W.I.T.C.H

Hello everyone!
I've gotten another review from a reader in the Reviewed by Friends section! Here it is:

W.I.T.C.H
'At that one moment, Will discovered her fate. She was no longer just a student, just a daughter, or just a friend. She was a Guardian of the Veil, the keeper of the heart of Candracar.
And life as she had known it-for better or worse-had changed forever.' 
When Will, a shy girl, moves to gloomy, rainy old Heatherfield, she is thankful to find brainy Taranee, another new girl.Soon, the two make friends with feisty Irma, pretty Cornelia, and trendy Hay Lin. But this friendship is not accidental-the girls are joined by a stronger force.
The five ordinary girls have extraordinary powers that let them take over water, air, earth, fire and energy. But life as magical kids isn't easy. They were selected to battle evil forces and take part in wars. Plus, they have to keep their secret from other close friends, which leads to calamity in the world of magic.
They go on many daring journeys, saving lives and risking their own. They go for adventures in the magic world, paintings, and even the human world. As they battle dangerous forces, they discover their destinies...and the true power of friendship.

This book series is really good as it has equal parts of the story that continues through their normal lives and and even the magic world. The characters are really good, and it can be really funny in the middle. But a few parts are a little silly.
This book was first a comic, then a television show. Later on, a novel edition released with a few comic pages on it.
I recommend this book for ages ages 10 and up. 
-Spurthi, age 12

Thank you for the review Spurthi! 
If you want to publish your review on my blog too, remember to click on the Reviewed by Friends section towards the top and follow the instructions given! 
Have fun!
Happy new year to everyone!

Being Selected

Hey everybody!
Now usually I don't read modern romance novels- I'm more of a classic type, but today I'll be reviewing The Selection series by Kiera Cass.
The Selection takes place in the future, in a dystopian world where the society is divided into castes. America, the main character is a Five, an artist. When the Selection is announced, America's mother expects her to compete. The Selection is a competition where girls compete for the hand of the nation's prince, Maxon Schreave. But America doesn't want to compete- she thinks she's in love with her secret boyfriend, Aspen.
But, to her surprise, she is chosen and is thrust into a competition she wants no part in- she just wants to go home.
The premise sounds familiar? If you think so, you're correct. The premise, to me, feels like a cross of the Hunger Games and the TV show The Bachelor, which I have never actually watched but have heard of and know the premise of.
A bond develops between Maxon and America- and then Aspen is thrust in the middle of the competition- and America has no idea what to choose. And in the background, conflict is brewing and rebels are rising- they want the system to be changed...
The book is predictable, and while the story was enough for one or two books, the author stretched it into three books- therefore there was a lot of time in the book spent doing nothing. I felt like the whole rebel conflict was pointless. The story could have just been a sweet love story instead of having an unnecessary conflict at the end that didn't mean much to the story anyway. It's not like much was done about this conflict at the end, so it felt extra. I would have also liked more description- I couldn't picture the castle properly in my head, but there was way too much description about makeup and dresses. There were also some places where I felt that there was no logic at all.
That said, if you want to read The Selection series, don't expect too much or use too much logic and think of it as what people call 'fluff.' Then it will be more enjoyable.
The books in the original Selection series are The Selection, The Elite and The One. There is also a collection of short stories of what happened after the series published in the book Happily Ever After. The writing is clear, definitely not flowery.
There is also another series based on America's daughter, but I'll leave that review for another day.
I recommend The Selection for ages 12 and above.
Well, I've finished my goal for this year- to write 18 book reviews. Yay! Anyway- happy new year to all of you, and I can't wait to see you next year!

Pride and Prejudice

Hello readers!
Today I'm reviewing the all-time classic, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.
What begins with a visit to an eligible bachelor leads to a classic love story! The Bennett sisters, including Elizabeth Bennett, visit Mr. Bingley and meet Mr. Darcy, who at first seems to have horrible manners and is aloof and rude. But soon afterward, he falls in love with Elizabeth Bennett- but she has no interest in him. She thinks he is rude and doesn't want to marry him.
Will Darcy and Elizabeth ever find true love?
The plot is simple- but the way the characters are made is wonderful and the writing, I found, personally, was beautiful. I deeply enjoyed the novel and its characters, whom I could relate to. While some may find the writing to be boring and long, I found it beautiful, while it was not as easy as other books to read.
Jane Austen, an English novelist who also wrote Sense and Sensibility, Emma, Mansfield Park, Persuasion and Northanger Abbey. Her books are considered to be classics and are well-known around the world.
I recommend Pride and Prejudice for ages 12 and above.

