Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth

Growing up arrives whether Greg Heffley is ready or not, and this instalment catches him at the point where nothing about it feels manageable. Jeff Kinney puts school pressure, shifting friendships and a first crush in front of a narrator who would much rather be doing anything else, and the gap between Greg's account and what clearly happened is where the comedy sits. Diary entries stay short, cartoons keep arriving, and the awkwardness is treated with sympathy rather than mockery. Worth a mention: • The fifth book in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney • Adolescence, changing friendships and a first crush handled comically • Greg's unreliable narration set against drawings that contradict him • Written for the eight to twelve age group and easy to read in short sessions A good choice for middle-grade readers, gift shoppers and children collecting the whole series, published by Penguin Publications and available from Boipoka.