Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days

Greg has quite the teen attitude and self-centeredness going on for a middle schooler. He mouths off to his mom, but this is his diary, after all, so he gets to tell the story his way. Greg may remind parents of Calvin in the old comic Calvin and Hobbes. Greg's actions are often those of a younger boy, and he is still quite innocent and naive. Younger readers will relate easily to his first crush on an older girl, and his attempts to woo her simply by following her around and trying to "help her" -- and still being unnoticed by her.

It's easy for even the stuffiest of adults to see why kids like the humor in this incredibly popular series. The drawings are innocuous, and although Greg recounts being a child model and only having one photo ever used (on a book called Your Child and Constipation), that's the extent of the potty humor -- overall far above the level of something like Captain Underpants. Once again, kids will see why it's better not to act the way Greg does even while they are laughing with him.