Common Sense Media Review
By Carrie R. Wheadon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Laugh-out-loud-funny series start tucks lessons in stories.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 9+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 96 parent reviews
Parents say this book can be entertaining for reluctant readers, bringing laughs and humor, but many express concern about its negative influence on behavior and moral values. While it serves as a good introduction to reading for some children, the main character’s selfishness and poor decisions raise red flags for several parents, who worry about their kids emulating such traits and the lack of positive life lessons.
- funny moments
- poor role model
- negative influence
- reluctant readers
- age-appropriate debates
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
Based on 301 kid reviews
What's the Story?
In DIARY OF A WIMPY KID, Greg Heffley gets a journal from his mom ("a JOURNAL, not a diary") and records a middle school year's worth of crazy kid schemes, brushes with bullies, bad units in gym class, bids for student government, school play humiliation, and more.
Is It Any Good?
Begun in 2004 by a game developer as comics on the site www.funbrain.com, this "novel in cartoons" translates well to book form. Diary of a Wimpy Kid reads like little episodes in clueless middle schooler Greg Heffley's life, with a great sense of humor throughout. Many kids have been there before, so they'll laugh heartily at Greg's mishaps.
Greg's grand schemes -- to become popular (running for treasurer, writing the comic for the school newspaper), get the most candy on Halloween, or build a robot that won't repeat swear words -- are all destined for failure. The reader knows where the flaws are in Greg's half-baked plans, as well as the lesson he doesn't quite get in the end. Writing down your thoughts on actual paper may be old-school in the age of social media, sure, but it still has many benefits -- including privacy.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Greg's journal in Diary of a Wimpy Kid . Would you or have you ever kept a journal? Would you include art and humor in your journal? How would yours be unique?
What do you think makes the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series so popular around the world?
What do you think of Greg's friendship with Rowley? Have you had friendships like that? What would make Greg a better friend?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : School
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Abrams Books for Young Readers
- Publication date : April 1, 2007
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 8 - 12
- Number of pages : 224
- Award : Kids' Choice Award
- Last updated : September 24, 2025
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