor example for children to follow. My six year old has become interested in the series of books because another kid at school brought his. She likes the comic style of the book but after reading it, I really don’t want her to read it at her age.

Reviews:

The first year in the middle-school life of Greg Heffley is chronicled in this laughout-loud novel that first appeared on the Internet. Greg tells his story in a series of short, episodic chapters. Most revolve around the adolescent male curse: the need to do incredibly dumb things because they seem to be a good idea at the time. Yet, unlike some other books about kids of this age, there's no sense of a slightly condescending adult writer behind the main character. At every moment, Greg seems real, and the engrossed reader will even occasionally see the logic in some of his choices. Greatly adding to the humor are Kinney's cartoons, which appear on every page. The simple line drawings perfectly capture archetypes of growing up, such as a preschool-age little brother, out-of-touch teachers, and an assortment of class nerds. Lots of fun throughout.

Morning, T. (2007). Diary of a wimpy kid. The Booklist, 103(15), 45-45.

Now on many a best-seller list, Kinney's print incarnation of the Web-based "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" comic is a laugh-out-loud journal kept by middle-schooler Greg Heffley (Just don't expect him to be "all 'Dear Diary' this and 'Dear Diary' that.") This "novel in cartoons" features a mix of text and black-and-white spot art, and the first-person narration is a hoot, whether Greg is describing the difference between school and TV wrestling, or the reason why his grandma's house was T.P.'d. Perfect for reluctant readers, this is the first of five promised Wimpy Kid books.

Tillotson, L. (2008). Diary of a wimpy kid. Book Links, 17, 19-20.

Uses: I would use this book and the others in the series to create a section celebrating and highlighting the books of authors in their birth month (his is in February). Each month I would select an author and display their work, organize a reading and encourage students to read what the author has written.