The Third Wheel: A Review

As a school librarian, I love the Diary of a Wimpy kid series. They are funny, and the kids want to read them over and over, which is awesome. I was eager to read the newest edition, especially since I knew it would be about a school dance. I know Greg is in middle school, but fans of the books are as young as first grade. I wanted to see how the topic was handled, but I should have known the dance would be more about Greg's mishaps than romance.

Although it's not the best book in the series, I still enjoyed the latest Greg drama--getting locked in the laundry room while babysitting, having his mom come to school to make him take off his jacket, and even Greg getting kicked out of kindergarten. And that's all before the senior citizens crash the dance. Each situation is humorously written, and fans will enjoy getting to know a little bit of Greg's past while seeing him worm his way out of his current predicament.

I've read some reviews that mention the topics jump around, and while I thought the beginning of the book that compared Greg's childhood to Manny's was a little long, I thought Kinney tied the ending back to the beginning, which was a nice touch and great conclusion to the story.
Fans of the story, both young and old, will enjoy this latest book.

Cabin Fever: A Book Review

Greg is back and running from the law. When Greg and Rowley scheme up a plan to make some money for Christmas, their idea goes awry as usual, and school property is damaged. When a blizzard hits, Greg is stuck inside with his family but that's better than being hauled off to jail, right?

I enjoyed this book. Yes, some elements require the reader to imagine a little (like the family not noticing the neighbors having electricity), but what children's book doesn't?  I am a librarian at an elementary school, and I found the jokes about education hilarious. The kids were getting hurt on the playground equipment, so they removed each piece of equipment. When a kid got stuck, the teachers weren't allowed to touch a kid, so the parents had to come. They removed sugar drinks, so kids started selling them behind the school. It was also fun to see Manny grow up a little and become more of player in the storyline.

Fans of the series will enjoy this funny addition.

Some of my Favorites for Intermediate Grades

Here are some books that I highly recommend. I have not read a lot of books for this age group, so I am sure that there are plenty of other excellent authors who write for this age group. If you know of any good authors, let me know!

Intermediate Grades (4-6)

*Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse (This is listed as 4-8, but it is an excellent novel.)

*Ramona series by Beverly Cleary (It's old, but since there's a movie coming out, a lot of kids will want to read them.)

*Number the Stars by Lois Lowry (ages 9-12) All of Lois Lowry's books are great.

*Allie Finkle series by Meg Cabot (note that other Meg Cabot books are not appropriate for this age)

*On the Run series by Gordon Kormon

*39 Clues series by various authors

*Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney

*Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper (note that most of Sharon Draper's other books are for older readers)

*Main Street Series by Ann M. Martin (who is the author of the Babysitters Club books)

*Mandie Series by Lois Gladys Leppard (Christian)

*Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket