Product Description

Boys don’t keep diaries—or do they?

The launch of an exciting and innovatively illustrated new series narrated by an unforgettable kid every family can relate to

It’s a new school year, and Greg Heffley finds himself thrust into middle school, where undersized weaklings share the hallways with kids who are taller, meaner, and already shaving. The hazards of growing up before you’re ready are uniquely revealed through words and drawings as Greg records them in his diary.

In book one of this debut series, Greg is happy to have Rowley, his sidekick, along for the ride. But when Rowley’s star starts to rise, Greg tries to use his best friend’s newfound popularity to his own advantage, kicking off a chain of events that will test their friendship in hilarious fashion.

Author/illustrator Jeff Kinney recalls the growing pains of school life and introduces a new kind of hero who epitomizes the challenges of being a kid. As Greg says in his diary, “Just don’t expect me to be all ‘Dear Diary’ this and ‘Dear Diary’ that.” Luckily for us, what Greg Heffley says he won’t do and what he actually does are two very different things.

Since its launch in May 2004 on Funbrain.com, the Web version of Diary of a Wimpy Kid has been viewed by 20 million unique online readers. This year, it is averaging 70,000 readers a day.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #321 in Books
• Published on: 2007-04-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 224 pages

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.

From School Library Journal
Grade 5–8—Greg Heffley has actually been on the scene for more than two years. Created by an online game developer, he has starred in a Web book of the same name on www.funbrain.com since May 2004. This print version is just as engaging. 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. It offers some of the same adventures as the Web book, but there are enough new subplots to entertain Funbrain followers. This version is more pared down, and the pace moves quickly. 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.—Kim Dare, Fairfax County Public Schools, VA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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

Customer Reviews

Great
My son loved this book. My son has ADHD and it is torture for me to get him to sit still and read or do homework. I purchased this book on a whim and hoped he would at least look at it. My son is 8 1/2 and blew through this book in 3 weeks, I bought the second one and he read that one in less than a week1!

BEST BOOK EVER!!!!!!!!!
i got it and i thought that it would be really dumb, but when i read it, it was totally pimped out!! i recomend this to every one who likes a nice funny story!

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinny
Yes, I know what you're thinking. A novel? In... Cartoons? Well, here's the thing. Diary of A Wimpy Kid is written as the journal of Greg Heffley. It is a real novel, with a few pictures here and there to reinforce what you have read and to add a bit of comedy to the already funny book. So, if I haven't already explained the plot of the "journal", I'll do so now. The book chronicles the daily trials of Greg Heffley and his immoral older brother, Rodrick; his tough parents; his little brother, Manny; his odd friend, Rowley; and a disapproving school body.

There really isn't one clear plot. Like, I said earlier, it explains the days of Greg's life. Here are a few examples. There was the time where Greg ran for school treasurer and the time that Greg and Rowley tried to build a haunted house in Rowley's basement. I also remember the part where Greg signed up for his school's production of the Wizard of Oz -and became a tree. And who can forget the Christmas where Greg got a Barbie?

Greg is your average tween in a bully-filled world. He is quite skinny for his age group, all the more laughable to his peers. And to top that off, his best friend is the biggest geek in all of middle school. I think Greg is a bit insecure. He sometimes acts more modestly than what he deserves; and when someone bold steps in and does the same thing, they usually get all the credit, as opposed to Greg. The book's title is more proof of Greg's insecurity. He refers to himself as wimpy, which is only, at most, half of what he is.

Now, don't get me wrong. Greg is strong in his own way. He has to live with the torture of what his older brother Rodrick dishes out on him. Rodrick is part of a band, "Loded Diaper", and their music would be enough to kill Greg. And if not just that, Greg also has to endure the jokes and humiliation caused by Rodrick. But, of course, Greg can always dish out payback. His younger brother is a bigger problem. Manny gets whatever he wants, and if anyone messes with Manny, it's lights out for them. There was this one time where Manny drew all over Greg's door. But here's the worst part. His parents practically gave him a standing ovation. But, being Greg, Greg always manages to find a way around it.

The author, Jeff Kinney, is a genius. I thought this book was hilarious and very cleverly written. I can easily relate to the things Greg goes through. His school and neighborhood were nearly identical to mine. Greg goes through things that real middle school students have to suffer. There are two more books to this series made so far, and one isn't out yet. The other one was equally as funny. I would definitely recommend this book to the middle school audience it reaches out to.