Parents' Guide to

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Hard Luck

By Carrie R. Wheadon, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

Extra helping of potty humor in 8th installment.

Book Jeff Kinney Humor 2013
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Hard Luck Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

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age 10+

Based on 6 parent reviews

Christina V.
Christina V. Adult
January 8, 2018
age 9+

Christina's Review

My book is Diary of A Wimpy Kid," Hard Luck." Rowley was Greg's best friend. Rowley left Greg for the reason of getting a girlfriend. In the book Greg stated,"Rowley would be the last person on earth I would think to get a girlfriend!" Greg was not very fond of Rowley's girlfriend either, for she was the reason for his friendship with Rowley ending. The problem with Rowley not hanging out with Greg was that Greg started to get lonely so he made the decision to replace Rowley. Greg tried to replace Rowley with the weirdo kid Fregley! Things between Greg and Fregley didn't end well, it was funny so you should read the book. I learned from Rowley that friends may not always be there in your life, it has to end something. I think that this book is a small guide of events that you can learn from. An example I read was about losing a friend, things can and will get better in time. I can recommend this book for people who like stick figures since this book is filled with them. This book is basically Greg Heffely's stick figured diary. Oh and by the way if you wanna know how Rowley and his little girlfriend ended up, totally read the book.

This title has:

Educational value
Great messages
ian V.
ian V. Adult
November 16, 2016
age 9+

it is a good book

When Rowley gets a girlfriend and he ditches Greg. Greg now considers that finding new friends in middle school is hard and so he considers and thinks about what is going on around him, and then one day he finds a "magic" eight ball and use it to make all of his choices

This title has:

Educational value
Great messages
Great role models
See all 6 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Poor Greg. His one good friend, Rowley, has done the unthinkable. He's actually gotten a girlfriend. Now who will walk to school with him and carry his books while watching out for dog messes on the sidewalk? Greg will just have to find himself another sidekick. The only boy desperate enough to take him up on the offer is his bizarre neighbor Fregley, who drops all Greg's books on their first trip to school while running away from the scary Mingo brothers. And then it's Easter, and mom's quarreling sisters and daredevil cousins come to visit. When Greg finds a Magic Eight Ball, he thinks things are finally looking up. It helps him with all kinds of decisions, like which club to join to stay away from the Mingo brothers after school. But he's let his grades slip -- he has no books to study with -- and his science fair project is due next week. What's a Wimpy Kid to do?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (6 ):
Kids say (22 ):

Hard Luck doesn't hold together as well as the other installments. Here's the true test of whether HARD LUCK is up your alley: Does the picture of Greg's dad getting tooted on by Grandma's dog send you into hysterical laughter, or do your eyes immediately roll skyward? If this prompts you to stop reading this review, the book is not for you. Is Jeff Kinney running out of gas/ideas? The quarreling-relatives storyline is a real low point; kids don't care about that stuff.

But there are always little redeeming moments, like all the things Greg finds in his mom's closet. Moms will like this mom with her parenting books and backup stuffed animals and the way she lays down the law to get Greg to bring up his grades but types his paper for him after he turns things around. Maybe that will sink in a little with kids once they're done laughing at the tooting dog.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the mega popularity of the Wimpy Kid series. What do kids love about it?

  • What do kids think of Greg? What do parents? Does he do anything in Hard Luck that you couldn't believe? Why do characters like Greg always seem as if they have one bad day after another?

  • Do you keep a journal? If so, how often do you write or draw in it? How can a journal be helpful?

Book Details

  • Author: Jeff Kinney
  • Illustrator: Jeff Kinney
  • Genre: Humor
  • Book type: Fiction
  • Publisher: Amulet Books
  • Publication date: November 5, 2013
  • Publisher's recommended age(s): 8 - 12
  • Number of pages: 224
  • Available on: Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
  • Last updated: July 12, 2017

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