For something completely different, I read Diary of a Wimpy Kid
: Dog Days by Jeff Kinney. Several students warned me that it was not as good as the first three, but I threw caution to the wind and bought it anyway. My students were right: it was not as good as the first three, but that did not mean that it was unenjoyable. On the contrary, the humor was still there (the book’s hero, Greg Heffley, has no idea how hilarious he is!) and the illustrations (as always) added so much to the written comedy.
But the book wasn’t just funny, it was timely. Kinney was able to address our current economic situation in a way that children and adults can relate to: to save money, Greg’s family skipped their summer vacation and stayed home. (Having not been on a summer vacation for the past two years, I could totally relate. Hang in there, Greg!) They find other ways to cut costs (all quite humorous).
My only complaint about this volume is that the plot was not as solid as the ones from the previous three books in the series. But the book had loads of laugh-out-loud moments and a good message, both of which kept me happily reading until the end.
I’m really looking forward to the fifth book (arriving in 2010) and learning more about the movie which is coming out on April 2, 2010. Steve Zahn plays the dad–perfect casting choice!
