So you've already read Wimpy Kid......

.....and it's still not October 12th, when Dog Days is due for release. While you're waiting for every one's favorite junior high diarist, let me introduce you to Julian Rodriguez. Julian is one seriously put-upon eight year old. In his first book, Trash Crisis on Earth, he not only has to take a test on an empty stomach, but then he is asked to take out the trash. Invasion of the Relatives involves enduring a Thanksgiving meal with the extended family: two nanas, two cousins, all revolting. Julian's trials and tribulations are dutifully reported to the Mother Ship (yes--did I mention that Julian survives his families demands by imagining he is an intergalactic First Officer?) from whence comes advice and encouragement and a semblance of reason, much like a digital Jimminy Cricket. The motif of Julian parading as an alien sleeper on Earth is played to the comic hilt with plenty of techno-babble tossed in to emphasize how the fantasy plays out in Julian's mind. For instance, his description of a ball, for the benefit of the Mother Ship, with which he must play catch with his cousins:

"...this ORB, how it tortures me! It is nothing but a cheap synthetic polymer formed in the shape of a sphere or a pointed egg, but the mini-brains worship it as though it had magical powers."

Or Julian's description of a Thanksgiving dinner:

"During this particular festival, the living quarters are festooned with natural debris. Groups of genetically linked mini-brains from different localities are invited to come and feast on hideous local specialties."

When you're eight, you can get away with that!

The book combines graphic elements with blocks of text and the impression that the reader is interacting directly with the Mother Ship through black pages representing a computer screen. There is a note at the back of the book describing the different types of fonts used; a lot of effort went into the visual effect of the book, and it shows. Stadler's angular style gives Julian an edgy appearance, while on his family it looks almost grotesque. Julian would not have it any other way!

It is easy to imagine that Julian Rodriguez might grow up to be Greg Heffley; his eye is as observant, his wit as razor-sharp, and his sense of taking-on-the-world just as finely honed. May they one day cross paths, if only on your To Be Read list.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid translations.

After reading in Publisher's Weekly about the success of foreign language translations of Jeff Kinney's Diary of a Wimpy Kid, I had a look on the net for some of them. How kind of Chad Beckerman of Mishaps and Adventures--he has a lovely collection of cover images at his website.

What I am Reading--Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules

The purpose of reading this book was tri-fold (if that's the correct use of the word.) (1)Author Jeff Kinney will be appearing at the Barnes and Noble in Walpole, and I want to go meet him (2)this is the chosen book, along with it's predecessor, for the February meeting of the 5th and 6th grade book discussion group at work (3)I enjoyed the first one so much. Rodrick Rules picks up a few months after the end of Diary of a Wimpy Kid. He is back at school and trying to put behind him an unpleasant episode with his brother, which you just know is going to surface at some point. Greg's sibling relations dominate this story: either he's trying to evade to run-ins with big brother Rodrick or avoid doing anything naughty in front of snitch-master little brother, Manny. For the most part, Greg fails on both parts. "Better-than-nothing" best friend Rowley is still around. He reminds me of Ralph from the Simpsons; an absolute idiot who has to work hard to stay out of his own way.

There was something a bit more mean-spirited about Rodrick Rules than "Diary," and I suppose we can blame Rodrick for that. He really is horrid! He's got his father doing his homework, he swindles his mother out of money for bogus drum lessons to Greg and Rowley, and he never seems to get the comeuppance that afflicts Greg whenever he does anything cruel or wrong (unless you count the science fair.) And I found the parents to be particularly obtuse in this volume. Where as the first diary reminded me of the slings and arrows of being in Middle School, this diary has filled me with dread at the thought of raising a middle schooler. Heaven forbid I should get it as wrong as Mr. and Mrs. Heffley do! Still, Mom manages to steal the show towards the end, which almost makes up for the Mystick and Magic stupidity, where her good intentions manage to undermine just about the only thing in the book that Greg does that keeps him out of trouble. All I'll say is that it involves a school talent show, public access cable, and some seriously bad dancing.

Having said all that, fans of the first book will eat this one right up (as evidence by the number of kids who have signe up for the book discussion group this time around.) I expect to run into a sizeable crowd of fans at B&N on Monday. And I'm even looking forward to the next installment, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw (according to the publisher's website, at least five volumes are planned.) Does Greg finally get one over on Rodrick? Does he shove the annoying Manny down the toilet? Does Mom finally buy a clue?! We'll see.