I just reserved my copy of Jeff Kinney's new Wimpy kid book, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days. Okay, I'm a 56 year old grandmother of five children. Why would I be purchasing a popular kids book series written for 8-12 year olds that mainly appeal to reluctant reader boys? Because if a book appeals to a reluctant reader, then the author must know something important about storytelling.
Jeff Kinney's books are cool and funny and as a mother of three grown sons, they speak to all those memories I have of my guys at that age. These books are wise and witty without imposing any adult “lessons” on the reader. While some adults might dismiss them as cartoon or comic strip books, not worthy of serious review; they would be wrong to do so. These "cartoon comics" tell a story of a world that many of our young boys inhabit. It allows them navigate the perils of school waters and adolescent life with bullies, girls and peer pressure, along with some unusual story plots like the “nuclear Cootie”.
In this latest New York Times bestselling Wimpy Kids series, Greg Heffley (the hero) is on summer vacation with his family and he and his mother have very different ideas about how that summer vacation should be spent. So, while the first two Wimpy Kids books speak to children in public for private school settings, this latest one would allow homeschoolers to share the fun of being a Wimpy kid!
In addition to the series books, Jeff Kinney has added to the world of the Wimpy Kid with some other cool book projects, including the Wimpy Kid Journal. You can print off a few sample pages from this great little book that encourages a kid to create their own diary, complete with blank pages, writing ideas, writing prompts and funny cartoon illustrations. Kids can draw or write their own feedback in the journal.
At the Borders Online website you can watch a captivating video, pretty long, of Jeff Kinney and some of his workshops and speaking engagements where he talks with adults, kids, and even shares some of his creative process. It's really fun to watch and if your child is interested in drawing or cartooning, he can get some motivation from Mr. Kinney.
You can also watch him review five other books and give his favorite book recommendations to encourage those reluctant boy readers to try something else to read!
Jeff Kinney's books speak well to children because he's never judgmental and he allows kids to draw their own conclusions. While he may present the adults in the books as clueless, aren't we most of the time? We really don't understand the complex world that our children have to live in, but Jeff Kinney does. I give them a Thumbs Up for sure and Jeff Kinney as a wonderful book author for children. And for we adults who are still kids at heart.
You can check out all of Jeff Kinney's books at Borders here.
www.bordersmedia.com/features/pages/laststraw/
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