Sometimes you don’t know what you have until it finds the right audience. In the early 1930s, Noah McVicker created a pliable putty for cleaning soot off wallpaper. In 1956, the product became a sensation when it was rebranded as a modeling clay for kids, called Play-Doh. In 2004, Jeff Kinney started posting daily online entries from a manuscript of funny illustrated stories based on his childhood that he’d been working on for six years as a “nostalgia piece” for grown-ups. It wasn’t until 2006, when an editor at Abrams saw the potential of “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” as a book for young readers, that it was accepted for publication (eventually sporting a Play-Doh-red cover, BTW). More than 300 million copies later, it’s clear the series heralded — or maybe created — the illustrated middle grade novel boom that’s been going strong ever since.
As the Wimpy Kid fans in your life await the next installment (out Oct. 20), you can hand them any one of the books below with pride.
Dante N. Ferno Is NOT a Loser
by Brian Gordon
The “wimpy” in Wimpy Kid is key. It hints at a self-awareness that readers respect. The main character of Gordon’s new illustrated novel series has self-awareness in spades. After accidentally dropping trou in his grade school cafeteria, Dante Nimrod Ferno needs a reputation reset in time for middle school. He has a plan that rivals “How to Win Friends and Influence People.” But despite his efforts, Dante’s fortunes remain largely the same until a new friend named Virgil enters the picture and Dante realizes that quiz tournament teamwork might make his dream come true.
Really Rubie
by Maddie Frost
What’s the secret to Wimpy Kid’s incredible success? It’s the slapstick, stupid. Frost’s first foray into middle grade will have readers LOLing. In Book 1, Rubie is all set to go to sleepaway camp with her best friend, Riley, until disaster strikes: Riley breaks her ankle and Rubie must head to camp solo, armed with a list of things she promises she won’t do until Riley can join her next summer. You can guess how that goes. Simple black-and-white illustrations often deliver (or ingeniously tag) the punchlines. Wacky and charming.
Mexikid
by Pedro Martín
I’m convinced a part of Wimpy Kid’s appeal stems from the fact that Kinney came to children’s books from an unexpected angle, making his work feel remarkably fresh. “Mexikid” has a similar vibe, and a similar origin story. Martín honed his family tales on Instagram before releasing this debut graphic memoir about a hilarious and harrowing R.V. road trip to Mexico. Lucky for us, his follow-up, “Mexikid Dreams,” is out Sept. 1.
Read at Your Own Risk
by Remy Lai
While the Wimpy Kid spinoff “Rowley Jefferson’s Awesome Friendly Spooky Stories” dips a toe into the macabre, this book dives in. The seventh grader Hannah and her friends skip an assembly to play a spirit-summoning game in the school attic. But it doesn’t go as planned. Now one of the spirits is haunting Hannah (and her spiral-bound notebook). A nicely calibrated mix of humor and horror.
Don’t Cause Trouble
by Arree Chung
When it comes to cringe comedy, the Wimpy Kid series was ahead of its time. Mining awkward moments for laughs is something Chung does well in his graphic novel debut. The first-generation American Ming Lee is beginning middle school and is off to a discouraging start: a fresh bowl cut, no friends and placement in ESL, though he speaks only English. Ming dreams of fitting in, of playing basketball with the other kids while rocking a pair of Air Elevates.
Stuntboy, in the Meantime
by Jason Reynolds; illustrated by Raúl the Third
If you’re looking for a bit of superhero in your insecure boy wonder, Portico Reeves is at your service. Also known as Stuntboy, Portico dashes, defies and defends his way through 10 interconnected episodes in this first of two illustrated novels, all while dealing with a serious case of anxiety. But when he learns of an impending family shift, he fears he may have met his match.
Sawyer Lee and the Quest to Just Stay Home
by Zach Weinersmith
In the 1999 cult-classic comedy film “Office Space,” the main character, Peter Gibbons, shares his ultimate wish: to do nothing. Sawyer Lee is Peter’s kindred spirit. The problem is, everyone around Sawyer has absolutely no chill. As the whole town gets swept up in winning the annual gourd contest, Sawyer, much to his chagrin, is dragged into the mix. A cartoon-illustrated novel for readers who like their comics on the ridiculous side.
The Strange Case of Origami Yoda
by Tom Angleberger
Tommy and his friends can’t quite figure out Dwight, the universally recognized class loser. Dwight’s an odd duck, communicating via an origami Yoda finger puppet. But while Dwight doesn’t seem to have a clue, Origami Yoda (the hero of this six-book series) keeps surprising the class with his ability to predict the future and resolve tricky situations with sage advice. Does the finger puppet really have psychic abilities or is something else going on? The story is like Yoda himself: funny but also wise and heartfelt.
Have Pen, Will Travel
by Ruth McNally Barshaw
Nothing like a forced camping trip with hostile (and/or clueless) relatives to generate a page-turning chronicle of relatable suffering. When Ellie’s parents leave town for a funeral, in this first of six books in the Ellie McDoodle Diaries series, she finds herself in a car full of irritating family members en route to the great outdoors of Michigan. Thankfully, the doodle-loving Ellie is armed with her diary, and documents the whole beautiful disaster.
Penny Draws a Best Friend
by Sara Shepard
While the Wimpy Kid ethos sometimes adheres to the “Seinfeld” writers’ credo “No hugging, no learning,” many of the best illustrated novels aren’t afraid to get in touch with their feelings. Penny Lowry is beginning fifth grade and things are far from perfect: After spending the summer away at camp, her best friend remains distant, palling around with the class mean girl. Not afraid to trade a joke for a moment of self-reflection, this first of six books in the Penny Draws series is a deceptively authentic account of the tween experience.
Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
by Patrick Ness; illustrated by Tim Miller
Some of the funniest moments in the Wimpy Kid series erupt from explorations of school hierarchies and stereotypes. In this ongoing series, Ness hits on those same themes, but in a delightfully bizarre way. Zeke is a monitor lizard who is named hall monitor of his new school, putting him at odds with the villainous-by-birthright Pelicarnassus. As he contends with this bully, he also navigates grief at home, a menagerie of anthropomorphized classmates and — in an especially absurd twist — the country of France that exists on his knee. Miller’s wickedly dry line drawings pair well with the text, adding to our amusement.
The post 11 Books for Children Who Love the Wimpy Kid Series appeared first on New York Times.
