Jumble Your Genres Reading Challenge 2014: April ~ Middle Grade

This year Readers Live A Thousand Lives, Corrie The Book Crazed Girl, and Lovin' Los Libros have teamed up to host the Jumble Your Genres Reading Challenge! For this challenge, the goal is to mix up the genres/categories we read. We have all had those times when we have gotten stuck in the genre/category we are currently reading and read nothing else for a while. The goal here is to mix that up! Each month a different genre/category will be featured and the goal is to read and review one book or more in that genre/category during that month.

For April the genre / category is ~ Middle Grade

My Choice:

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

by 
Jeff Kinney

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.

My Thoughts:

Diary of a Wimpy Kid is a middle grade fiction book written by Jeff Kinney for young teenagers. Presented in the form of a journal with illustrations included, it tells the story of a young boy - Greg Heffley - as he enters middle school for the first time. I chose this book for this months reading challenge because it is one of my son's all time favorites. Plus he had to write a review on it for school so I thought it would be fun to write it together.

The very first entry is interesting because it describes how the idea of keeping a journal was not Greg’s idea but his mother’s - Susan Heffley. It also explains how the book got its title. Reluctantly agreeing with his mother’s idea, Greg specifically requested that she purchase a journal. Much to his dismay, she got him a diary instead. Had Susan done as Greg requested and got him a journal, then maybe the title might have been Journal of a Wimpy Kid.

As the entries continue, it becomes clear that Greg is not very highly regarded amongst his peers. Determined to improve his image he tries a number of different things (running for class treasurer, becoming the school paper’s cartoonist, joining the safety patrol, to name but a few). Unfortunately though for Greg, most of these fail and land him right back where he started from.

Many of Greg’s experiences are shared with his best friend - Rowley - who is also struggling to fit in with the rest of the student body. Other characters which feature in the book include, Frank - Greg’s dad, Rodrick - Greg’s older brother who always seems to be picking on  him, and Manny - Greg’s younger brother who is both annoying and a little on the spoilt side.

Written in an easy style, Diary of a Wimpy Kid is a fun read which has many hilarious moments and keeps its readers entertained from start to finish.

My Rating: 5 out of 5