School Library Journal Review

Gr 4-8-In Greg Heffley's second adventure in middle school, family relationships play a large part, though school friends and shenanigans are still featured. Jeff Kenney's sequel (2008) to Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2008, both Abrams/Amulet Books) elaborates on Greg's relationship with his overbearing older brother Roderick, who knows Greg's most embarrassing secret and uses the knowledge to get the boy to fall in line with his plans. Through experiences such as being locked in the basement while Roderick throws a party for his high school friends, attempting to buy one of Roderick's old history papers when he neglects to do his homework, or trying to get on his younger brother's good side so as to avoid a parental scolding, Greg continues to journal his experiences in a genuine fashion, even when this puts him in a bad light. The seventh grader's misadventures are sure to strike a chord with young listeners, and narrator Ramon de Ocampo provides an expressive and captivating performance. However, the subtext provided by Kinney's sketches is missing, and many of the jokes fall flat without the book's accompanying illustrations-so make sure to have the book available.-Misti Tidman, Boyd County Public Library, Ashland, KY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.