"For most readers, this effort sits as a curio alongside other Latin versions of modern books, truly delighting only the rare readers who can both navigate the syntax of Latin and giggle at the 'Tactus Casei' ('Cheese Touch'). (Graphic/fiction hybrid. 10 & up)"
The Latin version of Kinney's Diary of a Wimpy Kid (translated by Vatican Latinist Gallagher), is an exploration of new form rather than new content, much like the Shakespearean version of Star Wars or the Klingon version of Hamlet. Read full book review >
"By the end of the book, Greg may have taken a microscopic step or two toward becoming a decent human being, but as usual, it's mostly despite his best efforts. (Graphic/fiction hybrid. 8-12)"
In this eighth outing for Wimpy Kid Greg Heffley, he copes with the aftereffects of having unwittingly matched up best friend Rowley with Abigail in his previous outing (The Third Wheel, 2012).
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In a world where "Wimpy Kid-like" has become a shorthand to describe a certain type of book, what is there to say about the sixth volume in the groundbreaking series?
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Although not as tightly crafted as Graham Salisbury's stories, Correa's debut evokes the lush mélange of sights, sounds and smells in 13-year-old Paulie's multicultural neighborhood in Hawaii. Two years after a lumberyard accident forced his father out of work and into raising roosters for illegal cockfights, the teen accepts it as part of the island's customs until he witnesses firsthand the bloody, gruesome effects of the razor-sharp gaffs fastened to the birds. Paulie immediately promises to find his father a real job, not realizing that he must choose between helping the roosters he reveres and leaving his home forever. The decision could also tear apart his friendship with classmate Sal, whose family has a cockfighting history, and ruin any romantic possibilities with Honey. Also woven into this ethical debate, rooted in economics and traditions, is Hawaiian pidgin English, which may challenge even experienced readers. While the ending is too tidy, the book will open children's eyes and give them a reason to cheer. A fascinating look at the United States most mainlanders have never seen. (Fiction. 9-13)Read full book review >
In a second set of entries—of a planned three, all first published in somewhat different form online in installments—slacker diarist Greg starts a new school year. After a miserable summer of avoiding swim-team practice by hiding out in the bathroom (and having to wrap himself in toilet paper to keep from freezing), he finally passes on the dreaded "cheese touch" (a form of cooties) to an unsuspecting new classmate, then stumbles through another semester of pranks and mishaps. On the domestic front, his ongoing wars with older brother Rodrick, would-be drummer in a would-be metal band called Löded Diper, share center stage with their mother's generally futile parenting strategies. As before, the text, which is done in a legible hand-lettered-style font, is liberally interspersed with funny line drawings, many of which feature punch lines in speech balloons. Though even less likable that Junie B. Jones, Greg is (well, generally) at least not actively malicious, and so often is he the victim of circumstance or his own schemes gone awry that readers can't help but feel empathy. This reasonably self-contained installment closes with a truce between the siblings. A temporary one, more than likely. (Illustrated fiction. 9-11)Read full book review >
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. (Fiction. 9-11)Read full book review >
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