~FireFly~ Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 Anyone read the series Diary of a Whimpy Kid? pros and cons -for a 7th grader DS? (thanks in advance) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audrey Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 My son likes them because they're funny. They are not at all challenging and would probably be filed under "twaddle" if I believed in such a thing. Some people object to the main character as promoting bad behaviour, but neither I nor my ds sees it that way. It is quite obvious to anyone that the main character's bad behaviour is not desirable and that he suffers the consequences for it. He is a kind of anti-hero -- a ne'er-do-well who means well, but is a bit clueless at times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chepyl Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 What I have seen, the grammar, punctuation and spelling are awful. I know it is done purposely, but I would not give them to a child who struggles with spelling and punctuation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hadassah Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 Some people object to the main character as promoting bad behaviour, but neither I nor my ds sees it that way. It is quite obvious to anyone that the main character's bad behaviour is not desirable and that he suffers the consequences for it. He is a kind of anti-hero -- a ne'er-do-well who means well, but is a bit clueless at times. :iagree: The books are humorous but quite twaddlish. They're a nice option for reluctant readers, but I wouldn't recommend them for anyone else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 They are fun to read (funny cartoons, drawings). I think they are written more towards a 5th grade reader, maybe 6th. I have read them all as have my kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 What I have seen, the grammar, punctuation and spelling are awful. I know it is done purposely, but I would not give them to a child who struggles with spelling and punctuation. :iagree: I gave kiddo one as a very, very special reward, and while he laughed, he was picking up mistakes. Never again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 The ones I've read are quite funny, and—despite the fact that the protagonist is not a great role model—at the end of the day they affirm good behavior over selfishness. Great literature? No. But they do provide chuckles while giving insight about what it can be like to be an adolescent boy. And at times they are even tender and philosophical. I like DoaWK. I did not expect to, but I was won over. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 I really, vehemently dislike these books. I am NOT against light, silly reading at all. My kids have enjoy reading cartoons and also books that I consider "twaddle"--not really great literature, but generally harmless. That said, I drew a line at the Wimpy Kid. He is rude and mean, and it is presented as humorous. The reader finds oneself laughing AT the victims of the meanness. Also, the meanness is never repented. The grammar, spelling, and punctuation leave much to be desired as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhschool Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 I looked at the Wimpy Kid books to see if I would give them to my kid. They are not good books. The illustrations are very ugly. They were badly written and they were depressing. I did not give them to my kid. Try the Percy Jackson series by Riordan instead. While they are not a bed of roses nor high literature, they are deeper and more serious. They are better books. Also they are very fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 I really, vehemently dislike these books. I am NOT against light, silly reading at all. My kids have enjoy reading cartoons and also books that I consider "twaddle"--not really great literature, but generally harmless. That said, I drew a line at the Wimpy Kid. He is rude and mean, and it is presented as humorous. The reader finds oneself laughing AT the victims of the meanness. Also, the meanness is never repented. The grammar, spelling, and punctuation leave much to be desired as well. It isn't so that the meanness is never repented. Think of when Greg saves Rowley by falsely claiming it is he (Greg) who has eaten the dreaded "cheese-touch." That is a moment of self-sacrifice and redemption. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wapiti Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 I don't care for them but my boys loved them. They read through all of them last year (in second grade). I wouldn't prevent a 7th grader from reading them for fun, but I wouldn't count it as "reading." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynn Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 My son likes them because they're funny. They are not at all challenging and would probably be filed under "twaddle" if I believed in such a thing. Some people object to the main character as promoting bad behaviour, but neither I nor my ds sees it that way. It is quite obvious to anyone that the main character's bad behaviour is not desirable and that he suffers the consequences for it. He is a kind of anti-hero -- a ne'er-do-well who means well, but is a bit clueless at times. :iagree:. My ds(11) has read through the series it gives him a break from all his required reading which is usually 9th-12th grade level. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Rat Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 My boys loved them. We used them as a read aloud for ds8. He corrected the poor grammar as he want along. He automatically said going to for gonna, for example. It got him reading when he was reluctant. Now, he's reading How to Train Your Dragon and is much less reluctant. And it's a harder book, IMO. My oldest was a spontaneous reader at 2. I've put all sorts of stuff in front of him and he's never had an issue. He only started reading fiction 3 years ago but loves dang near everything I throw at him. He didn't like one of my favorite series though and I have to say, I was super disappointed! (It was Pendragon by DJ MacHale if you're wondering.) That's okay though, I've read a book or two he's absolutely loved and not really enjoyed them. