CCBC (Cooperative Children's Book Center Choices 2008)
Jeff Kinney uses laugh-out-loud humor to convey the middle school experience of Greg Heffley: a video-game playing, cartoon-drawing, undersized geek, who computes his class ranking to be “around 52nd or 53rd most popular this year.” In a combination of text and comics, Greg brings us through his sixth-grade year, as he runs for class treasurer (he loses), survives the wrestling unit in Phys Ed, and participates in the school play under parental duress. When he takes his buddy Rowley for granted, Greg discovers he’s underestimated the importance of Rowley’s friendship. Often lighthearted and silly, Greg’s journal also manages to tap into common issues of early adolescence—controlling parents, school bullies, evolving friendships—that will resonate with his real-life peers. CCBC Category: Fiction for Children. 2007, Amulet Books, 217 pages, $12.95. Ages 10-14.

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, March 1, 2007 (Vol. 75, No. 5))
First volume of a planned three, this edited version of an ongoing online serial records a middle-school everykid’s triumphs and (more often) tribulations through the course of a school year. Largely through his own fault, mishaps seem to plague Greg at every turn, from the minor freak-outs of finding himself permanently seated in class between two pierced stoners and then being saddled with his mom for a substitute teacher, to being forced to wrestle in gym with a weird classmate who has invited him to view his “secret freckle.” Presented in a mix of legible “hand-lettered” text and lots of simple cartoon illustrations with the punch lines often in dialogue balloons, Greg’s escapades, unwavering self-interest and sardonic commentary are a hoot and a half—certain to elicit both gales of giggles and winces of sympathy (not to mention recognition) from young readers. 2007, Amulet/Abrams, 224p, $14.95. Category: Fiction. Ages 9 to 11. © 2007 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Matt Oldenburg (The ALAN Review, Spring/Summer 2007 (Vol. 34, No. 3))
Diary of a Wimpy Kid is immediately described as a “novel in cartoons,” and that it is. Jeff Kinney transforms his popular web comic of the same name, into a great young adult novel. Greg Heffley, the wimpy kid, begins by telling us that by no means is what we are about to read a diary; it is a journal. He gives us insight into an entire year of his life including everything from wrestling class to trick or treating with his little brother, and of course hilarity ensues. This book is definitely meant to tickle the funny bones inside all of us. Themes include friendship, loyalty, and family, which are all relevant young adult topics. This book is great because it takes these themes and gives them a twist of humor that any young reader is sure to enjoy. Category: Loyalty/Family/Humor. YA--Young Adult. 2007, Abrams/Amulet Books, 224 pp., $14.95. Ages young adult.Muncie, IN

April Spisak (The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, June 2007 (Vol. 60, No. 10))
Seventh grade is lousy enough, but when you are at the bottom of the popularity pecking order, your best (and only) friend embarrasses you, and no one else seems to recognize you as the brilliant leader you are, then middle school is downright unbearable. Luckily, Greg has a journal into which he can pour his frustrations, disappointments, and secret desires. In short entries, many of which read as independent vignettes, Greg describes the sometimes humorous, sometimes awful events of his life with an unflinching eye: his mostly failed endeavors are highlighted along with his rare accomplishments. The small black-and-white line drawings that accompany many of the entries are simple, as if indeed drawn by a budding artist, but not at all simplistic, as they interact with the text by sometimes contradicting Greg’s account and often highlighting particularly cringe-worthy elements that would be less remarkable without the comic-style visuals. Inconsiderate, sullen, and greedy Greg is unfortunately not a very likable kid, but he’s still funny and creative, and the frequent moments of sardonic wit add a richness and depth to his accounts. Kinney’s well-designed and popular web comic (created in 2004) easily translates into illustrated novel format: devoted fans will be thrilled to have a print collection, while new readers can simply enjoy this as a stand-alone novel or they can head online to find out what happens next to Greg and the peculiar mix of characters who surround him. Review Code: R -- Recommended. (c) Copyright 2006, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 2007, Amulet/Abrams, 217p., $12.95. Grades 6-8.

Chris Carlson (VOYA, April 2007 (Vol. 30, No. 1))
Even though Greg Heffley would rather play video games with his friend Rowley than write in the journal that his mother gives him, he uses it to record, in pictures and in text, the harrowing and clever ways in which he navigates the middle school social scene. Undersized and skinny, Greg has adventures that center on how he manages to separate himself from the geeks and how he evades bigger bullies by employing quick wit and harebrained ideas. Unfortunately Greg's schemes usually backfire, providing readers with the opportunity to delight in his distress. Picked on by an older brother, embarrassed by his baby brother, and closely monitored by his clever parents, Greg reacts in typical middle school fashion, making him a character with which many readers will be able to identify. Kinney provides readers with a realistic view of middle school life as seen through the eyes of the entertaining but not very bright class clown. Readers can expect lots of middle school humor and exaggeration. Kinney manages to inject enough humor in the simple drawings to make them an integral element in the book. Because Kinney began his Wimpy Kid adventures on a Web site, many middle schoolers already familiar with the character will ensure a ready audience for this print version. VOYA CODES: 3Q 4P M (Readable without serious defects; Broad general YA appeal; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8). 2007, Amulet/Harry N. Abrams, 224p., $12.95. Ages 11 to 14.