Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Author: Jeff Kinney

Plot Summary:

Greg Heffley, new to middle school and to the political and social issues that relate to it, is an 11-year-old “un-average” kid. His diary, which is given to him by his mother, becomes the keeper of his secrets and the crazy occurrences of his daily life. Upon entering middle school, Greg realizes that he needs to work his way to the top of the popularity scale, but there are a few things standing in his way…one of them is, in his opinion, his friendship with Rowley Jefferson, who is seen as “cute” by girls around school.

While having issues at home with his older brother Roderick and his little brother Manny, and having to stand out by joining sports, clubs, and extra-curricular activities at school, Greg somehow begins to plummet on the social ladder because he begins to make all the wrong choices. The first year of middle school proves to be the biggest challenge Greg has ever encountered, but when his friendship with Rowley begins to falter after Greg desperately tries to stand out more than Rowley. Greg betrays Rowley’s innocence and kind heart several times and when they eventually stop being friends, Greg hits rock bottom. Rowley sky rockets up the social scale at school while Greg plummets only in the same category as Fregley, the weirdest kid in school.

Greg commits the ultimate vow of friendship, however, when Rowley is forced to eat the ‘Cheese’, which sat on the black top for months and was immediate social suicide for anyone to touch. When kids at school begin to notice that the Cheese is missing, Greg tells everyone that he is the one who ate the Cheese, labeling him as having the “Cheese Touch”. This proves to Rowley that his friendship with Greg is worth something after all.

Ages: 8-12

Genre: Humor

Awards:

▪ #1 New York Times Best Seller thrice

▪ 2008 Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards: Favorite Book

▪ 2009 Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards: Favorite Book

▪ ALA Notable Book

▪ 2010 Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards: Favorite Book Series (winner)

▪ 2010 Most Favorite Book Around The World

Character List:

Greg Heffley: The keeper of the Wimpy Kid diary who would do anything to be in the Class Best section of the yearbook…even if it means hurting his friends

Rowley Jefferson: Greg’s best friend and creator of comic Zoo-Wee Mama who eats ‘the Cheese’

Mr. Heffley: Greg’s dad, who constantly has to reprimand Greg and Roderick

Mrs. Heffley: Greg’s mom, who gave him his ‘diary’ and encourages him to be more well-rounded

Fregley: The weird kid at Greg’s school who has a secret freckle

Patty Ferrell: Greg’s arch-enemy who manages to beat him at everything

Roderick Heffley: Greg’s annoying, bullying older brother who is a part of a band called Löded Diper

Manny Heffley: Greg’s younger, spoiled brother, who Greg loves to pester and make eat spiders

High interest annotation:

This book is extremely honest and in its honesty is its humor. It is about an out of luck kid who feels he is nothing more than below average and only seeks for social belonging and acknowledgment. This book is great for boys and girls who feel that they are ‘not enough’. It is a fantastic lesson in friendship.