I like the Wimpy Kid books. I don’t jump on every bandwagon, but I’m on this one. The first book cracked me up (Zowee Mama!) and I’ve read every one since, usually the week it’s released. I got a nice email from the author once. Anyway, the sixth book has an interesting subplot about Greg getting a doll (told as a flashback) that he becomes attached to. It is sweet in a William’s Doll way, without obviously having a moral, but isn’t played for laughs the way you expect — nobody mocks Greg for his doll. It’s shown as completely normal for a boy to simply want to take care of something, a theme that’s emphasized rather humorously when Greg becomes obsessed with a virtual chihuahua. And of course the book will be read by millions of boys. I think this alone makes Jeff Kinney a true American hero.
