Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Third Wheel

Gr 4–7—In the seventh title (Amulet, 2012) in Kinney's popular series, Greg Heffley is still trying to navigate through middle school. As always, there are challenging obstacles, including dealing with his brother's imaginary friends, getting used to Uncle Gary living on the sofa, smuggling the good toilet paper into his private bathroom stall, and trying to avoid the Mad Pantser. His biggest problem, however, is finding a date for the Valentine's Day dance. In this recording, there is a long pause between diary entries so listeners can tell when one entry ends and another one begins. Narrator Ramon de Ocampo captures Greg's quirkiness perfectly, and his expression and the sound effects make the author's words and cartoons come alive. Students may still wish to follow along with the book so they don't miss out on Kinney's trademark illustrations. Overall, a seamless fit with the rest of the series.—Anne Bozievich, Friendship Elementary School, Glen Rock, PA