Acclaimed debut author Jeff Kinney brilliantly re-creates the typical humor and logic of middle school boys sidling into adolescence.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid Sixth grader Greg Heffley doesn’t understand his annoying younger brother, obnoxious older one, or well-meaning parents. But he knows enough to record his daily thoughts in a manly journal—not some girly diary. In a unique novel brimming with laugh-out-loud moments, Greg chronicles his first turbulent year of middle school.
Rodrick Rules Jeff Kinney’s highly anticipated sequel to his #1 New York Times bestselling Diary of a Wimpy Kid chronicles Greg Heffley’s creative efforts to dodge middle school hazards, dazzle the girls, avoid talent shows, and—above all—guard his embarrassing secret. Ramón de Ocampo’s spot-on narration enhances Kinney’s authentic portrait of adolescent angst and madcap hilarity.
The Last Straw The third book in the #1 New York Times bestselling series from Jeff Kinney, The Last Straw is sure to please young listeners. Greg Heffley makes a New Year’s resolution to help others improve, but his brand of truthful advice doesn’t go over well. Plus, Greg’s dad thinks military school might be just the attitude adjustment Greg needs.
Dog Days Jeff Kinney has reached #1 on the New York Times bestseller list with his Wimpy Kid series—a true publishing phenomenon. This fourth hilarious installment finds Greg Heffley approaching every kid’s favorite part of the school year—summer vacation.
Greg has a clear plan for the summer: Stay inside and play as many video games as possible. Unfortunately, his mother has a much different idea about how the summer will transpire—she envisions lots of outdoor activities and “family togetherness.” Pouring salt on that wound, she actually encourages Greg to form a book club with some other boys. Greg is further disturbed by the unimaginable horrors of the men’s locker room at the local pool. And he and best friend Rowley don’t exactly see eye-to-eye over a failed lawn-care business.
As Greg learns that not everything comes up roses in the summertime, Kinney’s sparkling sense of humor once again shines brightly.
The Ugly Truth Jeff Kinney’s tales featuring wise-cracking middle schooler Greg Heffley have reached #1 on the New York Times bestseller list, inspired a major motion picture, and been translated into dozens of languages. Greg has endured countless horrors—girls, bullies, jocks, oblivious parents, wrestling in gym class, even the dreaded Cheese Touch—the past few years. But everything changes in this fifth hilarious adventure.
Cabin Fever With millions of copies in print and two feature films to its credit, Jeff Kinney’s Wimpy Kid series, featuring the trials and tribulations of middle-schooler and middle child Greg Heffley, has become an unrivaled literary phenomenon. A surefire hit, Cabin Fever is the sixth entry in Kinney’s mega-popular series that shows no signs of slowing down.
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."He also created the children's website 'Poptropica'.
its one of those books that you know was good, when u read it back in the day, but you don't remember it so I rated it low, cause of that, but I still recommend it.
This book is a great way to express the feeling of guilt because Greg Heffley is stuck in his home due to weather conditions, but knows that he has done something wrong. This could used for a lesson on writing what the class would do if they were stuck at home because of the snow. The entire class could work cooperatively to create a class story. I feel this could be used for a 4th-5th grade classroom and would be a perfect writing exercise for the class. The dominant theme carried throughout the story would be worry because questions arise, time passes, and confusion sets in for this main character.
These great books, 1-6 in the series Diary of a Wimpy Kid are part of a classic collection. My kids absolutely loved this series. It is fun and will have you laughing out loud.
There are many books in this series some better than others, but they all have one thing in common, humour and the ability to make fun of oneself.
The pictures and jokes just make it all that much better.
Being popular, influential, and ground-breaking doesn't equate to wholesome (2.5 stars)
Whether you like it or not, there's no denying the cultural impact and importance of Jeff Kinney's "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" series, which stars middle schooler Greg Heffley as navigates the challenges of middle school. The main series numbers around 20 books, and in addition there's been a spinoff series, live-action and animated films, a musical, and a computer game. It's been a commercial success, having sold over 250 million books in over 50 languages, and generated over half a billion dollars in revenue. As of 2020 it was the fourth best-selling book series of all time.
The series is notable first for its groundbreaking style. Kinney has opted to present his story in the form of a handwritten diary, told from a first-person point of view, and complete with cartoon illustrations. And it's worked. By departing from conventional literary formats in this way, he's spawned a new literary genre, with many imitators adopting the same formula of a handwritten and illustrated journal.