Charlotte's Web

Hey everyone,
I'm going to be reviewing the classic children's book, Charlotte's Web by E.B. White, today.
When Fern saves a little piglet called Wilbur from being killed, she lovingly takes care of him. But when he gets older, he is sent to Fern's uncle's farm. He is snubbed by the other farm animals- there is no one to talk to- except for Charlotte the spider.
Soon afterward, Wilbur discovers that while he may have been saved by Fern from being slaughtered when he was a baby, Fern's uncle still plans to slaughter him.
Can Charlotte help save Wilbur?
And will things end happily?
Admittedly, the ending of the book can be tear-jerking, but it is still a lovely, simple book for children, and for that matter, almost anybody.
Charlotte's Web is enjoyable, and easy to read. I enjoyed the book and it made me feel sad and happy at the same time.
E.B. White was an American writer who wrote many other books, such as Stuart Little.
I recommend Charlotte's Web for ages 7 and above.

A Search for Treasure

Hello everybody,
I'm going to be reviewing The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, originally written in Portuguese.
When shepherd boy Santiago gets a dream about finding treasure, he decides to follow it and go on a quest that will change his life.
On the search for treasure, Santiago meets extraordinary people and learns things he would have never learnt had he just stayed as a shepherd boy. He meets his true love, an alchemist and sees amazing sights. But will he ever find the treasure he set out to find in the first place?
The Alchemist is like a fable- it is a book about destiny and how, if you want something hard enough, 'the universe will conspire so that your wish comes true.' It somehow felt, for me, like a realistic fairytale of sorts. It was fascinating and I loved the ideas presented in the book- they stayed with me even after I put the book down.
The book is written in simple language, easy to read and easy to follow.
Paulo Coelho is a Brazilian lyricist and novelist who has also written Brida, The Winner Stands Alone, Brida and many more books. He is best known for The Alchemist.
I recommend it for ages 9 and above, but in order to grasp the ideas fully, I would recommend it for ages 11 and above.

It's Not Easy Being the Tooth Fairy

Hey fellow bookworms!
Today I'm going to be reviewing You Think It's Easy Being the Tooth Fairy? by Sheri Bell-Rehwoldt and illustrated by David Slonim.
This book is about the tooth fairy- yes, the tooth fairy. But she's not a princessy fairy wearing dresses and heels- no, instead she's the action queen who braves everything from pets to bad weather to stinky socks in order to get you your money.
In this very funny book, the tooth fairy is far from you typical, princessy fairy. She's tough, high-tech and smart, and also gives you rules on how to make her job easier!
I really liked the book- the illustrations are spot on and the tooth fairy's narrative is funny and easy to read. This is a fun picture book, and I adore it.
Sheri Bell-Rehwoldt is an award-winning magazine writer who has written a middle-grade novel and non-fiction children's books.
I recommend this book for children till age 7.  

Number the Stars

Hello everybody!
Today I'm reviewing the historical fiction book, Number the Stars, by Lois Lowry.
Number the Stars is set during World War 2 in Copenhagen. Annemarie Johansen is ten years old and lives with her family. Her best friend and neighbor is a Jew, Ellen Rosen. She has a younger sister, Kirsti, but she had an older sister, Lise, who died shortly before her wedding.
There are Nazis on every street corner, and soon, it is found out that the Nazis want to relocate Jews elsewhere. Ellen and her family are Jews, and Ellen's parents flee with Peter, Lise's fiance. Ellen must stay with Annemarie's family.
The story is about Ellen and her family fleeing the Germans, and while I really like the book, I would have liked to know what happened later to the Rosens and Annemarie's family, but that as left to the imagination.
The book was interesting and easy to read in one sitting. It is absorbing and meaningful, the language is clear and easy to read. I loved the historical aspect of the book, and it was this book that got me very interested in the events of World War 2.
All the characters in the book, especially Annemarie's family is very brave and I thought that they were very strong and stood up for what they believed in and helped people get away with their lives.
Number the Stars has won the Newbery Medal.
Lois Lowry is an American author who has written over thirty books, including the Giver quartet, which I have reviewed already, Anastasia Krupnik, and many more.
I recommend Number the Stars for anyone who loves history, and for ages 9 and above.

