For an insightful look into one of the best children’s books of all time, check out our review of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid reviewed

Jeff Kinney, author of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, is an American author born in 1971. In the 1990s, while attending the University of Maryland, he discovered he wanted to be a cartoonist.

He didn’t find immediate success after college, as he had trouble getting his comic strip syndicated. Thankfully, The Diary of a Wimpy Kid book series was the children’s book that put Kinney on the map of one of the best children’s book authors.

It took him six years to complete his first book. It became an immediate success when he finally published it online on the Funbrain website.

By 2006, Jeff had signed a multi-book deal to turn Diary of a Wimpy Kid into a print graphic novels series.

If you want to get your child excited about reading, here is a thorough book review of the beloved Diary of a Wimpy Kid series.

What is Diary of a Wimpy Kid about?

The Diary of a Wimpy Kid’s main character is Greg Heffley, a 12-year-old boy who’s about to start his final year of middle school.

At the beginning of the school year, he gets a journal, and this story is about everything he recorded in it. Here are some of his most important journal entries:

• He begins analyzing middle schoolers and popularity, the latter he will seek all year. One of his stories is about a cheese slice that has been outside the basketball court for a long time. The cheese touch has the power to curse and ostracize people.
• Greg introduces his family. Rodrick is his elder brother and a hardcore rock drummer. His brother Manny is the youngest. Greg thinks everyone treats him like a prince.
• Throughout the story, he has countless adventures with Rowley Jefferson, his best friend.
• On Halloween, Greg and Rowley use the basement in Rowley’s house to build a haunted house. They get caught when a child gets so scared he hides under the bed. They get grounded.
• After an argument with his parents, Greg tries out for a school play, The Wizard of Oz. Greg thought there were too many kids and not enough roles. He ends up cast as a tree. The night of the play, things don’t go well.
• In gym class, his teacher organizes a wrestling unit, and Greg gets paired with another lightweight kid named Fregley. He asks his parents for a chest press to go up on the weight division. He gets it for Christmas, but he’s not really interested anymore.
• Although his parents encourage Greg to spend more time outdoors, he is into video games. He wants The Twisted Wizard game for Christmas, but he gets something else instead.
• In January, one of Greg and Rowley’s misadventures with the Big Wheel Greg’s older brother gave him for Christmas ends with Rowley breaking his hand.
• The two best friends enroll for Safety Patrol. They have to make sure kindergarteners get home safely.
• In February, a position for a new cartoonist opened up in the school paper. Greg and his best friend Rowley create a cartoon that ends with the expression “Zoo-Wee Mama!” The position finally goes to Greg for a character of his own creation.
• Greg gets kicked off the Safety Patrol in March for chasing the kids with a worm. First, Rowley is blamed, and Greg is unsure about telling the truth. It’s Rowley who finally confesses it was Greg.
• In May, the “Zoo-Wee Mama!” cartoon gets Rowley the cartoonist position. Greg gets upset with Rowley, and they stop being friends.
• A group of teenagers makes Rowley eat the basketball court cheese. Greg takes the blame when someone mentions the cheese is no longer there.
• By June, Greg and Rowley are friends again. Greg throws his yearbook in the trash when Rowley is chosen as the Class Clown.

Some of the most popular books in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series include Rodrick Rules, Dog Days, The Ugly Truth, Hard Luck, and The Long Haul.

Accolades for Diary of a Wimpy Kid

In 2022, Diary of a Wimpy Kid won Blue Peter’s best book of the last 10 years. The author was stunned to have beaten other bestseller stories such as Harry Potter and Horris Henry.

On the 10th anniversary of Diary of Wimpy Kid, Jeff Kinney received a Platinum Nielsen Bestseller Award for selling over a million copies.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid was awarded Nickelodeon Kid’s Choice Awards on multiple occasions and the Most Favorite Book Around the World award in 2010.

Our review of Diary of a Wimpy Kid

The Diary of a Wimpy Kid is an excellent choice for a first book. It doesn’t have complicated words, making it easy for young children to read. However, the content has always been controversial for many parents.

It’s clear from the first book that Greg is not the kind of kid that does things right on the first try. His misadventures, although told funnily, are always getting him in trouble.

Many parents may think this makes Greg a terrible influence. However, if children have reached an age where they can understand that Greg is a cartoon and in no way a role model, they will have hours of entertainment with laugh-out-loud fun.

Experience Diary of a Wimpy Kid on Speechify Audiobooks

If you’re interested in Jeff Kinney’s stories, Speechify is the perfect place. Enjoy many books from the series, including the first installment, Diary of a Wimpy Kid.

Speechify Audiobooks is an online platform with thousands of books available for streaming. You can buy them individually or acquire a monthly membership.

Visit Speechify and start enjoying the unlimited bestselling stories.

FAQ

What age is Diary of a Wimpy Kid book appropriate for?

According to most parents, the Diary of a Wimpy Kid book is a good book for kids over 9 years old. However, 8-year-old children also love Greg Heffley’s stories.

Why do people recommend Diary of a Wimpy Kid?

The main character of Diary of a Wimpy Kid is relatable. He is a simple kid going through a rebellious phase and trying to find his identity. This book series also encourages the love of reading.

Is there a Diary of a Wimpy Kid TV series?

There is a Disney TV series based on the Diary of a Wimpy Kid.