Diary of a Wimpy Kit Do-It-Yourself Book

This extention of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series is absolutely BRILLIANT and I want to personally thank Jeff Kinney and if it wasn't his own idea, whoever in his life or at the publishing house came up with the concept of a journal tie in with the series. One of the reasons the the Wimpy Kid series is so popular, besides the first person kid narration and boy appeal stories, is the mix of visuals (cartoons/doodles) that make the book easy and appealing to a young reader. It also provides visual imagery that kids who may have low reading comprehension have difficulty processing on their own. I also like that it's a series of vignettes that tie into an overarching plot. This is also more palatable to a young reader. Now take that concept and turn it into a way for a young child to dabble in journaling and self expression and you've got a marvelous tool for teaching and life experience. My oldest son (turning 9) has autism. He loves the Wimpy Kid series and I'm guessing it's because of the reasons described above. The Do-It-Yourself version has sparked his interest in self expression and given him tools to help develop his skills in written expression. The check lists, fill in the blanks, fill in the bubble comics make it fun and provide a structure in an area that is difficult for him. The blank journal at the back gives him space to dabble in writing whatever he feels. It's personalized and fun AND a great educational experience. I highly recommend this series and if your child takes to the series, get them this Do-It-Yourself kit.

I bought two of these journals, one for my 11 year old nephew and one for a nine year old boy. Both boys are fans of the "Wimpy Kid" Series. I sat with each of the boys after they received the gift, flipping through the pages and listening to their answers to the questions. They had a great time thinking about their responses and enjoyed sharing them with me. Not only did we laugh and have fun reading the book, but also I got to know them a bit better by hearing their answers, many of which require creativity and imaginiation. My nephew was so excited by the book, that he read portions of it to his family, and any friends who visited, throughout the duration of my visit (when I gave him the book). His 12 year old brother was spotted reading the book on a few occasions too! The book has a nice balance of questions about life accomplishments and experiences (i.e. Have you ever stayed up all night? ) and ideas about the future (i.e. How much will a cheeseburger cost in 20 years? Who will be President in 20 years?). It also provides space for children to draw cartoons. I like the fact that children can do this book on their own and since the questions asked are not too personal, they can also sit with an adult and share their ideas and responses.

I bought these as gifts for my nephews (8 and almost 7). They are big fans of the Wimpy Kid books, and this book has enough material for them to read while also having lots of activities and open spaces for them to be creative and create their own stories and activities. I love gifts that allow kids to visit the world of their favorite books while still giving them room to be creative and active in the stories they want to tell instead of only receiving the specific stories and activities given. There is a lot of room to stretch and grow and play with these books, and I am glad I decided to pick them up. If your children are already fans of Wimpy Kid, this book is an obvious choice! If your child has a creative bent and likes making up stories, this might be a great way to feed that impulse and introduce them to a well written and entertaining book series.

My son loves this book! When he asked for this book for his birthday I was a little reluctant. I thought it might 'lead' the kids too much and not have enough space for them to write their own journal. I worried he would be frustrated by 'coloring within the lines' but I was so wrong. He loved the guidance that the book gives. I also found out a few things about my kiddo (I didn't realize how much space 'girls' took up in the map of his brain!). He has used it to caption he own "Zoo Wee Mama!" cartoons, he has drawn what his tour bus will look like when he's a superstar, he's done a bit of predicting the future! The only problem I have with the book is that I keep finding it in the strangest places, as he takes it everywhere to fill in bits here and there. He likes the fact he doesn't have to go in order, and when he just wants to read there are comics in the back where he doesn't need to fill anything in. If I had a gripe it would be that he is constantly asking me for a pencil, as he uses it in so many different places they are getting left all over. Perfection might be adding a pencil holder so we're not constantly looking for one. *grin*

This series consists of five books that are great for kids who are 8-13. It is a novel in cartoon forms that is easily accessible to reluctant readers. It is about a middle school boy named Greg Hefley and the stories cover a school year of drama that is chronicled in his diary. Greg takes readers on an adventure that describes the hilarious escapades of boys in the adolescent stage. Some humorous points include when Greg taunts bullies at his school and ends up getting his grandmother's house toped or when Greg comes up with a scheme to increase his popularity rating which is currently in the 52nd or 53rd spot. The interactions that Greg describes between his parents, brothers and nerdy friends are fun to read. This is an entertaining choice for tween boys!

My 3 grandsons 8 to10 years old enjoyed the activities in this book very much. They definitely had more fun working with others - cousins with their own books or grandma watching and laughing with them. Even a creative child may need to share with a friend or parent to get the most enjoyment. It gets 4 STARS for the kids since I'm not sure if they will continue working on the activities without the "sharing". It would get 5 STARS from me because the activities are not only fun but also describe their lives and personalities (which they loved sharing). It would be well worth the time a parent would spend sharing - saving the completed activities to be read and laughed over later or passed on to THEIR children (or even a gift for a grandma!)

This book was bought for an elementary age child, they love the series and asked especially for this one.

I bought the first 4 books in this series (no.5 was not available yet) and the Do-It-Yourself Book as a birthday gift for our grandson who is in second grade and an accomplished reader. It loves non-fiction books, but was absolutely thrilled when he opened his gift. Immediately he began reading, but over our visit, he consistently wrote in the diary book. He really enjoyed having his very own diary and there are a variety of things to do in this particular book. Another bonus is that the books do not have to be read in a specific order. He would read one day from one book and then after school the next day, read from a different one. He even let a friend from school borrow one of the books ! As a former teacher, what a joy it is to see our young people have such great material to read and to have a love for reading :)