Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid: Rowley Jefferson's Journal

by Jeff Kinney

Overview

An instant #1 USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and New York Times bestseller!

Get ready for a whole new look into Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid! Introducing the newest Wimpy Kid author—Rowley Jefferson! Rowley’s best friend Greg Heffley has been chronicling his middle-school years in thirteen Diary of a Wimpy Kid journals . . . and counting. But it’s finally time for readers to hear directly from Rowley in a journal of his own. In Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid, Rowley writes about his experiences and agrees to play the role of biographer for Greg along the way. (After all, one day Greg will be rich and famous, and everyone will want to know his life’s story.) But Rowley is a poor choice for the job, and his “biography” of Greg is a hilarious mess. Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid: Rowley Jefferson’s Journal offers readers a new way to look at the Wimpy world—one fans won’t want to miss!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781419740275
Publisher:	ABRAMS
Publication date:	04/09/2019
Pages:	224
Sales rank:	7,642
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.10(h) x 0.90(d)
Lexile:	1020L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Jeff Kinney is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and four-time Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Award winner for Favorite Book. Jeff has been named one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World. He is also the creator of Poptropica, which was named one of Time’s 50 Best Websites. He spent his childhood in the Washington, D.C., area and moved to New England in 1995. Jeff lives with his wife and two sons in Plainville, Massachusetts, where he owns a bookstore, An Unlikely Story.

Hometown:

Southern Massachusetts

Date of Birth:

February 19, 1971

Place of Birth:

Maryland

Education:

University of Maryland

Website:

http://www.wimpykid.com/

Editorial Reviews

04/01/2019

No fan of the Wimpy Kid series would argue that Greg Heffley’s long-suffering sidekick, Rowley Jefferson, doesn’t deserve a turn in the spotlight. And none will be surprised that as soon as Rowley claims it, Greg hijacks it for himself. What begins as Rowley’s diary—illustrated in Kinney’s familiar stick-figure style—quickly morphs into a biography of Greg, who insists that “there are gonna be a LOT of biographies about him one day,” but he’s giving Rowley the chance to write the first. What follows is a retelling of some indignities that Rowley has suffered at Greg’s hands: Greg’s manipulation of Rowley extends to every facet of their friendship, including cheating on a math test so thoroughly that he inadvertently copies Rowley’s name onto his own paper. But Rowley remains an “awesome friendly kid” through and through—when the friends create original comics, Rowley’s superhero, Amazing Guy, blocks attacks with rainbows and wears padded gloves “so he doesn’t hurt the bad guys too much.” His superpower, like Rowley’s, is kindness. This series spinoff first appeared in 2018 (at half its present length) as a promotion for Scholastic Book Clubs. The fuller version will please fans, many of whom have long maintained that Rowley deserves better. Ages 8–12. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

"Kinney perfectly captures middle-school logic and relationships… Laughs abound, of course, and a roundup of lies Greg told Rowley is particularly hilarious. Kinney has mastered this format, and fans of the beloved series will be delighted by this fresh perspective.

Booklist

Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid is well on track to being as loved by children as Kinney's original series is. The silly situations, comic timing, frustrating selfishness of Greg and open friendliness of Rowley continue to work their magic, creating a book that young readers will likely want to revisit time and time again.

Shelf Awareness

2019-03-17
The wimpy kid's best friend tells his side of the story.

After 13 volumes documenting events from Greg Heffley's perspective, Rowley Jefferson takes a turn. The result is oddly refreshing: Greg's unreliable narration gives readers plenty to chuckle at, but Rowley's brutal honesty supplies fans of the series an unblinking look at their favorite protagonist. Greg's jerk-y behavior that always lurked beneath the surface emerges fully here, coming dangerously close to ruining the character. Kinney uses this perspective shift to explore Greg's behavior from the outside but through the eyes of his best friend, and that distinction is important. Rowley has cleareyed faith in his friend despite his father's disapproval and nudges to make a better one. This faith is tested during a difficult sleepover and an exasperating study session but rewarded in the end. The Wimpy Kid books have never been heavy on plot, instead emphasizing character and gags. The gags in this volume are serviceable, but the character work is terrific. The fact that Kinney can expose new facets of his characters this deep into the series is a credit to the property. Underneath the marketing, the movies, the bookmarks, and the merchandise, the Wimpy Kid books are about a couple of pals figuring themselves out.

A pleasant twist on a sturdy franchise. (Graphic/fiction hybrid. 7-10)

Kirkus Reviews

Read More