The Giver

Hey guys!
Recently, I've finished The Giver quartet by Lois Lowry.
The first book, The Giver, is about Jonas, a young boy in a seemingly utopian society, where everyone is assigned a role at age 12. Jonas is assigned the role of being the future Receiver of Memory, training from an old man called the Giver. Jonas experiences things he has never experienced before- snow, sleds, even colour.
But when Jonas finds out the truth about his society, he must save an infant named Gabriel, from death. He must leave the community- and go into the unknown.
The other books in the series, Gathering Blue, Messenger and Son are about similar dystopian societies. Although the ending to the first book is unclear, it is all tied up in the third book, Messenger.
The series is interesting, and I really liked the dystopian societies Lois Lowry created- it is interesting reading about them.
The writing of the book is good, and the main characters of all the books are compelling and easy to root for. I enjoyed the series as a whole, though I would like to see more about the 'special gifts' some characters have and where they came from, as well as the Trademaster.
Lois Lowry is an American author who has written over thirty books, including Number the Stars.
I recommend the books for ages 9 and above.

Long Story Short

Hello fellow readers!
I'm not much of a storyteller- that is, the speaking, talking type of storyteller. So when I found 'Long Story Short' by Margot Leitman, I hoped that it would help me with my storytelling skills- and help it did!
Long Story Short by Margot Leitman is a good guide to storytelling for a beginner. It talks about how to be more expressive, choosing what stories to narrate, what to do and what not to do and how to make your own life story-worthy.
I enjoyed it- Margot recommends to the reader some good short stories to read and listen to. She talks about how to get the audience to root for you- the trick, it turns out, is to make yourself flawed instead of perfect. She also uses some of her own stories to help us understand what she means. I'm definitely going to use some of her tips next time.
I also liked the way she wrote- it was casual and not boring. I swept through the book pretty easily, which can be hard for me, personally, because I'm not that into non-fiction books, but Margot Leitman's book held my attention.
Margot Leitman is a storyteller, comedian and writer from New Jersey. She's also written Gawky: Tales of an Extra Long Awkward Phase. She is five-time Moth StorySLAM winner.
I recommend this book for ages 12+.

Twilight- a 'Love' Story

Hey everybody!
Today I'll be reviewing a pretty popular book- Twilight by Stephenie Meyer.
Twilight is the love story of Isabella 'Bella' Swan and Edward Cullen. When Bella moves to Forks, Washington, which she calls 'the rainiest place on the planet', she expects to find boredom, misery and homesickness. But when she goes to school, she is fascinated by the mysterious Edward Cullen and his family, but at first sight Edward seems to hate her.
Gradually, though, they start to bond and Bella figures out the Cullens' secret- they're vampires. The Cullens accept her, though, but soon Bella is put in danger when a hunter wants to track her down and drink her blood...
I personally didn't find the love story to have much love. The 'love' didn't feel like actual 'love.' Edward and Bella have known each other (not very well either) for barely two months before professing their 'love' for each other, and having barely any proper conversations. Also, I would like to know more about the Cullens' (and Bella's) daily lives, including their hobbies- not just their special gifts. It would be more realistic if this was shown.
I would also prefer it if Bella had more of of a personality instead of just being a blank slate that dumps her friends the moment Edward takes an interest in her. In fact, from the moment she has her first conversation with Edward, we hardly know what happens to her at school or at home- everything is now about Edward.
Also, the plot felt pretty rushed, as did the love story. I feel like this could have been much better if the love story was slower and daily life was explained better- not just at school but at home as well. I wanted to know more about the vampires too- why did they only move to Forks, 'the rainiest place on the planet' now? How come nobody other than Bella figured the whole vampire thing out? She can't be the only girl to research about vampires, can she?
The book is supposed to be based on Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, but personally I feel that Pride and Prejudice is far better- if you want a good love story I would recommend it instead.
There are four books in the series, and I have only read the first book; I'm not sure whether I'm going to read the next three.
Stephenie Meyer is best known for the Twilight series, and she has also written The Host.
I don't really recommend Twilight to anyone- but the age group would be around 12+.

