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Parents' Guide to

Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Book 1

By Carrie R. Wheadon, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 9+

Laugh-out-loud-funny series start tucks lessons in stories.

Book Jeff Kinney School 2007
Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Book 1 Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Community Reviews

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age 9+

Based on 87 parent reviews

MarkDadMe
MarkDadMe Adult
January 5, 2021
age 7+

Get a grip.

My 7 year old daughters absolutely love these books. They’re funny easy to read and a great introduction to books. The reviews I’m reading on here seem to be from parents who seem to want their children placed in a bunker or sealed from any form of imperfection in life. One said the main character is “lazy” SERIOUSLY. Stick to unicorns and books for infants. We’re you ever a child??? Should children only read books so they can be moulded in the form of Anthony Robbins or do we allow them the possibility that life isn’t always sunshine and lollipops. Wimpy Kid is our Hero.
Hannah1118
Hannah1118 Adult
January 9, 2020
age 14+

Not recommended

Before my child start reading this book can say she was a different person to what she b ecome now. She's only 8 but I can tell that she mimics those characters in the book.she starts to disrespect me and her dad her school teachers which is something out of her character . Plz if you care enough for your child don't bother buying this stupid book
See all 87 parent 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?

Our review:
Parents say (87 ):
Kids say (303 ):

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

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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