‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid — — The Ugly Truth’
‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid — — The Ugly Truth’ by Jeff Kinney
This is the fifth book of a popular series for youth. The main character, Gregory has all the common weakness of kids, like unwilling to wake up on one’s own, shirking responsibility for housework and making excuses for one’s fault. I have read the third book of the same series before. The writer always put gross consequences for the most part of the book. This makes you feel sympathetic to Gregory. On the other hand, you are then reminded what a good child should behave. At the last few pages of the book, like the third one of the series that I read, the author made a happy ending. Gregory reconciled with his best friend, Rowley. The reason is indeed simple. He forgot why he was angry with Rowley.
This is an important message for youth and even adults. Things matter only when you think they do. We often find it hard to forgive someone as we think the wrongdoing they do is unbearable. Yet as years pass, we realize that everyone has his own weaknesses. As long as one tries to improve himself, why do we keep treating him/her as enemy?
‘Who is J.K. Rowling?’ by Pam Pollack and Meg Belviso Published by Penguin Group
This is a little biography of the writer who created Harry Potter. This biography is written in simple language, targeting children of age 8–11. There are plenty of pictures in the book and several columns for supplementary information. After finishing the book, children will know that Miss Rowling did not have a middle name ‘K’ initially. Besides, Miss Rowling loved making up stories since she was a little kid. In addition, she had a strong notion of making the world a fairer place. For instance, she used to work for an international organization, Amnesty International, which fights for the rights of people who are mistreated. The writers of this biography also mentioned the failure of Rowling’s first marriage. Last but not least, they reported Rowling as a mother who puts privacy as top priority and hates the media for taking photos without permission.
In conclusion, the readers will have an idea of how Harry Potter was created and some personalities of Miss Rowling by reading this book.
