Diary of a Wimpy Kid
by Jeff Kinney
Hybrid format · ages 8–12 · grades 3–7 · 690L · 226 pages · 2007
Why we'd hand it over
Genuinely funny for the intended age; the diary format and cartoons lower barrier to engagement, and Greg's self-aware social anxiety rings true without being preachy.
What parents said
He is OBSESSED with Calvin and Hobbes. It was the first thing I found that he actually enjoyed.