Mentions the consequences of cheating and introduces the concept of blackmail.
Positive Messages
none
Sibling rivalry, mean pranks played at school, and some plots for cheating, but nothing feels too mean-spirited and the humor is often based on lessons the clueless main character should be learning (and readers will get themselves).
Positive Role Models
none
Greg can be pretty mean to his friends, is sarcastic, often has poor judgment, and gets caught in a lie -- all lead to lessons and consequences. His mother does a great job of reeling him back in when he makes mistakes.
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know this book has sibling rivalry, one wild party, and some scheming to cheat on tests and get out of chores. The great thing is, like most middle school kids, the characters get caught and are punished.
Its an amazing book I don’t care how others say its too much for kids its great for 3rd graders to middle schoolers and maybe adults cause i read it myself
What's the Story?
Greg Heffley is just trying to put the summer and its events behind him. It would be a lot easier if his mean older brother Rodrick didn't know his darkest secret. All Greg has to do is keep Rodrick quiet and keep his journal out of Rodrick's hands and everything should be OK, well not OK, but tolerable.
A worthy follow-up to the first book Diary of a Wimpy Kid, RODRICK RULES gives us more of Greg's funny take on the world around him through his comics-laced journal. Greg's in more scrapes this time around, and worse than that, his bully brother Rodrick knows one of Greg's secrets that could definitely get him into trouble and threatens to tell the world. Here comes the brotherly blackmail (and a great topic for parent-kid discussions).
The cartoons that go along with Greg's journal entries are hilarious. Bestselling author Jeff Kinney does a great job portraying the hazardous environment of middle school and of showing us a relatable kid whose full of foibles -- while he's very likable he can be sarcastic, snarky, and occasionally pretty mean to his friends. The situations Greg finds himself are both familiar and embarrassing. While Greg likes to think he's the victim of misunderstandings, like when he promises to be honest and takes it too far, the majority of the time he gets what he deserves.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about lying and friendship. Why was Greg's mother more upset when she found out he lied?
How would you feel if your friends treated you like Greg did Chirag?
Have you ever done something in school that made other people feel bad, but made you feel cool and popular?
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Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.