Diary of A Wimpy Kid 4

Its almost here!

The anticipation for Diary Of A Wimpy Kid 4 is almost palpable, and comes close to matching Harry Potter for the level of excitement being generated. 

Jeff Kinney, recently voted one of the world’s most influential people by TIME magazine (WOW!) has created a phenomenon in a very honest and heartfelt portrayal of a regular kid with regular problems and hopes.
But just don’t tell Greg Heffley that. 

Greg Heffley, the narrator of Diary Of A Wimpy Kid, loves computer games, wants to be popular (but doesn’t want to stand out) and is nurturing a growing interest in girls. Greg writes about his daily adventures at elementary-middle school in a diary, illustrating it with highly expressive stick figure drawings, and telling his story with brutal honesty and deadpan humor.

He discusses bullies, parents, teachers and embarassing friends with the same level of laser-sharp insight and it can get pretty revealing at times.


The insights that Jeff Kinney lends to Greg about parent/teacher relationships to children are hilarious and obviously borne from his experience as a father. As a parent I can read Diary Of A Wimpy Kid and wince at cringe-worthy parental behaviours that I find hauntingly familiar in my own relationship with my children. Seeing these behaviors from a child’s perspective is a great lesson in parenting.

While technically not a graphic novel it has enough elements of comic-style stories to make it interesting to graphic novel fans of all ages. Word balloons make an appearance and simple pictures are used to both express motion and convey emotion to great effect. Regardless of what the format is called, its a winning combination.

Its not just kids who should be looking forward to the release of Diary Of A Wimpy Kid 4 on October 12th. Parents who want to connect with their tweens will want to get another copy for themselves and share the insights and humor with an open mind and an open heart.