Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Last month I heard an interview on NPR with a cartoonist and writer named Jeff Kinney. He has published two books in a projected series of five called Diary of a Wimpy Kid, about a middle school kid named Greg Heffley. The book is set up to look like the handwritten diary of Greg, peppered with stick figure illustrations that go along with the stories.

The interview led me to believe that the books might provide some comical insight into the lives of middle school kids, so I ordered a copy of each, just for fun.

I read the first book this week, and I thought it was hilarious. Much like the beloved Calvin and Hobbes of my youth, the stories are ridiculous, but not so ridiculous that you can't imagine a kid actually finding his way into such situations. Plus, like Calvin and Hobbes, the "diary" entries of Greg are really written with the dry wit and perspective of an adult in mind, which provides some great commentary on the parallel and intersecting worlds of both youth and adults.

I don't know how much of this will preach, but it is definitely worth reading and I highly recommend it to readers of all ages.