Kinney, Jeff.
(2011). Diary of a Wimpy Kid Cabin Fever. New York: Amulet Books.
Hardcover | $13.95
USD | ISBN-13: 978-1419702235 | 224 pages | Juvenile Fiction, 8 & up
Poor Greg has a
problem with the holidays around the corner. He can only behave about 6 or 7
days in a row, plus his mom put up a doll (Santa’s helper) to “watch Greg’s
every move.” This creeps Greg out; he doesn’t like being watched. And it’s not
like Greg only has problems at home. School can be troubling in class and on
the playground. To make matters worse the school has removed the playground
equipment and won’t let the kids bring in toys to school.
So,
when there is nothing to do at recess, Greg does what most boys do – he plays video
games at home. He adopts a virtual pet, which he keeps in all the latest “virtual”
clothing. Greg is always asking for money for this pet, so his mom sent him
outside to shovel snow in the biggest blizzard of the year. He offered to
shovel his neighbor’s driveway for $5; it was snowing so hard it was like he
had never shoveled in the first place. He tried to get rid of the snow using a
lawn mower, and a sprinkler. This iced over the driveway and now Greg’s dad had
to go get salt to de-ice the driveway. Now instead of Greg making $5, he was $20
in the hole. Greg was back at square one. He decides to ask his friend Rowley to
help him run a Christmas fundraiser so they could make some cash to buy
Christmas presents (and he was neglecting his virtual pet). The boys printed
newspapers and hung up signs outside of the school. This backfired when the
signs stained the school building. The principal wanted to know who was
responsible for the vandalism. Authorities were notified and an “anonymous tip”
from Greg’s friend Rowley put Greg in the hot seat. What happens next? A huge
blizzard hits and Greg is trapped indoors with his family without heat or
electricity. With an annoying younger brother, named Manny (who gets everything
he wants) and an older brother Rodrick who picks on him, how will he survive the
Christmas blizzard? How does he survive Cabin
Fever?
Boys, between all ages, absolutely love these books. There is something to laugh about on every page. Greg is just an average kid; he has a plan even if it isn’t the brightest of plans. The predicaments Greg finds himself in are engaging and witty. Most boys have “been there” or can imagine it happening to them. The story is a mix of comics, which tell part of the story and Greg’s words. Greg will make you laugh and the “quotes” in this story are classic. While reading it is clear that someone (usually an authoritative figure) said what was in quotes, and Greg may not always understand it but he respects it. He finds a way to make it through his often self-created problems. It is no wonder why many of Jeff Kinney’s books in this series have become #1 bestsellers. The series has won plenty of Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards and three movies have been released so far. For more about the Diary of a Wimpy Kid Series, please visit the official website at http://www.wimpykid.com/
The author of the series, Jeff Kinney, originally wanted to be a cartoonist. He came up with his first story about Greg in 1998. He worked on his 1st book for almost 8 years before showing it to a publisher. He released the 1st book in April 2007 and it became a New York Times bestseller. Now the series has more than 85 million books in print around the world. Book 8 should release in November, 2013. Kinney lives in Massachusetts with his wife and two sons. For more about Jeff Kinney, please visit: http://www.wimpykid.com/about-the-author/
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