I don't get the appeal of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. Having just finished the second title in Jeff Kinney's string of runaway bestsellers, I think the books sales may be driven by adults who don't read themselves. I'm talking about misinformed shoppers, who say at the bookstore or kiosk at the airport, "Oh, this is a bestseller and it's got pictures! My Johnny/Suzie would love that." Add one bad decision to another and pretty soon you've got a multi-book contract.
Sigh.
I don't mean to dog Mr. Kinney; obviously, some kids really do like his books. What I question is - why? where's the substance? the biting wit? the laugh-out-loud slapstick?
I see no real hook here, folks.
Main character Greg is likable enough, but he's not lovable. Older brother Rodrick is a pesky older sibling, but not even bad enough to waste a real diary page on, as far as I can tell. The illustrations/cartoons are good, but not great.
I usually like books for the Middle Grade/YA audience because, frankly, they're not just kids' stuff. They're real stories with pretty significant plots, storylines, and emotion. (They just happen to be a little shorter, a little more to the point, and in my opinion, lacking too-heavy description.)
Harry Potter, for example. Artemis Fowl, for another. The Twilight series. Reaching back a few years, remember Nancy Drew? Real stories. The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series isn't as involved as a good comic book.
I know the New York Times probably won't reconsider its ranking based on my opinion, but I hope you will. Unless you've got a dedicated reluctant reader on your hands who won't read anything but this series, don't buy 'em. And for heaven's sake, when you do buy a book for your kid, open it and read a few pages first.
Grumblings aside, if your kid seems to love these literary candies, check out the Family Education reading guide, and interview with the series' author, here.
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