Diary Of A Wimpy Kid

Diary Of A Wimpy Kid - by Jeff Kinney

My 7 year old son has been zooming through the 'Diary of a Wimpy kid' book set, he's laughed and loved reading these books. Now, normally, I wouldn't read any of the books he reads, however, when a fellow home ed mum asked what the books are like on instagram, it got me thinking....and reading! 

Thus, having completed the first book, I felt it's time to share my thoughts.

Book review

'Diary of a Wimpy kid' is a hilarious book, written as a diary by Greg (journal - Greg's mums idea for him to keep a record and write feelings down, but he is adamant it is a journal and not diary), following his adventures during the school year. It is full of embarrassing, crazy and funny moments for Greg, and his best friend Rowley. There are times when you feel a little irked with Greg’s decisions, but ultimately, you like the guy! Rowley is a great friend, and at times you do feel a little sorry for him. The pair make quite a partnership, and the struggles through the year, from Halloween, Christmas, school plays to snowmen building and comic strip writing are sure to bring a giggle or two. 

It is very well written, in the sense that it definitely feels as though you are reading a literary book by a child. 

The great thing about the 'Diary of a Wimpy kid' books is that they are full of illustrations, which adds a bit more to the humour. It's also great for kids who have only just moved on from shorter books, they're almost the 'in between' of younger reading age books and 'full on' chapter by chapter books. 

'Diary Of A wimpy kid' doesn't have any chapters, but then again it is a diary (sorry, according to Greg it's a journal!). 

There are a few things I do want to highlight, that are not positives, or what I perceive to be negative.

Words such as 'moron', 'jerk' and 'stupid' are used in this book. It is written from an 11 year olds perspective, so in the 'real' world, kids that age do use such words, but it depends how much you mind your child reading such text. For us, as little person is only just verging on 8, he knows not to repeat such words, and the book age recommendation is 9+. Having said that, I was a little shocked, as I had hoped it was a good read without the need for me to have to remind my son that such terms are not acceptable (in this house). It is supposed to be a preteen boy talking about his emotions and feelings, and I appreciate the need to add such context, in order to make it more relatable. 

If you want to encourage your child to read books in order to widen vocabulary and build on literally skills, this may not be the book for that. However, it isn't written as a classical text, and that is not the point of this book. The fact that it is supposed to read as a young boy's journal, it does very well in doing so. 

Final thoughts

I do think this is a book that children can read in their spare time for a few giggles (albeit it, I have my reservations with certain terminology). It is short, but not a short story, so offers the confidence of reading a book with lots of pages! Full of great illustrations, and clear and easy to understand vocabulary. The fact that little person has flown through these, has been a huge positive for us. He's thrilled to have finished a book set within days!