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ipsey Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 The ones I've read are quite funny, and—despite the fact that the protagonist is not a great role model—at the end of the day they affirm good behavior over selfishness. Great literature? No. But they do provide chuckles while giving insight about what it can be like to be an adolescent boy. And at times they are even tender and philosophical. I like DoaWK. I did not expect to, but I was won over. Bill Love them. They're hysterical. My kids started reading them when they were 6 (5, in the case of my youngest). But, if you're looking for Shakespeare or Little Lord Fauntleroy, you won't find it here. If you believe that children should be able to read some words just for sheer pleasure, I think these are a hoot! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeidiKC Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 My 6th grader has been reading these books since they came out, and he re-reads and re-reads them. Crazy! I have read through some of them and they really are hilarious! No, I'm not crazy about the poor writing and bad grammar and all, but my ds is strong in those areas and a big reader. Now I have told him I don't want him passing them along to younger ds or encouraging him to read them. The reasons I am not crazy about my kids reading the books, particularly before about 6th grade, is not because of the writing or even the rude behaviors and that sort of thing. But I noticed that my son really seems to have been influenced by the social stuff in the book, if that makes sense. He began reading the books when he was still in school, and had never really talked about who was popular, or if he was popular. Well, those books sure brought it on. I'd hear him in the car asking a friend from another school what number he ranked in popularity at his school (and this friend didn't think it was a strange question, since he'd also read the book), and then my son would tell him where he thought he himself stood (which made me sad, because it was something like 23!!!). The books seem to have made him more aware and self-conscious of the social hierarchy of kids his age, and I don't think it has made him feel particularly good. I think ds was pretty oblivious to the whole idea of "weird kids", trying to ditch a friend that embarrassed you, and other things that we parents don't like...until he read that book. He certainly hasn't done of the mean things from the book, but I think it has had some effect on him - more like a less secure feeling among his peers. Maybe he is less sure that one of them is not thinking the way Greg Heffley thinks, etc. He seems like such a REAL kid, too...so that what he thinks and says must seem normal to kids that age. I don't know about the books, but at least in the movie I did NOT like the way the parents were portrayed, particularly the dad. A big idiot, basically. I have scanned the books to see if it seems like Greg is making fun of his parents, but I haven't noticed that it is overly disrespectful. But I'm wondering... And I really don't like the way his older brother is so mean to him and there just seems to be absolutely no love between them. Greg isn't great to his younger brother and complains about him a lot, but at least he seems like he probably does care about him in the end. And FINALLY...based on some situation in one of the books, ds decided that "CLASSICS" (books) are to be avoided at all costs! He kept asking, "is that book a CLASSIC?" in a mocking and disgusted tone. Finally I asked him where he got the idea that classics are bad? You guessed it, DOAWK! I can't remember what the situation was, but they were definitely "dissed"! I did not like that and still can't get him over that prejudice! I am not going to keep my younger two from reading them, but I will make sure that they are in an ok place socially at the time (hopefully at least a 12 on the popularity ranking - HA!), and strong readers. I know that we can't avoid having our kids experience social angst and all, but I think my son worried a bit about it before anything was really happening. I think the thing where kids worry about popularity generally doesn't begin until 6th grade or so???, and not as early as 4th grade when my son began these books. ETA: I think that parents will find some of the stuff hilarious - much more so than kids do. Makes fun of stuff like the overly protective rules for playgrounds, etc. that are more recent developments in our kids' generation. I think younger kids especially will miss the humor there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostSurprise Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 For kids facing the big changes of Middle School, I think they can be rather cathartic. I know my oldest read them in 5th and 6th and they were cathartic to him. I'm not usually one that tolerates really bad attitudes, but the books are so over the top that I most kids this age can sense the parody. Often my kids point out how crazy the main character is acting. What he does wrong. Sometimes its good for them to use their own discernment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AimeeM Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 Might be a bit young for your son, is the only real concern I would have. I haven't read them; but my 10 year old daughter enjoys them. Her teacher last year (fourth grade) read them aloud and the kids all enjoyed the series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DianeW88 Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 The ones I've read are quite funny, and—despite the fact that the protagonist is not a great role model—at the end of the day they affirm good behavior over selfishness. Great literature? No. But they do provide chuckles while giving insight about what it can be like to be an adolescent boy. And at times they are even tender and philosophical. I like DoaWK. I did not expect to, but I was won over. Bill :iagree: My dh reads them to my son and they laugh their heads off. Having said that, I think 7th grade may be a tad old for them. They're written more for the 4th-5th grade humor level. My ds is 10. