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Loading... Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Book 1 (edition 2007)by Jeff KinneyI got a bit nostalgic recently and decided I was going to reread the early books in this series and then read the newer ones, just because. :) The first time I read a Wimpy Kid book was when I was 13, and I remember thinking it was downright hilarious. This book really does hold up well and I can easily see why the series continues to be so popular! I actually really admire the balance of humor Kinney has created; it's part middle school drama, part bathroom humor (which, lets be honest, is truly peak comedy for many middle school kids), and part slice of life/family humor which I think it relatable to not just kids but older readers, too! All around just a fun book that I'm going to keep recommending to people. Best Moments in Book #1: -Greg accidently making Manny eat a "spider" -the whole idea/presence of the Cheese Touch - this cheese is ICONIC. If you read these books as a kid then you know this to be a straight up fact -"ZooWeeMama!" I thought I would give this book a try, but was disappointed to find the character to be a little jerk with no redeeming kindness or thought for anyone but himself. This book makes me question my librarian theory that any reading is good reading; I am not sure kids need to read about smart-ass kids with no redeeming qualities. This made me LOL more than a few times. What killed me about it is that Greg, the main character/diarist, is kind of despicable. He treats his BFF pretty badly and he stoops so low to get his way. Still, you could say he's just a normal, un-idealized middle school guy. The half-comic-half-prose format lightens the whole thing so you don't take Greg too seriously, and in the end the book is a quick, fun read. And I finally know what the "cheese touch" is! I liked this book a lot, it was funny. Clearly the author remembers what it was like to be in junior high, it's spot on. As a tool to improve my German it was perfect because the grammar and vocabulary were at my speed, and the story was made up of incidents and observations that were funny enough to stand alone, but which linked back to previous incidents so that there was a feeling of plot/momentum to carry me along. Diary of a Wimpy kid is a great graphic novel for early readers and can be very relatable to most middle school or older students. The novel follows the life of Greg Hefley and his life throughout middle school be it dealing with his family or turning into a vampire from gaming all day during the summer the book finds a way to be relatable and funny and allows for almost all readers to find the series addicting. This book is a great story about kids transitioning to middle school and having to make their own choices and deal with their own consequences. This story follows Greg through his good and bad choices and the consequences that happen along the way. There is a lot of funny parts throughout the story and I think kids will love reading this book. This is a story about Greg Hefley and the problems he encountered when he entered middle school. This would be a great book to use if you were introducing journal formatted writing, but it could also be a fun and relatable book to read with your class. This is a book that middle schoolers could relate to because a lot of the things Greg experiences in this book are things that they are probably experiencing as well. This would be a great book for ELA instruction because it is a book that students could try to recreate for themselves as a writing activity in class. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)813.6Literature English (North America) American fiction 21st CenturyLC ClassificationRatingAverage:
Is this you?Become a LibraryThing Author. Hachette Book GroupAn edition of this book was published by Hachette Book Group. Penguin Australia2 editions of this book were published by Penguin Australia. Editions: 014330383X, 0670074926 Recorded BooksAn edition of this book was published by Recorded Books. |
This is a book that comes from a series of "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" books. This is the first book of the series, and the only one I have read. Greg is a boy just starting middle school, and he is writing his journal. In it he talks about how he learned the first day of school to make sure you choose your seat in the classroom wisely because one of the first things the teacher says is that will be the students permanent seat for the year. In his first class, he sat by kids that he didn't talk too. He also talks about his struggles on the basketball court, everyone poking him, video games, his brother whom is always poking fun of him, and about other kids at school picking on him. Although he doesn't really care much about being at school, he always finds laughter out of the situation and he begins thinking of ways to become more popular and cool in school.
Personal Reaction:
I chose to read this book because it's one of my son's favorites. He loves these books. He is only in 2nd grade and he can read them well, but I think they are for kids a few years older than him. I'm not sure I would use these books as an assignment in my class, but I don't mind the idea of having them available for the kids to read. I do think it's neat that the author has kind of made the book into a journal about his own experiences from when he was growing up. And it is really funny and will definitely make children laugh.
Classroom Extensions:
1. I would have my students each have their own journals. A couple of times a week, I would have them write about what we did that day, how they liked it, and how they felt that day. I think it would be a good way for the children to be able to express their feelings without having to say them out loud and a good way for the teacher to know how the students felt that day and more about their feelings.
2. I would also have students write about why they think it is important to be nice to their peers, and for an older group of kids, talk about the importance of not bullying. Then I would have them do little activities with different children in the class instead of their friends or the same people all the time. That way no one would feel left out and they would all of more of a chance to learn about each other.