B’s Review: Hard Luck by Jeff Kinney (Diary of a Wimpy Kid #8)

Title: Hard Luck by Jeff Kinney

Published: November 5^th, 2013 by Amulet Books

Source: Purchased

Format: Hardcover

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Group age: Middle grade

Reviewer: B (my 13 year old)

Grate rate: A++

Greg Heffley and his family and friends are back in Diary of a Wimpy Kid Book 8, the latest installment in the #1 bestselling series by Jeff Kinney and one of the most anticipated books of 2013. A global phenomenon, the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series has more than 85 million books in print around the world. Greg Heffley's on a losing streak. His best friend, Rowley Jefferson, has ditched him, and finding new friends in middle school is proving to be a tough task. To change his fortunes, Greg decides to take a leap of faith and turn his decisions over to chance. Will a roll of the dice turn things around, or is Greg's life destined to be just another hard-luck story?

B’s Review

I love the Wimpy Kid series and I have been waiting for this book for a long time! It was well worth the wait!

Hard Luck started where The Third Wheel ended.  Greg is upset with Rowley because he thought that he will get a girlfriend before he did.  There are no new characters in the book and the existing ones are pretty much the same.  My favorite character is Greg because he always gets himself in silly situations that are so funny, especially how he gets out of them.

The book is well written, the mood is chill. The plot is simple but not boring.  As always Kinney’s books are very funny.  Hard Luck was a very fast read.  I’m not sure if there will be a ninth book, but I hope so.  I also hope that my little brother starts reading it soon.

B is 13 years old.  He is in 8th grade and loves to read, play X-Box and play with his little brother. His favorite books are manga, the Wimpy Kids series, the False Memory series, and the Origami Yoda series.

Guest Post / Interview with ‘B’: Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko (Al Capone at Alcatraz #1)

In case you don’t know “B” is my middle son (I have three boys whose names start with A, B, and C); “B” is currently 12 and loves to read, the apple didn't fall that far from the tree in this case : ) However, he doesn't like to write, so I decided to interview him instead.  Enjoy!  

Title: Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko

Published: April 20^th, 2006 by Puffin

Source: From School

Format: Hardcover

Today I moved to a twelve-acre rock covered with cement, topped with bird turd and surrounded by water. I'm not the only kid who lives here. There's my sister, Natalie, except she doesn't count. And there are twenty-three other kids who live on the island because their dads work as guards or cook's or doctors or electricians for the prison, like my dad does. Plus, there are a ton of murderers, rapists, hit men, con men, stickup men, embezzlers, connivers, burglars, kidnappers and maybe even an innocent man or two, though I doubt it. The convicts we have are the kind other prisons don't want. I never knew prisons could be picky, but I guess they can. You get to Alcatraz by being the worst of the worst. Unless you're me. I came here because my mother said I had to.

Interview

1. Can you give me a short description of what this book is about?  Try to not include spoilers!

The book is about a kid that moves to Alcatraz because his father got a job there.  He has a sister with autism and the family is trying to put her into a special school that is very close to Alcatraz. The book is about his move and his new friends and his new life.

2. Did you like the book? Why or why not?

Yes, because it was so good that it was hard to put down.

3. How long did it take you to read it?

I guess five or six hours. 

4. Would you recommend this book to others?

Yes!  It’s a very good book and I want to read the sequel.

5. What was your favorite thing about the book?

Everything!

6. What was your least favorite thing about the book?

Nothing.

7. Anything else that you would like to add?

Peace out. 

There you have it guys!

'B' is 12 years old.  He is in 7th grade and loves to read, play X-Box and play with his little brother. His favorite books are manga, the Wimpy Kids series and the Origami Joda series.