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leeannpal Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 :iagree: My dh reads them to my son and they laugh their heads off. Having said that, I think 7th grade may be a tad old for them. They're written more for the 4th-5th grade humor level. My ds is 10. My daughter loves these books.My husband enjoyed reading them with her. She has since graduated to The Dork Diaries. I really don't see why a little humorous reading is such a bad thing. While she enjoys these light, funny books, she likes "good" literature too. In fact,she is currently reading through the Little House series. But, occasionally, she still likes to read something mindless, but,then again, so do I;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LizzyBee Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 I agree that they're "twaddle," but I let my 10 yo dyslexic dd read them simply because she will. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silliness7 Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 My kids love them from the 9th grader to the 2nd grader. We just checked out the newest one from the library today and ds14 has confiscated it. He's holed up in a corner chair lol'ing and making the other kids die with anticipation. It's definite book candy, but, hey, I like candy. :D I haven't read them but I enjoyed both the movies. We stumbled across another series, Origami Yoda, that is kind of similar. The verdict at my house is split over which series is better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funschooler5 Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 My son likes them because they're funny. They are not at all challenging and would probably be filed under "twaddle" if I believed in such a thing. Some people object to the main character as promoting bad behaviour, but neither I nor my ds sees it that way. It is quite obvious to anyone that the main character's bad behaviour is not desirable and that he suffers the consequences for it. He is a kind of anti-hero -- a ne'er-do-well who means well, but is a bit clueless at times. The ones I've read are quite funny, and—despite the fact that the protagonist is not a great role model—at the end of the day they affirm good behavior over selfishness. Great literature? No. But they do provide chuckles while giving insight about what it can be like to be an adolescent boy. And at times they are even tender and philosophical. I like DoaWK. I did not expect to, but I was won over. Bill :iagree: My kids love them, and I think they're funny too. Not every book needs to teach a lesson. Sometimes kids just want to connect with a character, and it's the flawed characters that are the most interesting, IMO. I think most kids are smart enough to know which behaviors to emulate and which ones to ignore. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cortana Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 I love the books for this reason; they got my 10yo ds w/autism who is a couple grade levels behind in reading and hated reading to give it a shot and challenge himself to try reading harder words and try reading by himself. We found book 1 and book 3 at a thrift shop and he packs the books everywhere he goes. It nearly brought me to tears when he proudly told me the second day after he started reading them "mom, I'm on page 10 and I can read it!" :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halcyon Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 My 6 year old has read them all, and really likes them. He's also an advanced reader reading at a high 3rd grade level, so he's allowed to read these in his free time. I don't love them, but then again, I haven't read them all the way through so I can't really comment! Sometimes my 9 yo reads a bit too, but he's not terribly interested in them. I think they might be a bit young for your son. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NittanyJen Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 The ones I've read are quite funny, and—despite the fact that the protagonist is not a great role model—at the end of the day they affirm good behavior over selfishness. Great literature? No. But they do provide chuckles while giving insight about what it can be like to be an adolescent boy. And at times they are even tender and philosophical. I like DoaWK. I did not expect to, but I was won over. Bill :iagree: I also don't believe in the concept of "twaddle." I was raised on Faulkner, Hemingway, Shakespeare, etc. I was also raised to read virtually any book that was pleasurable, and to not believe that I needed to talk down about things that others might enjoy; that doing so didn't exactly make me sound more rarefied or better bred, but actually the opposite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gamedesignmom Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 I've discovered that they while these books are okay for most, they are not for our family. It all boils down to what a PP mentioned- discernment. My 1st grader ds just doesn't have it. I allowed him to read the first one because although he reads on a 4th grade level, he is intimidated by chapter books and he begged me. After reading it, he announced in Sunday School that his sister was a 'hot girl' and begged me to allow him to attend public middle school so he could be bullied (?). Don't get me started on the Cheese Touch. :rolleyes: Yes, my ds is a very literal, concrete thinker and I have to be extremely careful with what I allow him to read and watch. His sister, on the other hand, is much more level headed and I would probably allow her to read the books if I didn't know ds would sneak them