Wimp Appeal
I guess it's a good thing that imitation is the quickest way to big bucks, um, the sincerest form of flattery because my kids are constantly coming in looking for more books like Wimpy kid. Diary/ notebook type books circulate very well at my school library so I do try and keep up with books that have "wimp appeal." Here's a mini-review of two of the latest titles.
Tales from a Not-So-Smart Miss Know-It-All (Dork Diaries #5) by Rachel Renée Russell. 321 p. Aladdin, October, 2012. 9781442449619. (Purchased for my school library.)
Nikki's back, still desperately trying to keep her secret despite the fact that queen bee Mackenzie knows it and is waiting for the right time to reveal it. Lots of OMG's and things being described as super- are becoming annoying to this old coot, but fifth grade girls are eating this series up.
Secrets from the Sleeping Bag: a Blogtastic Novel by Rose Cooper. 198 p. Random House Children's Books, July, 2012. 9780385742467 (Purchased for my school library.)
Sophia goes to camp in this one and despite the fact that she hasn't grown much in any of the first three installments, this one happens to be my favorite one because she's no where near a computer at camp and therefore not blogging. (I had a real problem accepting her using a class blog to basically cyberbully in the earlier books.)
Other titles with Wimp appeal:
The Loser List by H.N. Kowitt
The Popularity Papers by Amy Ignatow
Middle School is Worse than Meatloaf & Eighth Grade is Making Me Sick by Jennifer Holm
Big Nate by Lincoln Peirce
Wonkenstein by Obert Skye
Origami Yoda series by Tom Angleberger
Middle School series by James Patterson (hybrid)
My Life as a Book (Stuntboy) (Cartoonist coming April, 2013) by Janet Tashjian (hybrid)
The Defense of Thaddeus A. Ledbetter by John Gosslink (reprinted with new title: Free Thaddeus!)
Vordak the Incomprehensible by Scott Seegert
Matthew Meets the Man by Travis Nichol (hybrid)
Adventures of Beanboy by Lisa Harkrader (hybrid)
The Boy Project by Kami Kinard
Totally Lame Vampire by Tim Collins
Tales from a Not-So-Smart Miss Know-It-All (Dork Diaries #5) by Rachel Renée Russell. 321 p. Aladdin, October, 2012. 9781442449619. (Purchased for my school library.)
Nikki's back, still desperately trying to keep her secret despite the fact that queen bee Mackenzie knows it and is waiting for the right time to reveal it. Lots of OMG's and things being described as super- are becoming annoying to this old coot, but fifth grade girls are eating this series up.
Secrets from the Sleeping Bag: a Blogtastic Novel by Rose Cooper. 198 p. Random House Children's Books, July, 2012. 9780385742467 (Purchased for my school library.)
Sophia goes to camp in this one and despite the fact that she hasn't grown much in any of the first three installments, this one happens to be my favorite one because she's no where near a computer at camp and therefore not blogging. (I had a real problem accepting her using a class blog to basically cyberbully in the earlier books.)
Other titles with Wimp appeal:
The Loser List by H.N. Kowitt
The Popularity Papers by Amy Ignatow
Middle School is Worse than Meatloaf & Eighth Grade is Making Me Sick by Jennifer Holm
Big Nate by Lincoln Peirce
Wonkenstein by Obert Skye
Origami Yoda series by Tom Angleberger
Middle School series by James Patterson (hybrid)
My Life as a Book (Stuntboy) (Cartoonist coming April, 2013) by Janet Tashjian (hybrid)
The Defense of Thaddeus A. Ledbetter by John Gosslink (reprinted with new title: Free Thaddeus!)
Vordak the Incomprehensible by Scott Seegert
Matthew Meets the Man by Travis Nichol (hybrid)
Adventures of Beanboy by Lisa Harkrader (hybrid)
The Boy Project by Kami Kinard
Totally Lame Vampire by Tim Collins