I'm a little late because I lost track of time. When you don't work, you don't have to keep track of the day of the weeks or month and it's July 1st already. Let's discuss our June book:

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinn

1) What are some laugh out loud moments for you?

2) Is Greg Heffley a good role model or hero for kids? Why or why not?

3) Is he a believable 12 years old boy? In other words, have the author created a character with the mentality, issues, and preoccupations of a 12 years old boy? Why or why not?

Feel free to add anything else you want to share? If you like the book in general, was it a good pick? Do your have younger family members that read it? Have you discuss the books with them?

If you have other question you want to ask of other book club members, please do so.

I love this book, Got to the second one now

(and this is not a Diary)

Oooh you guys have a book club.

I feel like I read it forever ago ... so I'm not sure I can answer those questions.

Anyways, I was excited to read this and loved it at the beginning. It was funny, charming, and the pictures were great. But the more I got to know Greg, the more I didn't like him.

Onto the Q&A:

1. The two funny scenes that I remembered most were: the play incident where the 'trees' started throwing apples at one of the other students and the scene where the bullies made them lick the 'cheese' off the pavement. Funny, slightly gross.

2. I don't think he's a good role model but then he did get his just desserts for his actions. So maybe it's a 'don't do' this or else suffer the consequences kind of role model? I don't know. My nephew has the book and he doesn't act that way - well, Asian parents wouldn't let kids get away with some of the stuff.

3. Is that how 12 year old  boys think and act??? No idea but I'm definitely not a big fan.

1) What are some laugh out loud moments for you?

I had many of those moments but it's all a blur now.  Plus, I read all three books so I mix them all up.

2) Is Greg Heffley a good role model or hero for kids? Why or why not?

I haven't decided on this one yet.... the way he treated his bestfriend and he reads his diary--not good role model.  Maybe he's just meant to be a funny character--a wimp and those kids with similiar issues can feel less alone.

3) Is he a believable 12 years old boy? In other words, have the author created a character with the mentality, issues, and preoccupations of a 12 years old boy? Why or why not?

Not sure.  My 11 years old niece read the books.  She likes it and thinks it's funny.  She's understanding it so it must speak to them and their issues.

1)

i'm sorry...i'm on day 50 of how ever long the journal is of this book...i remember vaguely of having a kick out of some incidence, but forgot what...i do recall having felt so unfairly when ever Mandy did something and was not duly chastised for it, but he is still young...i do however think it was very funny where Mandy tricked him, though...i wonder if a kid brother, barely able to talk, could do that to an older brother...is he really that wimpy?

2)

what is role model anyway? i think he is fine, doing what any kid does best at such a young age with all the peer pressures going on in school...do we instinctively look for role model in any given book, i wonder? i think children growing up feeling so much pressure, not only from both parents and peers, but themselves as well....

Greg as a kid, through his diary, portrayed how he dealt with such pressure...although, at some point his treatment of his best friend is cause for reproach...his actions in school are pretty typical where sure, you want to run for office and be in the high end of sports...

he strikes me as an average character who is witty at times and strive hard in anything that he sets his mind to and if it doesn't turn out good, he often looks at the bright side of the deal where he is happy to at least come out profitting...his observation combine with his ambition to achieve often seen him brainstorming for ideas and activities to do where he wouldn't let minor setbacks deter him, but learned from it instead.

in short, he could be considered role-model material in this aspect for it doesn't matter that you win 100% of the time, but that you see and do and learn where your limits are.

3) i think he is believable as a 12-yr-old kid...reading this ebook, not finished yet and still on day 50, i am brought back to my days back then...not quite making it, but strive really hard to be fitting with things like joining after school sports and such...Greg shows himself pretty typical of children at that age where he is concerned about bullies, kids who copy from him, girls, try-outs in sports, etc...don't stake any emphasis on what i say here since i don't have any family members who are young and around that age, just reliving vaguely what my youth was like back then...although, i do like how he put the wrong answers for the copy-cat and then write the right answers to turn in, all the while fooling the copy-catter...i think that was pretty witty...he is pretty smart in his own way.