away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samiam Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 (edited) Have them all and love them. Twaddle, yes, most definately. But come on, ya gotta have some twaddle in life once in a while. While it may be an easy read for a 7th grader, I actually think the topics are more on par with that age, versus the 5th grader. After all, it's about life in middle school. I couldn't see letting a 1st/2nd/3rd grader age child read this....I don't see the topics being that appropriate for them....but to each his own, I guess. I mean, if your child is one that is going to try to replicate life of a fictional character, then maybe perhaps, that child should wait a while. But if your child understands that many foolish albeit funny acts in the book are just that, let'em read it. BTW, I wonder if some some nay-sayers who say there is no repentenance actually read the book? Because the main character actually DOES learn his lesson by the end of the book. And his best friend, he's just a overall good-guy. Gotta love him! Edited January 14, 2012 by Samiam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 It's funny. I like them and find them amusing. However, my whole perspective of them changed when I saw that a lot of people give them to 5 and 6 yos. Greg is such an anti-hero and so loathsome (not without his redemptive moments, but overall, a complete horror of a child) that I seriously recoiled at such little kids reading them, and I'm not the sort of person who cares about that sort of thing usually. So... yeah, good... for ages 8 to 10 mostly. I guess I see them as having a specific window. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in Neverland Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 My son likes them because they're funny. They are not at all challenging and would probably be filed under "twaddle" if I believed in such a thing. Some people object to the main character as promoting bad behaviour, but neither I nor my ds sees it that way. It is quite obvious to anyone that the main character's bad behaviour is not desirable and that he suffers the consequences for it. He is a kind of anti-hero -- a ne'er-do-well who means well, but is a bit clueless at times. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~FireFly~ Posted January 17, 2012 Author Share Posted January 17, 2012 Thanks to all who voiced their opinion...it's great to have a diverse sounding board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momto2Cs Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 My son likes them because they're funny. They are not at all challenging and would probably be filed under "twaddle" if I believed in such a thing. Some people object to the main character as promoting bad behaviour, but neither I nor my ds sees it that way. It is quite obvious to anyone that the main character's bad behaviour is not desirable and that he suffers the consequences for it. He is a kind of anti-hero -- a ne'er-do-well who means well, but is a bit clueless at times. :iagree: This is actually the series that took my ds from being able to read, to being a reader. I personally have no issues with them for many of the reasons Audrey mentioned above. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akmommy Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 My son loves these and the "Origami Yoda" series. He start reading the "Diary...." books in fifth grade without any signs of emulating the main character. For DS they are just fun, light reading. He has a good healthy understanding of fiction versus non and fantasy versus reality and is fully capable of reading and enjoying a book like this without adopting the negative behaviors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenNC Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 My son loves these and the "Origami Yoda" series. He start reading the "Diary...." books in fifth grade without any signs of emulating the main character. For DS they are just fun, light reading. He has a good healthy understanding of fiction versus non and fantasy versus reality and is fully capable of reading and enjoying a book like this without adopting the negative behaviors. I've put the "Origami Yoda" series on hold at the library, thanks! My daughter loves the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid," "Dear Dumb Diary," "The Dork Diaries," etc. We've also recently started watching "The Wonder Years" series streaming on Netflix, which we all enjoy. It's provided a lot of laughs and a great springboard for talking about history and for talking about our experiences as the "dorks" and "geeks" in adolescence.;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jujsky Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 My son (8) has read them. I always find threads on the appropriateness of movies and books difficult to answer because one person's idea of appropriate material is not another parent's idea of appropriate material. I am in the, "I don't care what my kid is reading so long as he/she is reading," camp, so I don't censor too much when it comes to books. My son enjoyed them and thought they were funny. There is a lot of toilet humor in them, and the main character, Greg, isn't a role-model for morality. He often lets the notion of popularity and what is cool dictate his actions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzie in Ma Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 The ones I've read are quite funny, and—despite the fact that the protagonist is not a great role model—at the end of the day they affirm good behavior over selfishness. Great literature? No. But they do provide chuckles while giving insight about what it can be like to be an adolescent boy. And at times they are even tender and philosophical. I like DoaWK. I did not expect to, but I was won over. Bill :iagree: My 5th grader loves them and the movies were kind of sweet too, I didn't expect to like them at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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