Guest Reviewer: Mister B is reading…Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Third Wheel

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Third Wheel by Jeff Kinney

The more things change, the more they stay the same....

The above cliche is a perfect description of the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" series.  The latest, "The Third Wheel", follows the same script. The usual Greg Hefley family weirdness (this time with the addition of a deadbeat uncle); Greg figuring out creative ways to get out of things leading to some mishap or another; hijinks at school (including the mysterious "pantser").  Same, same.

There is one difference though.  Greg actually seems to be growing up.  Girls weren't a focal point for him in the past, but with the big Valentine's Day dance coming up, finding someone to take becomes the central focus of "The Third Wheel".  There are some funny parts about the search for a date, including some sound advice from the deadbeat uncle.  And the book leads to an entertaining end, with good friend Rowley turning the tables on Greg.

Yeah, "The Third Wheel" is pretty much just like the other "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" books.  But that isn't such a bad thing.  Sometimes, funny is still funny, no matter how many times you read it.

Guest Reviewer: Mister B is reading…Spilling Ink

Spilling Ink by Anne Mazer and Ellen Potter, Illustrated by Matt Phelan

Don’t you just hate when you are assigned some complicated, crazy math problem?  And you sit there for hours trying to figure out why one car would leave at the same time as the other and who even cares which one arrives at the grocery store first?  Very frustrating!  It would be much simpler if someone wrote clear, detailed steps for you on how to solve the problem and free you from your math torture.

Well, if you ever wanted to write a poem, a short story, a book, or just about anything and really weren’t sure how to do it, then you must read Spilling Ink by Anne Mazer and Ellen Potter!

Spilling Ink is an excellent instruction book for writers.  It provides information and ideas for writers of all ages.  From the basics of coming up with a topic to how to write effective dialogue, Spilling Ink covers it all.

The best thing about Spilling Ink is that it doesn’t teach you to write in a boring way, like those grammar lessons taught in an English class (of course I don’t mean a CMS English class!).  Instead, the authors of this book provide funny, creative and interesting stories to help you learn how to write.  Both authors are successful published writers, so you know what they have to say is important.

So, if you want to write the next Hunger Games, Harry Potter or Twilight saga, you must start by reading Spilling Ink!