The Origin and the Destination

Hello!
Like I said before, I've been reading many books by Dan Brown. In this post I'll be reviewing his most recent book Origin. This is the fifth book in the Robert Langdon series.
When Harvard professor Robert Langdon is invited to one of his former student's presentations, he does not expect the night to go totally haywire. Edmond Kirsch, who claims he has had a breakthrough in finding the origin of the universe and the future of the human race is killed in the middle of his presentation...before his discovery is revealed.
With his life in danger, Langdon and Guggenheim Museum Bilbao's director Ambra Vidal are on the run to solve the puzzle Kirsch has placed before them, with the help of Kirsch's incredible artificial intelligence, Winston. Meanwhile, the future king of Spain, Prince Julian, and close friend of the king, Bishop Valdespino, have gone missing...
Could this have something to do with the mysterious visit Kirsch paid to three prominent religious figures recently, and the murders of Rabbi Yehuda Koves and allamah Syed al-Fadl?
And what is the discovery that Edmond Kirsch has made?
Set in Spain, Origin has a good pace and while the 'destination' part of Kirsch's discovery was a bit predictable, even without the book, I did appreciate the idea of the 'origin' and 'purpose' behind the whole universe.
Dan Brown has written the Robert Langdon books, including The Da Vinci Code, Angels and Demons, Inferno and The Lost Symbol and well as the standalone novels Deception Point and Digital Fortress.
As with The Da Vinci Code, I recommend this book for ages 12 and above.

Breaking the Da Vinci Code

Hey guys!
Recently I've been reading Dan Brown. I read the Da Vinci Code, and I really liked it! Loved it, I could say. I'll be reviewing it in this post.
When Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon awakes in the middle of the night to a police investigation, everything is turned upside down. The elderly curator of the Louvre who Robert was supposed to meet earlier that evening has been found dead... and he left a message pointing to Langdon. On the run from the police and with the key Jacques Sauniere has left them, Robert and Sauniere's granddaughter Sophie Neveu are on a mission to find out who killed Sauniere and why. Sauniere has also left them a puzzle to solve and the truth about Sophie's ancestors.
The mystery leads to another mystery- the search for the Holy Grail- which may not be a literal grail after all...
I really enjoyed The Da Vinci Code. I loved the historical part of the book and the puzzle-solving. The suspense, I felt, was well-done and I really wanted to know what would happen next. I also liked the characters, especially Langdon, Silas and Teabing. I especially found Teabing an interesting character.
The Da Vinci Code is one of the most widely-read books of all time.
Dan Brown has also written Origin, Digital Fortress, Angels and Demons, Inferno, The Lost Symbol and Deception Point, all of which I found thrilling and interesting. Brain-food, if you will.
I recommend this book for ages 12 and above, though for most readers it may be better for ages 13-14 and above.

What If?

Hello everybody!
I'm so sorry I haven't posted in a really long time... but now I have an AWESOME book to review, called What If? by Randall Munroe.
The book answers all sorts of ridiculous questions in a scientific- but fun- way. Some examples of these questions include:
What if everyone actually had only one soul mate, a random person somewhere in the world?
If every person on Earth aimed a laser pointer at the moon at the same time, would it change color?
Is it possible to cry so much you dehydrate yourself?
There are many other questions like these.. and believe it or not, most actually have pretty logical answers! I really like this book because it's pretty funny and to be honest, it's fun, if a little depressing sometimes, to read about the thousands of ways Earth could be destroyed. The author even turned the question 'What would happen if everyone on Earth stood as close to each other as they could and jumped, everyone landing on the ground at the same instant?' into the near-extinction of the human species.
I found it to be an easily understandable and and enjoyable book. It's great to read over and over again, especially some of the funnier, stranger answers.
Randall Munroe is an American cartoonist, author, engineer and scientific theorist. He is the creator of the webcomic xkcd.
I recommend this book to ages 9 and above.

Send A Million Angels...

