Diary of a Wimpy Kid
by Jeff Kinney
Hybrid format · ages 8–12 · grades 3–7 · 680L · 224 pages · 2022
Why we'd hand it over
Genuinely funny and a perfect gateway to chapter books for kids who think reading is a chore — the cartoon illustrations and short diary entries feel like cheating, and they'll beg for the sequels.
What parents said
He is OBSESSED with Calvin and Hobbes. It was the first thing I found that he actually enjoyed.