DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: THE LONG HAUL is book number 9 in the series. The author, Jeff Kinney, continues his insightful wit, accompanied by cutting edge (if not exactly award-winning) artwork. The artwork is a cross between a Gary Larson cartoon and Scott Adams of Dilbert fame.
If you remember where we left Greg Heffley the last time we saw him, Greg was dealing with losing the attention of his best friend, Rowley Jefferson. That book ended with Greg leaving Rowley Jefferson hanging around the "Find a Friend station." In this installment, THE LONG HAUL, the Heffley’s go on vacation. But it’s a vacation like none you’ve ever seen before. Get ready, because in this vacation we will NOT be traveling with Ward and June Cleaver. This vacation does NOT include Wally and the Beaver.
Right off the bat, the Heffley’s journey takes a bad turn. Naturally, they are stuck in traffic for a long time. Alas, dad gets really nervous around high bridges: "The bridge to the beach was one of those kinds that’s really high above the water, and I’m sure dad wasn’t looking forward to being stuck on it for the next half hour." But that’s not the worst part. Somehow, a seagull ends up INSIDE the Heffley car, flying around, looking for Cheeseits. It’s complete mayhem! Perhaps the best sketch in the entire book is the illustration of the seagull flying around the car.
Here’s WHY this book is so funny (and why all the books in the series are so funny): The author writes about what ACTUALLY HAPPENS (or comes close to happening) in our family trips. The reason we laugh so hard at these diary entries is that we see OURSELVES here. The accounts hit very close to him–at least for me.
√ All in all, DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: THE LONG HAUL is a hilarious, fun read.
‘The Long Haul’ is latest installment, a ninth one, in a worldwide known Diary of a Wimpy Kid series written by Jeff Kinney. For those who are maybe not familiar with the series this is funny comic previously published as online comic which because of popularity was transferred to book edition as well.
The main character Greg Heffley is a 6th grade student who more than anything wants to become popular, which is usual characteristic of kids his age. Greg writes his diary which is published in same way he wrote it in his notebook, full of humorous text and even funnier pictures.
Greg lives in an ordinary family with his parents and two brothers, the older Rodrick who is heavy metal fan and younger Manny, who is whiny kid. Greg’s best friend is Rowley Jefferson, boy of Greg’s age with annoying parents who due to their bothering make Greg’s parents looking like the best in the world.
Because of his everlasting desire to be cool, Greg is all the time pursuing some funny tasks like trying to enter Guinness Book and what is also usual, Greg is all the time victim of older boys who find him always at the wrong place and time…
The only thing Greg manages to do successfully is acting as guard for kindergarten children escorting them during lunch that is great opportunity to at least get free chocolate and skip part of math class…
In this latest installment Greg together with his family will embark on the trip in van. And hitting the road has never been more fun.