But the medium alone isn't what makes the series a success. It's undeniably popular with kids in the age 9-12 range, and a whole generation of children has grown up reading and loving the Wimpy Kid. I can think of two other reasons why it's enjoyed so much success, besides the unique and accessible literary format Kinney has come up with.
The first reason is because the main character is an anti-hero of sorts who embodies the cynicism and fatalism of our modern age. No matter how much effort Greg puts in, he's almost always doomed to fail, because he lives in a world of arbitrary rules and unpredictable consequences. This is a philosophy that speaks to many of today's younger generation, many of whom grow up with a doom-and-gloom outlook on the future of a planet apparently threatened by climate change, economic uncertainty, and inequity. Instead of growing up with hope and joy, many have adopted an existentialist approach to life, where human existence is seen as meaningless and futile.
The second reason is the humour. Greg's life philosophy alone wouldn't make him a sympathetic character for us to identify with. Kinney combines this view of life with brilliant comic elements and wit. No matter which side of the philosophical fence you sit, you can't help but admire the funny elements of these books. The richness of the humour isn't surprising given the author's approach to writing. Kinney has gone on record to say that he comes up with the jokes first, and then builds a story around them.
But all these positives don't rescue the series from a serious flaw. The truth is that Greg is a manipulative and selfish individual, who won't hesitate to lie or backstab others to achieve his self-centered goals. He can be described as a video-game addict who is condescending towards others, manipulates his friends, disrespects parents and adults, and generally lacks moral standards and values. He's hardly a model for today's kids to follow, because he's a selfish jerk who moves from one failure to another. Yet we're made to feel sympathetic towards him, and even to cheer for him, and his inappropriate behaviour becomes a point of comedy rather than criticism.
Some will argue that Greg's story is intended as a negative parable, because it's obvious to readers that he is a jerk and not a role-model. But the fact that his story is presented as a comedy begs otherwise, because we're encouraged to respond to his misfortunes with laughter rather than serious introspection. The fact that it's all packaged along with plenty of immature toilet humour also says a great deal.
Kinney's skill with humour is undeniable, and it's hard not to laugh at Greg's schemes for success, his self-centred, rude, and obnoxious behaviour, and his constant failures. But in the end there's really little to like about Greg himself or about his behaviour, and yet he never grows up. Are his shortcomings excusable just because they're funny? Surely the fact that his life is turned into a comedy doesn't justify the means.
This series may be popular, influential, ground-breaking, and even funny. But that doesn't mean it's wholesome, or that our kids should be reading it.
I have read all of the diary of wimpy kid books. By far though my favorite is the first one. This one is my favorite because it was my first year in middle school it was somewhat relatable. Greg is going to middle school for the first time. Not knowing much and just glad to have his friend Rowley with him Greg begins middle school. In the second diary of a wimpy kid, Greg oldest brother Rodrick loves pranking and getting on Greg's nerve. Their mom thinks they should bond but Greg doesn't really want that knowing how Rodrick is. In the third book, Greg dad wants Greg not to be so wimpy. Greg father wants him to play a sport. Greg doesn't want to until his father threatened to send Greg to military school. This is just a few of the great stories of Greg Heffley and what kept me wanting to read more.
The Diary of a Wimpy Kid collection by Jeff Kinney has been a very captivating read. The series targets young readers that may struggle fitting in or growing up. It follows a young boy, Greg Heffley, as he tries to navigate junior high with his best friend. Instead of most fiction, where the main character is an ideal role model with few flaws, Greg Heffley provides a realistic view of a pre-pubescent teen. It helps the reader understand the text with illustrations. I think the author did a great job at achieving his goals for this series. It was a nationwide hit and only grew in popularity after the next book came out. I think this is a great book to read as a teen growing up because it shows the struggles that everyone goes through. Overall, I loved this series and would definitely recommend this collection to anyone about to go into high school. I would rate this book a 4.5 / 5.
Perfect for beginner readers and children/teens that are afraid of books. Read all of them around the age of 14-15. These were the books that made me get into reading and thought me that reading also can be entertaining.
Un libro que recomiendo demasiado para empezar con la lectura en inglés. Mantiene un vocabulario ni tan básico, pero tampoco muy avanzando. Te mantiene en una línea "media" dónde vas a entender y aprender mucho. Me gustó bastante, muy divertido.
I liked this book because it's talk about how he live his life and it's funny book and for a fact i read this 5 times . But still i would read this book a hunderds times