Description
From Publishers Weekly Starred Review. 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.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Product Description Acclaimed debut author Jeff Kinney brilliantly re-creates the typical humor and logic of middle school boys sidling into adolescence.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. From AudioFile The main character wants to make one thing clear: this is NOT a diary--it's a journal. And it's his mother's idea for him to chronicle his life as a tortured sixth-grader, not his. One day Greg will be famous, but "for now I'm stuck in middle school with a bunch of morons." In a voice that brings to mind Holden Caulfield and David Sedaris rolled into one, Greg discusses the fleeting nature of popularity, the logic of bullying, and the fickleness of the fairer sex. Narrator Ramon de Ocampo is completely tuned in to Greg's angst-filled point of view. Though Greg is not always what you'd call a sympathetic character, de Ocampo's well-dramatized, insightful presentations of his various plights evoke our empathy--and laughter. J.C.G. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine Review The world has gone crazy for Jeff Kinney's Diary of a Wimpy Kid series * Sun * Kinney is right up there with JK Rowling as one of the bestselling children's authors on the planet * Independent * Hilarious! * Sunday Telegraph * The most hotly anticipated children's book of the year is here - Diary of a Wimpy Kid * The Big Issue * About the Author Jeff Kinney was raised in Maryland, USA. In his mid 20's, Jeff Kinney decided to write a book loosely based on his childhood that would encapsulate the funniest things that happened to him and his family over the years. He had never intended to run Diary of a Wimpy Kid on the Web, but the opportunity came up to post his story on funbrain.com as he was developing it. The book launched in May 2004 and has since had over 20 million visitors. Jeff Kinney married his wife, Julie, in 1998 and the couple has two sons. He and his family now live in Plainville, Massachusetts. From School Library Journal Grade 5–8—Greg Heffley has actually been