Review of DIARY OF A WIMPY KID by Jeff Kinney

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Kinney, Jeff. DIARY OF A WIMPY KID. 2007. New York: Amulet Books. ISBN 9780810993136

2. PLOT SUMMARY

Greg, an unpopular junior high student, writes a journal just in case he becomes famous one day. He and his friend Rowley, are considered losers at their junior high school, but they are constantly striving to change this factor. The plot also revolves around a piece of cheese that has been on the basketball court for years. Anyone that touches it, is as unpopular as leprosy was in biblical days. Greg and Rowley taunt some high school kids on Halloween and they barely escape them by running to his grandmother’s house. They wait outside for them but Greg and Rowley get away. The next day, Greg’s grandmother’s house has been egged. Greg rationalizes that it’s okay because she probably didn’t have anything else to do, so being egged will keep her busy. Greg gets into skirmishes with high school kids and junior high bullies, but always seems to come out okay. He is happy to throw his friend Rowley to the wolves if he can save himself. In the end, Greg and Rowley are trapped by the high school boys they taunted on Halloween, and Rowley ends up having to eat “The Cheese.” Greg finally does a good deed, and tells everyone that he threw the cheese away. He is then, of course, ostracized because he has the dreaded “Cheese Touch.” Rowley ends up being the class clown, which is what Greg imagined for himself. In the end, I think everyone gets what they deserve. Rowley gets a little notoriety and Greg is still considered a loser.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This is a fun book for grades 3-8. I have five sets of this book in my library, and I can’t keep it on the shelves. Students like it because it is an easy read, and it is funny. I can imagine everything in this book actually happening. This book is what junior high is for many students. It’s surviving by your wits. I don’t see any great moral lessons in this book. It does have Greg finally trying to protect Rowley in the end, but how many times does he let Rowley take the heat for his bad decisions? Sometimes kids don’t want a moral lesson, they just want to laugh. The characters are true to life, and the so are the situations. It should be read for fun, and sometimes that is just what a kid wants or needs.


4. REVIEW EXCERPTS

BOOKLIST Review: “The first year in the middle-school life of Greg Heffley is chronicled in this laugh-out-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”

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL Review: “Grade 5–8. Kinney does a masterful job of making the mundane life of boys on the brink of adolescence hilarious. Greg is a conflicted soul: he wants to do the right thing, but the constant quest for status and girls seems to undermine his every effort. His attempts to prove his worthiness in the popularity race (he estimates he's currently ranked 52nd or 53rd) are constantly foiled by well-meaning parents, a younger and older brother, and nerdy friends. While Greg is not the most principled protagonist, it is his very obliviousness to his faults that makes him such an appealing hero. Kinney's background as a cartoonist is apparent in this hybrid book that falls somewhere between traditional prose and graphic novel. The first of three installments, it is an excellent choice for reluctant readers, but more experienced readers will also find much to enjoy and relate to in one seventh grader's view of the everyday trials and tribulations of middle school.”

5. CONNECTIONS

Have students write about one of the worst things that has ever happened to them at school. Let them present their papers to the class if they want.

You could have a great discussion about the situations Greg gets himself into. Ask students about their own school experiences. It will make for some great discussions.

Students could illustrate a scene from the book. They could make it like a cartoon, or make it more elaborate. Then they could make cartoon captions for the scene.

There is a character chart on Greg Kinney’s website. Students could fill out the charts and compare them with other students. The teacher could list all the adjectives for the characters on the board, and the class could discuss the meanings.

Students could pair up and write questions for an interview with Greg. After they are completed, one student is Greg and the other is the interviewer. Each team could practice and present their interview. Students portraying Greg would have to answer questions like they think Greg would answer.

Students could write a journal like Greg. Language Arts teachers could use this as a writing grade. Students would write in their journals each day about what is going on in their lives. Teachers could do one also, and share some of it with the class.