Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Third Wheel

“I don't know what a guy needs to do to impress a girl these days.”
-Jeff Kinney In The Third Wheel.

The Third Wheel is the seventh installment to the Diary Of A Wimpy Kid franchise where Greg Heffley, who is still insufferable, becomes interested in girls but doesn't have the social awareness to land a date. Extremely funny and relatable, a relatively easy read.

Reading these now as an adult after not being allowed to read them as a child, I think I'd probably let a child read this installment. I love that Rowley is having a better time in these books! I just wish that Greg was more self reflective.

I feel like I went to middle school with my fair share of Greg Heffleys.

Greg Heffley is back, and continues to crack up readers with his fictional diary. He’s growing up a bit — this book includes an extended storyline about adolescent first steps in romance that centers on a school Valentine’s Day dance. Greg’s tongue-tied attempts at asking girls to go to the dance are all-the-more hilarious because he’s so unaware of his own awkward missteps. True to the series, the irony is laid on thick. And the heightened humor that arises from the frequent disconnect between what Greg tells readers and what is shown in Kinney’s drawings continues to be a shining example of the power of not just Kinney’s comics but the genre. Like Greg, the extended plot line signals a possible new maturity for the show more series as well, since most of the previous books are collections of events organized chronologically by the diary entries more than a single narrative. At least one young reader reported liking this change. As with the others in this series, this book doesn’t need to be talked up by teachers to get students to read it, but teachers are encouraged to read it in order to carry on book talk with students. And classroom copies will be reread. show less

The Third Wheel is about Greg Heffley and his best friend Rowley, as usual. Greg is a kid! Yep, he still is. No, he has not gotten around to growing up completely yet (where's the fun in that?!). The school is going to be hosting a Valentine's dance. Whoopee! If you have a date that is, which Greg doesn't. This book follows Greg's adventures, from having to no date, to helping Rowley run for a student council position. He also has to deal with his uncle, who is down on his luck and has moved in with the Heffleys. We also get Greg's "origin story," from his birth all the way up to Manny's birth.
This book should be read for these reasons:
1) It's very funny
2) It doesn't take up a whole lot of time to enjoy
3) The characters will leave you show more in hysterics
4) Who doesn't love watching young boys struggle with impressing young girls?
5) The origin story is reason enough for anyone who has been reading the series for a while now--it explains a lot
6) If you have kids, this is a great book to talk about with them as they grow up
7) If you don't have kids, it'll still be just as funny and you can use the excuses that: you are studying children's literature (or satire or realistic fiction) or even that you are preparing to be a parent by seeing the challenges you and your kids will go through together
8) If you've already been reading the series since the beginning, there's no point in stopping now!!
9) It'll take up some time while you await the coming of the next book in the series Hard Luck.
Filled with relatable humor and easy to get through language, Diary of a Wimpy Kid is a hilarious series that can be enjoyed by a wide audience (not just kids!!!). show less

Plenty of punchlines and sight gags; fans won't be disappointed. The book cover implies a foiled romance but don't worry, fellas, no mushy stuff here. Greg's pursuit of a date is more pragmatism than romantic pursuit, and the diary entry covering the big Valentine's Day dance is typical, full-on Wimpy Kid disaster.

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 show more 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. show less

Greg Heffley navigates the hilarity and chaos of middle school romance in this seventh installment of the beloved Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. From class fundraisers to Valentine’s Day drama, Kinney’s comic-diary format delivers relatable moments and laugh-out-loud scenes. It’s a clever, everyday adventure that both new readers and series fans will enjoy

This book is funny in that it brings back the memories of when you are at school and trying to impress a girl. The school dance is coming up and Greg does not want to be the odd one out with out a date. This is typical of how a school kid would feel.
Greg is desperate to find someone and ends up inviting a girl called Abigail. Aiming to impress her he organizes Rowley’s dad to drive them (on the pretence that he is a chauffeur) to the dance and in doing so has to have Rowley along as well. By the end of the night Abigail is more impressed with Rowley than Greg and a budding romance begins, much to the annoyance of Greg who feels like a third wheel. This is an enjoyable book as I could relate to how Greg felt attending his first school show more dance. show less