My Life & Other Stuff I Made Up

Gr 3–6—Tom Weekly warns readers right up front: this book might be only partially true, but the important thing is that he's the hero no matter what. His accounts of his daily life in these short stories are equal parts absurd and raucous, and sometimes a little gross. There are dog kisses on the mouth, granny fights, bloody magpie attacks, and even a toe that gets bitten clean off. It's a laugh-out-loud look at a boy's imagination with all of the bravado and cringe-worthy moments that readers might expect. The short, easy-to-read entries are punctuated with Tom's drawings, making this a good choice for reluctant readers. Additionally, the hybrid format, a chapter book filled with cartoon illustrations, and the humorous take on one boy's life, make it another pick for readers looking for Diary of a Wimpy Kid (Abrams, 2007) read-alikes.—Sarah Townsend, Norfolk Public Library, VA