Diary of a Wimpy Kid (film) by 20th Century Fox

Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Film
by 20th Century Fox, 2010

GENRE: Comedy, Humor, Juvenile Satire

HONORS: None known

REVIEW:  Going from the top of the chain of 5^th grade at elementary school to the bottom of the pile in 6^th grade in middle school can be daunting, and this is the challenge 11-year-old Greg Heffley is facing. Greg make every effort to be cool and fit in, including trying to change his seemingly uncool and often embarrassing best friend Rowley. Much to his surprise, his efforts backfire and Rowley’s popularity starts rising, leaving Greg behind alone and uncool. Can he make things right?

OPINION: I read the book a few years ago and was excited to finally see the movie adaptation.  I recall greatly disliking Greg’s character in the book, since he seemed kind of mean and selfish, and while the movie covered much of the same scenarios, Greg was much more likeable.

IDEAS: I love the concept of the “Book to Film Club” and this book and movie would be a great introduction to this kind of concept. It gets participants excited about reading, and then encourages them analyze what they’ve read when they compare the book to the movie.

Oh No! (Or How My Science Project Destroyed the World) by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Dan

Oh No! (Or How My Science Project Destroyed the World)
by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Dan Santat
Hyperion, 2010

GENRE: Picture Book, Science Fiction, Juvie Satire

HONORS: Silver Medal Society of Illustrators Original Art: Fine Art of Children’s Book Illustration, 2011 Golden Duck Award

REVIEW: With the goal of first prize in the school science fair, a young girl builds a fully functional robot, complete with a superclaw, laser eye and the power to control dogs’ minds. But when her invention escapes and starts wreaking havoc on the world, realizes she left out a few abilities like hearing and reading and must figure out how to defeat her robot before the world is destroyed completely!

OPINION: This was a uniquely original story with gorgeous illustrations that could serve as an introduction to manga. I really enjoyed this picture book and can see it appealing to many age groups.

IDEAS: This would be another book to include in the Picture Books with a wide appeal display with Children Make Terrible Pets. This book might also be good to recommend to a manga or anime club, or use as an introduction to these genres.

Planet Tad by Tim Carvell

Planet Tad 
by Tim Carvell
MAD/Harper, 2012

GENRE: Humor, Juvenile Satire

HONORS: None known

REVIEW: On New Year’s Day, seventh grader Tad started a blog on the new (ish) computer he received for Christmas and in his first post, stated the following resolutions: finish seventh grade, figure out how to do a kickflip on his skateboard, get girls to notice him, and finally start shaving. What follows in the pages of Planet Tad is a year of near daily entertaining posts of amusing observation and unique insight into the mind of a hilarious seventh grade boy.

OPINION: Written by an Emmy Award winning writer of the daily show with glowing recommendations from the likes of Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart adorning the cover, I was naturally drawn to this book, and it did not disappoint. Written in blog format with accompanying illustrations, I found this book to be a quick read that will appeal to children and adults alike.

IDEAS: Humor is an underrated category and this book would fit in perfectly in a display highlighting great humor in juvenile literature. Another option would be to include it in a display or bookmark of Diary of a Wimpy Kid read-alikes.