Hello guys!
Sorry I haven't posted a review in a while! Today I'll be reviewing A Million Angels, by Kate Maryon. A few years ago, I posted a review a review on 27 April 2014 about a book called Shine, by the same author. I absolutely loved Shine, and A Million Angels was written by the same author.
Jemima's father is in the army and he has to go to Afghanistan for half a year. Jemima loves her father and is devastated by this. She's so scared for him- will he ever come back?
To make things worse, her frenemy, Jess, can't stop talking about how happy she is her dad has gone off too- and she continuously insults Jemima about her horrible fashion sense, her dad, her family, her lack of real friends...
Jemima's off to a bad start at school. She has absolutely no friends and all the kids seem to hate her. Her only consolation are the angels she draws on her arm and sends off to her father every day. But when her class is assigned to do a project on a topic of their choice, she knows exactly what to do- and it involves uniting her grandmother with her long-lost love.
That's when everything goes haywire- Jemima sets off the fire alarm, wears her gas mask to school, and lands in major trouble. But that's not the worst of it. The worst is yet to come...
The book, while with a massive potential, with a strong story line and a good writer, was not as good as Shine. It did not cast the spell over me that Shine did, and Jemima as a character, had no other qualities or hobbies other than being scared for her father. The story also felt unfocused. There are too many side plots for a book of this size(getting a new sibling, bullies, class project, helping her grandmother, getting along with her mother, seriously hurting her enemy, Ned's grandfather dying, her father going to war, etc.), and only a few were handled well. It would be better if Jemima had other characteristics and the story had fewer plot points.
I liked the idea, though, and Jess was an interesting character that I would like to read more about. The book was well-written for the age group and easy to get through. The lessons taught were definitely awesome and I liked the way Jemima helped her grandmother and gradually became happy.
Kate Maryon is a British author who likes chocolate, films, reading, eating out and lying on sunny beaches. Other books she's written include Shine, Glitter, Invisible Girl and Sea of Stars.    

Show Your Inner Star!

Hey readers!
What if you could go to a boarding school with absolutely EVERYTHING- shopping, horse stables, a gigantic library, your own room, a greenhouse, a pet-care center, a lake? That sounds awesome- just really expensive! But that school does exist- in the Innerstar University books by American Girl!
In the Innerstar University books, you can imagine yourself as a girl in this special boarding school, taking parts in all sorts of activities. But there are problems too- will you be able to go to your friend's party when it's at the lake, which you're afraid of? Will you ride in a horse show months after the most humiliating horse show ever? Will you make the right decision to keep your favorite dog safe? Can you lead a troop of girls for a hike in the woods?
These books are similar to the Goosebumps 'You Choose the Scare' books because the reader is the one making the stories and controlling what happens.
One thing that I don't like about these books, however, is that sometimes the situations are hard to believe and the decisions made may not apply to everyone. For example, one of the books, Braving the Lake, is about you facing your fear of the lake. But if you're not afraid of the lake in real life, this problem seems a bit silly and isn't relatable. Also, some of the choices are ones that you wouldn't make yourself.
These books are written by different authors and are part of the American Girl books. There is also an online website for Innerstar University which you can access if you have the book or doll.
Some books in this series are Braving the Lake, A Girl's Best Friend, Project Friendship, Taking the Reins, Fork in the Trail, Into the Spotlight, Bound For Snow and many more.
I recommend these books for ages 9 and above.

It's Not Poisonous, Dear...

Hey guys!
Sorry I haven't posted a book review for a while! Well, I have one now, and it's about the Poison Apple series by Scholastic.
Each book is about a different girl, a different story, and a different creature...
Meet Zoe, the amateur film-maker who is cursed by a fortune-teller after joking about fortune-telling in the carnival. She's about to learn that fortune-telling is a very serious business indeed...but she might just be able to figure out how to save her nightmare of a life with her best friend Mia...('Miss Fortune')

There's Hannah, who's just moved in with mean girl Madison, and her new house is right next to the cemetery. But when Hannah's beloved cat disappears right before the move, and after hearing a spooky story about a dead girl's cat and after she gets lost in the woods because of a cat, she's starting to wonder whether the cat going around...is more than just a cat...('Curiosity Killed the Cat')
Emma-Rose is very different from her parents- in fact, she's a lot like a vampire. And once Great-aunt Margo, who's extremely similar to Emma-Rose, comes to visit from Romania... Emma-Rose may have to admit that she is indeed a vampire. ('This Totally Bites!')
And those are just a few of the many Poison Apple books available! These books are like a counterpart to the Candy Apple books. I haven't read the entire series and the books are written by different authors. The books aren't masterpieces, but they are a quick, refreshing, not-too-scary set of books that aren't really a serious read.
Some of the other books in the Poison Apple series are At First Bite, Now You See Me..., Her Evil Twin, The Dead End, and many, many more.
I recommend this series to ages 9 and above.

What Would YOU Wish For?

