What We're Reading:

Current Picks from

the Watermark Staff

"Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days" by Jeff Kinney (Amulet Books, 9780810983915, $13.95, for ages 9 to 12)
 
The new Wimpy Kid book is here! This series pairs text with cartoons to describe the up-and-down life of Greg Hefley, a young guy who just can't get a break. In Greg's eyes, his older brother is out to get him, his mom is trying to ruin everything, and his kid brother is a baby genius who is maybe a little bit dangerous. The books are HUGELY popular for their humor and for using a clever format that encourages young readers to pick up larger books and to move from chapter books into middle-reader level stories. They can be read in any order.
 
This new title shows how Greg spent his summer vacation. From the start, he planned to shut himself inside the house, close the curtains, and play video games for months. With his mom's help, that plan didn't last long. His next idea was to stay up very late watching scary movies with his best friend Rowley. Unfortunately, scary late-night movies can be *very scary* and so can late nights. Greg ended up not sleeping well due to visions of a disembodied muddy hand silently creeping into his room.
 
But wait! Greg got a dog this summer: a dog that had to be let outside each morning, even in the rain, a dog that would return, all wet, to snuggle inside Greg's covers, feeling suspiciously like... an evil muddy hand!
 
It's been a long, rough summer for Greg, and your youngster will laugh out loud reading all about it.
 
Review by Mark David Bradshaw, October 15, 2009
 

 

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