The Diary of a Wimpy Kid is a book series that falls in the genre of contemporary realistic fiction. This book is written from the perspective of a middle school boy named Greg Heffley, and follows his average everyday life. This book is structured like a journal or a diary and is organized by day and month. There are small illustrations that follow along with the story and the font looks like someone’s handwriting. This book addresses issues that all children go through such as getting in trouble with their parents, bullying, and not getting along with friends. It is written to be funny and entertaining and children love it. Children can relate to all the situations the main character is faced with, and they cannot put the book down.
The author of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Jeff Kinney, does a good job incorporating figurative language in the book. For example he uses a metaphor when Greg exaggerates the privileges Manny has by saying he is treated like a prince. “You know how I said I play all sorts of pranks on Rowley? Well, I have a little brother Manny, and I could NEVER get away with pulling any of that stuff on him. Mom and Dad protect Manny like he’s a prince or something. And he never gets in trouble, even when he really deserves it” (Kinney 21). Another use of figurative language Kinney uses is hyperboles. In the book on Christmas morning, Greg describes coming downstairs to find “about a million gifts” under the Christmas tree, but explains that there were hardly any with his name on it. This is an exaggeration because there was not actually a million presents under his Christmas tree.
In the book one of the situations Greg is faced with is friendships. Greg’s best friend is Rowley who lives down the street from him. They play video games together after school, go trick-or-treating on Halloween, and build snowmen together in the winter. Greg feels sad and jealous in the book when Rowley suddenly finds new friends and does not spend as much time with Greg as he used to. It’s hard to be a good friend while maintaining new and old friendships when you’re a child and even as you grow older. Children are constantly faced with hard situations that test their character while growing up. There are specific times in the book when Greg's character is tested, like when Rowley gets in trouble with the safety patrol sponsor for something that Greg was responsible for. Whether Greg was going to tell the truth and face his consequences or let his best friend take the blame for him, is a very realistic situation that kids might have to resolve, along with the issue of listening to your parents and dealing with the repercussions when getting in trouble. On New Year’s Eve, Greg was sent to bed at 7:00 PM and was not allowed to come downstairs to watch the New Year’s Eve special on TV. Greg explains that, “Manny told Mom I made him eat a spider. I told her there was no spider, and that it was just a tiny ball of thread” (Kinney 134). One of my favorite parts of the book is the school play Greg participates in. When preforming, his older brother Rodrick records the play which embarrasses Greg and makes him mad. The scene that Greg is in goes horribly wrong and ends up in a food fight. The way Kinney writes is brilliant and laugh out loud funny.
Overall I think this book is wonderful and will get students willing and excited about reading. I think that children need books that are interesting and that will hold their attention. These books are great because they appeal to a wide audience because everyone can connect to the main character. Without coming out and clearly stating it, this book will teach kids valuable life lessons about bullying, friendship, loyalty, self-esteem, and the challenge of navigating the sometimes conflicting demands of family and school. Teachers can uses this book in the classroom to discuss character development, literary terms, and how to properly deal with difficult situations they might be faced with. I would recommend Diary of a Wimpy Kid to any student looking for a good book to read or to any parent wanting to communicate with their child about the problematic situations that occur in the book.
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Join or create book clubs
Choose books together
Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.
Frequently bought together
$9.11
Get it as soon as Wednesday, May 15
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
Total price:
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Choose items to buy together.
Similar items that may deliver to you quickly
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
Popular Highlights in this book
Rodrick, I want your dirty underwear off the kitchen table before I get home from work.Highlighted by 1,246 Kindle readers- The good thing about Dad is that when he gets mad, he cools off real quick, and then it’s over.Highlighted by 977 Kindle readers
- Did you know that if your hand is bigger than your face it’s a sign of “low intelligence”?Highlighted by 716 Kindle readers
From the Publisher
Videos
Page 1 of 1Start OverPage 1 of 1
Videos for this product
0:31
Click to play video
Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Book 1
Merchant Video
Videos for this product
0:43
Click to play video
Transform your childhood with this book!
Drew’s Reviews
About the author
Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Reviews with images
Top reviews from other countries
Kindle Customer
Muito bom,amei
Reviewed in Brazil on April 14, 2023
Kindle Customer
Reviewed in Brazil on April 14, 2023
Images in this review
