Common Sense Media Review
By Carrie R. Wheadon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Greg faces puberty's horrors in funny 5th installment.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 9+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 25 parent reviews
Based on 114 kid reviews
Kids say the latest entry in the series hilariously addresses the trials of puberty while balancing humor and mature themes. Many enjoyed the character development and the portrayal of friendship dynamics, though some noted it may not be as comedically potent as earlier books, with a few finding the content too mature for younger audiences.
- puberty humor
- character growth
- friendship dynamics
- mature themes
- mixed reviews
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
Wimpy Kid Greg and Rowley become ex-best friends at a very inconvenient time -- right when Greg is forced to face puberty alone. There's talk of puberty everywhere -- in health class, in Greg's mom's column (how embarrassing!), and even with great-grandma, who gives a secret lecture to everyone in the family when they reach that special age. Greg also notices that way more is expected of him now. His mom has gone back to school, so he's got more chores, and dad's helping with homework, which is no help at all. But there are some perks to getting older, like an all-night, co-ed lock-in at school -- that is, until the teachers take away everyone's electronic gadgets. Not that!
Is It Any Good?
The series isn't as fresh and irreverent as it used to be, but the awkwardness of middle school always offers some laughs -- especially when you throw in hitting puberty. Most of the tales strewn together here are ones kids can relate to or are gearing up to face. Occasionally Kinney misses the mark, though, like when he talks about Greg's uncle's fifth wedding. But overall, kids will be laughing as usual. Seeing Greg decked out in head gear and Rowley showing off his giant zit is pretty funny stuff.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the popularity of the series. Why do you think kids like it? Do kids find it's easy to laugh at Greg's antics? Do you think he'll ever become more responsible? Would the stories be as funny?
Kids who have seen the Diary of a Wimpy Kid movie may want to compare and contrast it with the books. Did the movie do a good job of capturing Greg's character -- and his antics? Are movies usually as good as the original book?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Jeff Kinney
- Genre : Humor
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Amulet Books
- Publication date : November 9, 2010
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 9 - 12
- Number of pages : 224
- Last updated : August 8, 2024
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