MADreads

Not just for wimps

March 5th, 2008 Molly - Central

Every now and then a cult favorite emerges from the world of kiddie lit (some recent hits include Captain Underpants and Harry Potter) that is so fun to read, it would be wasteful not to share the wealth with adults.

One such book currently scorching the bestseller lists is Diary of Wimpy Kid: Greg Heffley’s Journal.  Greg is a middle school boy with a spoiled and obnoxious little brother, a teen-aged brother that terrorizes him to no end, and a best friend who is still socially in the land of Big Wheels and action figures.  Although shelved with graphic novels, I would describe Diary of a Wimpy Kid as more of a novel illustrated with cartoons (the author describes it that way, too, on the cover).  The cartoons are riotously exact in depicting the plotting and schemes of a 12-year-old boy, standard middle school antics and embarrassing family dynamics.

You will laugh out loud.  I guarantee it.  And I am not a 12-year-old boy, nor have I ever been one.  But I still remember the awkward years between grade school and high school, and fall back into similar patterns with my (still) annoying siblings (wouldn’t trade them for the world, though) to this day.  Obviously, the author Jeff Kinney remembers this as well, and conveys it in words and drawings flawlessly.

A new journal featuring tales of Greg’s sadistic older brother Rodrick is sure to be just as popular.

Entry Filed under: Graphic Novel, Young Adult