Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth

Kinney, Jeff. 2010. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth. New York: Amulet.

Greg and Rowley are fighting.  And to make things worse, Rowley's getting taller and already has his first pimple! Pimples, sweat, facial hair, "the talk," and other unmentionable horrors are awaiting Greg this year in middle school.

Poor Greg. Everyone used to think he was so cute.  That is, until Manny came along,

See, when you're a little kid,nobody ever warns you that you've got an expiration date. One day you're hot stuff and the next day you're a dirt sandwich.

Of course, Rodrick's no help either.  Mom's taking college courses and the boys have new chores.

And the bagged lunch thing isn't working out, either.  This week Rodrick was in charge of making lunches, and he wrote a note on  my lunch bag, just like Mom does.

(sketch of lunch bag with the note, "Dear Greg, Make sure to change your diaper after lunch.  Love, Mommy")

 I didn't even bother eating the sandwich, since I've never seen Rodrick wash his hands even once.

Greg Heffley is growing up.  And that's The Ugly Truth.

Growing up is never easy, but with Jeff Kinney, it's always funny.  Kids will love this latest in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series.

Host your own Wimpy Kid party with The Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth: Wimpy Wednesday Event Pack.

Review copy provided by Amulet Books.  (It will be raffled off to a very happy child at my library's Wimpy Kid event party.)




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Dog Days

Kinney, Jeff. 2009. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days. New York: Amulet.

It's Dog Days as in the dog days of summer (the timing of this book's release could have been better) and Greg Heffley is looking forward to some quality indoor time, but unfortunately, his Mom's idea of the perfect summer vacation does not include horror movies, video games and TV. In Dog Days, Greg woefully recounts his misadventures at Rowley's country club, the public pool, his summer job, and the cabin at the beach. Rodrick, Manny, Gramma, Mom, Dad, the Jeffersons, and Fregley, all make appearances in this latest installment of the Wimpy Kid series. However, the true stars of Dog Days are Greg and his Dad, who learn that father-son bonding may not be the same in every family. Sometimes hating the same comic strip is all that you need.

Dog Days may not have as many "laugh out loud" moments as earlier installments, (Rodrick Rules is still my favorite) but it remains comic genius, hilarious sketches seamlessly integrated into the story, often acting as the "punchline" in place of words.

Usually, I can relate to Mrs. Heffley. In Dog Days, I completely empathize with Greg. As a child, I also dreaded the trip to the "public pool," although my experiences (thankfully) were not the same as Greg's,

"I didn't want Manny to have to walk through the shower area and see the things I've seen. So I got a towel out of my bag and was gonna put it over Manny's eyes when we walked past the shower guys. But in the two seconds it took me to get my towel, Manny was gone. And you'll never believe where he went."

You'll have to imagine the sketch of the diminutive Manny, whistling and washing in the men's shower, surrounded by hairy knees and ankles!

"I knew I had to rescue Manny, so I closed my eyes as tight as I could and went in to save him... When we got to the other side, Manny seemed fine, but I don't think I'll ever totally recover from that experience."

And although I never watched a movie with "the muddy hand," I do remember one with a charred, black hand, and can completely relate with Greg's feelings in this passage,

"My new fear is that the hand is gonna crawl up on my bed and get me in my sleep. So lately I've been covering my whole body with the blanket and leaving a hole so I can breathe. But that strategy his its OWN risks. Rodrick got into my room today, and I had to spend the morning trying to wash the taste of a dirty sock out of my mouth."

And finally, I have to agree with Greg on this one,

"There's this comic about a dog called "Precious Poochie," and it's been running for about fifty years. The guy who wrote it died a long time ago, but they're still recycling his old comics. I don't know if they're funny or not because, to be honest with you, most of them don't even make sense to a person my age."

Well, Jeff Kinney does make sense to a person of Greg Heffley's age! In fact, based on the phenomenal interest in his books, he makes sense to kids of all ages - from 9 to 99.

Check out The Diary of a Wimpy Kid website for the Dog Days Event Kit.

The Zoey Zone

Palatini, Margie. 2008. Geek Chic: The Zoey Zone. New York: Harper Collins.

(Booktalk)

Zoey Zinevich needs an FG (Fairy Godmother) - quick! There are only 198 days until sixth grade and Zoey is a geek, seriously in need of a major fashion makeover. Everyone knows Fairy Godmothers are specialists in instant makeovers, and

"If you're not cool by sixth grade, you are not going to live happily ever after ... The Cool Police are taking notes." (and they're using a lot of paper!)

Of course, Zoey is not without a sense of humor, despite her dire circumstances,

and she's happy to share her thoughts with you in this book of her life.

"Bring a box of tissues - or some of that pink stuff for your stomach. You're going to need it."

Full of ...BREAKING NEWS ...

"Almost-eleven-year-old now spotted outside elementary school looking like a poofy pumpkin. No fairy godmother in sight. Story at six..."

"Note to fairy godmother: Are you watching any of this?"

photos,

collages,

cartoons,

game shows

("Come on Down! It's time to play ....

"10 seconds before your Mother asks U a gazillion Questions!")

and

the heartbreaking 3-act play,

"The Lunchroom Life of Zoey Zinevich,"

Geek Chic will have you laughing out loud.

Read the book and be sure to check out the great companion website http://www.geekchicthezoeyzone.com/