Diary of a Wimpy Kid - by: Jeff Kinney

Boys don?t keep diaries?or do they?

The launch of an exciting and innovatively illustrated new series narrated by an unforgettable kid every family can relate to

It?s a new school year, and Greg Heffley finds himself thrust into middle school, where undersized weaklings share the hallways with kids who are taller, meaner, and already shaving. The hazards of growing up before you?re ready are uniquely revealed through words and drawings as Greg records them in his diary.

In book one of this debut series, Greg is happy to have Rowley, his sidekick, along for the ride. But when Rowley?s star starts to rise, Greg tries to use his best friend?s newfound popularity to his own advantage, kicking off a chain of events that will test their friendship in hilarious fashion.

Author/illustrator Jeff Kinney recalls the growing pains of school life and introduces a new kind of hero who epitomizes the challenges of being a kid. As Greg says in his diary, ?Just don?t expect me to be all ?Dear Diary? this and ?Dear Diary? that.? Luckily for us, what Greg Heffley says he won?t do and what he actually does are two very different things.

Since its launch in May 2004 on Funbrain.com, the Web version of Diary of a Wimpy Kid has been viewed by 20 million unique online readers. This year, it is averaging 70,000 readers a day.

Boys don't keep diaries-or do they? The launch of an exciting and innovatively illustrated new series narrated by an unforgettable kid every family can relate toIt's a new school year, and Greg Heffley finds himself thrust into middle school, where undersized weaklings share the hallways with kids who are taller, meaner, and already shaving. The hazards of growing up before you're ready are uniquely revealed through words and drawings as Greg records them in his diary. In book one of this debut series, Greg is happy to have Rowley, his sidekick, along for the ride. But when Rowley's star starts to rise, Greg tries to use his best friend's newfound popularity to his own advantage, kicking off a chain of events that will test their friendship in hilarious fashion. Author/illustrator Jeff Kinney recalls the growing pains of school life and introduces a new kind of hero who epitomizes the challenges of being a kid. As Greg says in his diary, "Just don't expect me to be all 'Dear Diary' this and 'Dear Diary' that." Luckily for us, what Greg Heffley says he won't do and what he actually does are two very different things. Since its launch in May 2004 on Funbrain.com, the Web version of Diary of a Wimpy Kid has been viewed by 20 million unique online readers. This year, it is averaging 70,000 readers a day. Publishers Weekly

Kinney's popular Web comic, which began in 2004, makes its way to print as a laugh-out-loud "novel in cartoons," adapted from the series. Middle school student Greg Heffley takes readers through an academic year's worth of drama. Greg's mother forces him to keep a diary ("I know what it says on the cover, but when Mom went out to buy this thing I specifically told her to get one that didn't say 'diary' on it"), and in it he loosely recounts each day's events, interspersed with his comic illustrations. Kinney has a gift for believable preteen dialogue and narration (e.g., "Don't expect me to be all 'Dear Diary' this and 'Dear Diary' that"), and the illustrations serve as a hilarious counterpoint to Greg's often deadpan voice. The hero's utter obliviousness to his friends and family becomes a running joke. For instance, on Halloween, Greg and his best friend, Rowley, take refuge from some high school boys at Greg's grandmother's house; they taunt the bullies, who then T.P. her house. Greg's journal entry reads, "I do feel a little bad, because it looked like it was gonna take a long time to clean up. But on the bright side, Gramma is retired, so she probably didn't have anything planned for today anyway." Kinney ably skewers familiar aspects of junior high life, from dealing with the mysteries of what makes someone popular to the trauma of a "wrestling unit" in gym class. His print debut should keep readers in stitches, eagerly anticipating Greg's further adventures. Ages 8-13. (Apr.)Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information More Reviews and RecommendationsBiography

Jeff Kinney is an online game developer and designer and is the author of the New York Times bestselling Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. He spent his childhood in the Washington, D.C., area and moved to New England in 1995.More About the Author var so = new FlashObject("http://natalie.feedroom.com/barnesandnoble/natoneclip/Player.swf","Player", "240", "252", "8", "#FFFFFF"); so.addVariable("skin", "natoneclip"); so.addVariable("site", "barnesandnoble"); so.addVariable("fr_story", "07b8f0e568a8092b7faa495d50fa7cbcb01f73d5"); so.addVariable("hostURL", document.location.href); so.addParam("quality", "high"); so.addParam("allowFullScreen", "true"); so.addParam("menu", "false"); so.addParam("wmode", "transparent"); so.write("flashcontent"); Customer ReviewsReader Rating: Ratings: 503Reviews: 301See All ReviewsWe enjoy Diary of a Wimpy Kid books!by NEvans

January 31, 2010: These fun books keep my son buried in books all day long! He laughs and enjoys each book!Great book for my grandsonby Kalla56

January 23, 2010: I bought this book for my 8 yr.-old grandson's birthday. He loved it and proudly called me two weeks after he received it to tell me that he had finished the whole thing. I also bought him the second book, so he's probably reading that one now.