Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days

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Rating:★★★
Category:Books
Genre: Other
Author:Jeff Kinney
Finally, I was able to sit down and read book IV of this series. And, as usual, I was half-smiling, half-laughing while burning through the pages. It was fun to see familiar characters again and learn what's the latest caper from our resident wimp.

This time, we see see Greg Heffley trying to foil his mother's attempt for family bonding during summer time. We also see how Greg's friendship with Rowley Jefferson becoming strained further. I wonder how Greg will save this friendship...

The book tries to emphasize the importance of bonding with family and, for me, it works. We see the contrast between the Jeffersons and the Heffleys when it comes to spending quality time with the family. While I see the Jeffersons kind of bonding may be somewhat stiff, mechanical and soooo proper, it only underscores what is lacking with the Heffleys as a family.

It seemed quite sad that Greg has a very different idea of what family bonding is and much as he doesn't like to "bond" with family, he can't deny that he shares something in common with his father, and that "bond" is enough for both father and son to spend quality time with each other. He can't deny that he shares something with his brother Rodrick. His care for his little brother Manny is the tie that binds them together (whether he likes it or not). And the adventures and misadventures Greg goes through as he dodges bonding time with family become a delight to read.

Oh, yeah, you'll also learn why the title of this fourth book is Dog Days. ;-)

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