This series of books, written and illustrated by Jeff Kinney should really be titled “The Story of Almost Every Middle School Student’s Life” because that would be a more honest title.
(Interestingly, Kinney is also the developer of the online role playing game, Poptropica.)
“Diary of Wimpy Kid” was first published in 2007 after Kinney posted an online version of the book and it was immensely popular, readers begging for a published copy.
Personally, I was skeptical about the book, and was reluctant to watch the movie, but once I was dragged into the theater by my 9- and 8-year-old granddaughters, I found myself chuckling at those all-too-common middle school kid mishaps.
Since then, it has sold over 75 million copies and has been translated into 40 different languages. The story may be about a wimpy kid but the book is far from it.
This series chronicles the life of self-proclaimed wimpy kid Greg Heffley in a style that resembles a handwritten diary, complete with drawings and doodles.
In the six books that have been published so far, we have met Rowley, Greg’s best friend, Roderick, Greg’s older brother, and the rest of his family, plus various kids that Greg goes to school with like Seth Snella (what a name!).
The books include problems Greg faces such as the Cheese Touch, a bad summer vacation, a blizzard and the ever touchy subject of puberty.
A new “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” book is set to be released in November 2012 titled “The Third Wheel” where Greg learns about love, a subject which our kids worry about too frequently these days.
Rest assured that Jeff Kinney will make it tasteful and appropriate for the kids who can’t seem to get enough of this series. Twentieth Century Fox has even made a film series based on the books, with three films, “Diary of a Wimpy Kid”, “Rodrick Rules” and “Dog Days” already in theaters.
“Diary of a Wimpy Kid” spent 114 weeks as the #1 New York Times Best Seller list. Not only is this an entertaining series for the kids, but Jeff Kinney makes sure that morals and standards are apparent throughout all the books. Your kids will totally love these books if they haven’t read them yet.