Greg Heffley thinks that summer vacation should be a total vacation from rules, responsibilities, and the supposedly Great Outdoors. To demonstrate his intransigence, bookdom's favorite wimpy kid has locked himself in his room to play videogames with the shades drawn tightly shut. Unfortunately, Mrs. Heffley has quite different ideas about what vacations mean. This addition to Jeff Kinney's simulated diary series will strike a chord in many young readers.

Is there a better remedy for the back-to-school doldrums than getting to see how Greg Heffley spent his summer vacation? If nothing else, the comedy of errors and indignities he suffers will make readers feel a whole lot better about any family vacation disasters of their own. In the fourth book in Kinney's bestselling Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, Greg has a falling-out with his friend Rowley over a failed lawn-care business, puts up with his parents' attempts to get him out of the house (Mom organizes a book club for boys—who pick out titles like “Sudoku Insanity” and “Ultimate Video Game Cheats”) and tries to shake off the twin horrors of the murderous “muddy hand” from a horror film he watches and the terrifying sights in the men's locker room at the pool. Kinney's gift for telling, pitch-perfect details in both his writing and art remains (such as the cursive script and cutesy content of Mom's photo album captions). No reason to think kids won't devour this book as voraciously as its predecessors. Ages 8–12. (Oct.)

This third book in Kinney's popular series opens with Greg's New Year's resolution: Since he's already perfect, he'll focus on helping other people address their character flaws. He’s surprised by their negative reactions to his helpful suggestions! Though some older listeners may have tired of the smart-aleck boy humor evident here, narrator Ramón de Ocampo has not: He brings as much energy to his lively characterization of Greg as he brought to the first book. De Ocampo's depictions of Greg fumbling his way through playing soccer, getting a merit badge in Boy Scouts, and having a first crush are sure to delight the boys who are so clearly Kinney's listeners. De Ocampo's tone—smart-alecky yet often clueless—seems just right for Kinney's antihero. J.C.G. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine