Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw
Amulet Books, 2008
Fiction, Graphic Novel
ISBN: 0810994739
224 pages
Synopsis
Greg’s school year is winding down and so is his journal; however, he seems to live the same way and make the same sorts of self-centered choices that have a tendency to get him in trouble throughout the previous three books. This graphic-novel style story chronicles the life of middle-schooler Greg Heffley as told by Greg through hand-written words and pictures in his diary. Starting off the diary entries by deciding that he doesn’t need to make a New Year’s resolution because he’s the only perfect person he knows sets the tone for a fun and entertaining look at a young man trying to navigate middle school life with a largely self-serving and oblivious attitude toward the people around him.
Critique
These graphic novels by Kinney are so much fun to read. They’re quick and easy, but help to remind us all about the perils of middle school and growing up. They put “picture books” in an entirely different kind of category, walking the line between the often dark and ornate worlds of the comic books or graphic novels, and the simplistic messages conveyed by illustrated books for children. It feels very much like you’re reading the journal/diary of a tween.
The other books in this series are Diary of a Wimpy Kid (book 1), Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (book 2), and Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days (book 4).
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For the Classroom
Although this is a fun read and applicable to anyone in late elementary or middle school, it’s not something that can really be used as a classroom companion for normal studies.
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