Synopses & Reviews
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 youre 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 friends 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 expectme 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.
Review
"Kinney manages to inject enough humor in the simple drawings to make them an integral element in the book." VOYA
Review
"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." School Library Journal
About the Author
Jeff Kinney has worked as a newspaper designer and computer programmer, and at other occupations that do not hinge on physical prowess. He 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. He and his family live in Plainville, Massachusetts. This is his first book.
Kids Q&A
Read the Kids' Q&A with Jeff Kinney