Hello everybody!
I'm pretty sure a lot of us have read books about genies- people finding genies, about genies, magic carpets and lamps...but this book, Genie Us!, is a little different from all the others!
When step-siblings Milly, Michael, Jess and Jason move to a house in the middle of nowhere, they certainly don't expect that their lives are going to change forever.. magically! So when they find a magical book that tells them how to become genies in just six steps, along with Skribble, a talking bookworm, they sure are surprised.
Following the book's steps to become genies, they enter the world of genies, lamps, magic and wishes, where anything can go wrong! But is becoming a genie really safe and worth it? Wishes soon become dangerous and goes wrong quickly, and everything becomes chaotic! And with a mysterious couple watching the siblings in a shadow wherever they go, things just become even more scarier!
Will the siblings ever adjust to their new life? Will they be able to find out what the mysterious couple want from them? And will they ever become genies and have their biggest wish granted?
Genie Us! is the first book of a series written by Steve Cole and Linda Chapman. Linda Chapman has written the My Secret Unicorn series and Steve Cole has written the Astrosaurs series.
Genie Us! is fast-paced and interesting. It has a good plot and I did not see the ending coming!
I recommend this book for ages 8 and above.

You Look As If You've Seen A Ghost!

Hey everyone!
Today I'll be reviewing Vicky Angel, another book by Jacqueline Wilson. It touches on a sensitive topic, death.
Vicky and Jade have been best friends since forever. They are as close as sisters, maybe even closer. They know what the other is thinking. Jade is used to being bossed around and doing whatever Vicky wants. So when Vicky passes away after a horrible accident while the two are quarreling and walking back from school, Jade feels terrible- she doesn't what to do. It feels like it's her fault- after all, if they hadn't been fighting, Vicky would have never been involved in an accident.
But barely an hour after her death, Vicky appears in front of Jade- except, she's not living- she's a ghost, and no one else can see her. At first, things are great. Jade feels like she's still with Vicky, and life will somehow go back to normal.
But then, things stop being so fun. People look at Jade like she's crazy when she talks with Vicky, she starts being mean to those who try to be kind to her and Vicky just won't leave her alone for more than a moment- she's always around. And worse, Vicky's not letting Jade move on in life- she doesn't allow Jade to make new friends, take up a new hobby and follow her dream. Vicky's presence isn't so fun anymore and sometimes it's even a bit oppressive!
Will Jade ever be able to move on? Will she make new friends and start thinking for herself? And will she finally accept what happened on that fateful day?
This is a touching book about, grief, death and moving on in life. The book is thoughtful and sad, but at the same time sometimes humourous and fun. It is really interesting to read about Jade and Vicky's adventures and what will happen to Vicky at the end.
The book is sad in the beginning and a little bit at the end.
Jacqueline Wilson is a British author. I have reviewed many of her books previously. Her writing style is fun and amusing.
Vicky Angel is an extremely touching and absorbing story. I recommend it to ages 11 and above.

The Misadventures of Greg Heffley

Happy New Year everyone!
This year my New Year Resolution is to do more book reviews than last year- that means I want to do at least 18 book reviews this year. And I'm starting 2017 with a book review on the bestselling series Diary of a Wimpy Kid! Diary of a Wimpy Kid is written by Jeff Kinney.
Greg Heffley has a few problems. His mom gave him a diary- sorry, journal- to write in, he's in middle school, he has problems with his best friend Rowley Jefferson and his life is a mess in general.
How do you deal with the pressure of school, friends and a crazy family? These books portray a normal boy's life in a hilarious journal and cartoon format. The drawing are extremely funny and the things that happen to Greg Heffley are bound to keep you in stitches.
Although some of the incidents that happen to Greg are normal and have happened to all of us, and some are straight crazy and unthinkable, everything is funny and relatable, even if we don't have two brothers and a school that cuts down on playground equipment.
Although Diary of a Wimpy Kid is not exactly an example of great literature, it is funny and easy to read but at the same time is not absolutely ridiculous. Greg is a humorous character and even though he does some unlikable stuff (like making his friend carry all his books, and rewrite his homework for a peanut-butter cracker) he is somehow likable and also teaches us what NOT to do and the dire consequences of procrastinating and not thinking before acting.
I personally like Diary of  Wimpy Kid and think it is extremely funny and relatable.
Jeff Kinney is an online game developer and is the creator of Poptropica (poptropica.com) and is the author of Rodrick Rules, The Last Straw, Dog Days, The Ugly Truth, Cabin Fever, The Third Wheel, Hard Luck, The Long Haul, Old School and most recently, Double Down, all Diary of a Wimpy KId books.
I really enjoyed Diary of a Wimpy Kid. I recommend it for ages 8 and above.
Did you read Diary of a Wimpy Kid? What are your thoughts on it? Write them in the comments section below, or give your own book review that I will publish in my blog. For more information, click on the 'Reviewed by friends' subheading near the top of the page.