Diary of a Wimpy Kid Series (Jeff Kinney)

In this best-selling series written and illustrated by Jeff Kinney, read the daily journal of middle-schooler Greg Heffley, a "wimpy kid" and his struggles with popularity, his dorky best friend and his bully of a brother, Rodrick. Being Greg's diary, the book includes simple, somewhat kid-like drawings, many with comics-like text, with speech bubbles, on every page. You're sure to giggle out loud at parts of these books (I know I did!), at both the pictures, and the hilarious events that Greg encounters. The problem with them, though, is that they are incredibly entertaining, yet not incredibly long. For example, I read a copy of one in four hours, and am now dying to read the next. My 8-year-old brother loves them, and I bet that any young boy would love this series, because it's from a boy's perspective, and is chock-full of boyish humor. (Although, many girls will like them too, just like I did.) The books are fairly new, the latest having come out this year. Books in the series include: "Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Rodrick Rules," "The Last Straw," "Dog Days" and "The Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Do it Yourself Book." Recommended for ages 8-12.