Jeff Kinney's Wimpy Kid Returns in "Rodrick Rules"
Written: Mar 11 '08
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Great characters, use of middle school voice, easy read, cartoons...
Cons: Not quite as funny as the first...
The Bottom Line: Naming your kid Rodrick, he's gonna be a bully.
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| JediKermit's Full Review: Jeff Kinney - Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules |
Last year I fell in love with a "novel told in cartoons," Jeff Kinney's Diary of a Wimpy Kid . The story of Greg Heffley and his middle school misadventures rang true to this 7th Grade teacher, and perhaps even more so to the 12 year old wimpy kid lurking somewhere inside of me.
So I was delighted to see a second book in the series on the shelf at my local bookstore. "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules" is more about Greg's sad life, this time with more of a focus on his home life and his older brother Rodrick. The same characters are still there, with Greg's too-well-meaning (but totally clueless) mom, his mostly ineffectual dad, and his little brother Manny messing things up for Greg. Greg's best friend Rowley is still there too, dumb as ever, making us wonder both why Greg is friends with Rowley, and why Rowley is friends with Greg.
Told through Greg's diary entries and simple, nearly stick figure cartoon pictures, it's a sometimes insightful look at what it's like to be a middle schooler in the United States. Dependent on older siblings and parents for transportation and money, but feeling much more responsible and capable than they'll give you credit for, you need to jump through their hoops. Greg's story is a reminder of that feeling of helplessness, but he also brings a lot of his problems on himself, by not doing his homework, bullying other kids, and undermining his own efforts to become popular in school.
"Rodrick Rules" is about the relationship between Greg and Rodrick, and reminded me a lot of my own sibling relationships, both as a younger brother myself and as an older brother. I see a lot of myself in Greg, and that makes me enjoy the book. Kinney's words and illustrations are effective, and have a great voice for a segment of the population that usually doesn't have one.
This wasn't as groundbreaking or as funny as the first book, but it's still very good. When Greg ends up wrapped in toilet paper in a bathroom instead of going to swim practice, or he ends up in a "Dungeons & Dragons" game with his Mom (as a character named "Mom"), you feel his awkwardness, and his pain. I didn't laugh out loud as much with this book as with the first, but I did snort and snicker now and then.
Although this is a sequel, you don't need to read the first volume to enjoy the second. It stands on its own and introduces the characters well enough that you'll be up to speed within the first few pages. This book is great for middle school boys, especially for kids who are "reluctant readers." The text is easy to read, the characters are instantly relatable, and the material is consistent with middle school life. If you're a parent, a teacher, or are otherwise involved with young people, you'll like Jeff Kinney's "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules."
Recommended:
Yes
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