To think that the Wimpy Kid books are pure shite?

[FlyingPi]

I read to my kid every night, I love it and am happy to read almost anything even if he goes through phases of the same book or author for a while (we must have read Dogman A Tale of Two Kitties about 15 times).

But I freaking hate the Wimpy Kid books. And we're currently on our fourth one in a row, he spent a Christmas book token on three of them and also keeps asking for them at the library.

The hero is a little bully and is just mean to everyone. There are loads of parts where he makes fun of people for being fat, bald, stupid etc. They're not particularly funny, to me anyway. And there is a weird, WEIRD emphasis on the hero trying to chat up girls all the time which seems really odd in a book for this age group who are not yet at that stage surely? In one illustration he even is shown peeping in a window at some girls having a pillowfight. WTF? I also feel that the situations are honestly quite boring.

Just wanted to have a rant! Obviously I'll keep reading them if my kid wants me to, but I am really hoping he moves onto another series soon.
Does anyone else hate them?

They're very popular with Y4/5 kids.

So glad to hear this. I sold books at book fairs in schools as a part-time job and all the kids buying Point Horror, I argued that it was a love of reading. You've proved my point!

I also loved SVH and a very clever English teacher moved me onto A Town Like Alice. Still romance but substance. I never looked back. Thanks freakishly tall English teacher at the SJH school. You are remembered. I read Dostoyevsky now, thanks to you.

@NeverDropYourMooncup that isn't how the fairies work at all, although they are very formulaic. It's just not that formula, which is more like a dystopian teen novel.

@IrritatedEarthling the rainbow fairies are fine, just very boring to read as an adult. I read them to my 4 and 6 year olds, and the 6 year old has started reading them to herself now. Low stakes, limited peril, early chapter books. Not mean like David Walliams. Don't worry about them.

Another one refusing to buy or have Walliams in the house but yeah Wimpy Kid books are atrocious.

I do not relate to this thread at all. My dd asked me to read then to her mainly to watch me laughing at them. They're brilliant and so well observed. You’ve obviously forgotten what it’s like to be a kid around other kids. Yes he’s mean but Greg gets his comeuppance every time. That’s the whole fun of them.

My son was obsessed with Captain Underpants and Dog Man. They were the books that got him reading. However, when I read to my kids I chose the books. I read them things like The Dark Is Rising Sequence and the Narnia books. Something that wouldn’t numb my brain!

saying that I took my DS to the cinema to see the Captain Underpants movie, and thought I’d hate it, but laughed my way through all the immature toilet humour.

One of my dc love them but they are for reading alone not aloud.

We have watched them all a few times and laugh all the way through. Very well done. My DC loved the books too.

Yes I enjoyed the films!

I disliked them but they got my reluctant reader into reading. He then had a bit of a comic obsession which my parents were a bit about but I said 'whatever gets him reading' (and to be fair prior to that my only real success was getting him to read the Argos catalogue at Christmas). He's 14 now and reads everything he can get his hands on.

Also a keen Sweet Valley High consumer here way back in the day.

I don’t think they’re fantastic but they’re better than Jacqueline Wilson.

Ah yes my boys both went through wimpy kid phase. They did mostly read them tho so I was saved (but not from the films!) And DD is now in rainbow fairy stage @TheaBrandt1although to be fair they aren’t the worst so I don’t mind - DD is 7 and she still likes me to read with her even though she can read perfectly fine so we do a page each.

I’m glad it’s not just me who has found the DW books obnoxiously bad! I got rid of the ones we had except Little Monsters which is slightly more tolerable and has illustrations that aren’t a pure Quentin Blake ripoff.

Not to hijack OP but could anyone recommend some books for my DD, reception age? She started wanting only “chapter books” lately after finding a copy of Fantastic Mr Fox. We have read through that twice, plus George’s Marvellous Medicine, Charlie & The Chocolate Factory, James & The Giant Peach and The Worst Witch. She loved the latter, we will keep an eye out for more of those in the charity shops.

Appreciating most novels are aimed at little older, any good ones past or present to introduce? I feel like I struggle to remember which ones are most appropriate to the youngest readers!

Both my DS’s absolutely loved the Wimpy Kid books. I wasn’t really feeling the love but thankfully DS1 read them himself and DS2 liked listening to the audiobooks. He would laugh his head off and just hearing that made me laugh too😆 I figured I was just too old to appreciate them. I used to read the Mr Gum books to DS2 and I could barely get the words out I was laughing so much. DP was the same when he read them. I have given away so many old books, but the Mr Gum books are staying put. I would totally recommend them!

Another one With a boy who loves to read Bunny v Monkey and Beast Quest (I read these to his younger brother as well who is too lazy to read them himself).

My son had a phase of loving Wimpy Kid too but he was easily reading them by himself by that age - why isn’t your kid reading himself?

I think the Wimpy Kid books are really funny! I identify strongly with the Mom.

I really disliked the Walliams books though. Tried to be Roald Dahl but came out just nasty.

Look up the Branching Out lists to print - ‘If you like (Eg Wimpy Kid), try these’ - the idea is you start with the books children are hooked on like Wimpy Kid, Rainbow Fairies, Walliams, Dogman etc and if gives alternative suggestions of similar but sometimes lesser known titles to move them on to. https://www.booksfortopics.com/booklists/branching-out/

Agree on the Walliam’s books. Some really unpleasant undertones. However, they really got my young son into reading. Too young to pick up the messages in the book. Loves the illustrations and the alternating crashes into sewers and blasting into outer space.

Does anyone know the 'Nicholas ' books by Goscinny and Sempe (sempe is the illustrator). Originally in French, about a schoolboy, Nicholas, and his gang.
They are really funny and my DD and DS loved them at around junior school age. There's one book when he goes away to camp and makes a new group of friends.(Nicholas on holiday).

Are they the ones that the film "Le petit Nicolas" is based on?

Yes I think so!

I agree, DGS8 brought it round but he doesn’t understand the Americanisms, the obsessive focus on girls, the humour just seems a world away from anything he can relate to.

I got him Dermot O’Leary’s Toto the ninja cat book, which was recommended elsewhere, and the language in that is way beyond him too, though. He’s not a keen reader, but enjoys being read to.

Definitely for kids to read to themselves! Ditto bunny vs monkey, Tom gates, pizzazz, Loki etc etc. I won’t read them aloud lol, they’re older now so I generally just say no pictures and that rules out most guff 😂

was anyone else here of an age to have avidly read goosebumps books one after the other as a child? That was definitely my book fair purchase of choice and my mum definitely would’ve refused to read them to me as well! 😂