Answers to Go

Q. My child really enjoys the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney. Could you recommend some other books or series like it?

A. In “Diary of a Wimpy Kid,” Greg Heffley is thrust into middle school, where he and his best friend, Rowley, undersized weaklings amid boys who need to shave twice daily, hope just to survive. However, when Rowley grows more popular, Greg must take drastic measures to save their friendship. The hazards of growing up are uniquely revealed through words and drawings as Greg records them in his diary.

One book your child might enjoy is “Elvin Link, Please Report to the Principal’s Office!” by Drew Dernavich. Meet Elvin Link — slacker, notorious doodler, and the only kid in fifth grade who hasn't (yet) received a wedgie from the school bully Peter Zorber. Can Elvin navigate the last few weeks of school without getting into trouble for his incessant doodling? How will he steer clear of the class wedgie-master? And is it possible to turn a hobby into a crime fighting skill and solve a school mystery? Elvin Link is about to find out all the answers, and he'll do it with a flip disc in one hand and a bottle of hot sauce in the other

Both character-driven illustrated books depict relatable middle school boys’ everyday lives with plenty of humor. Elvin Link is a bit more leisurely paced than “Diary of a Wimpy Kid.”

Another read-alike suggestion is “The Strange Case of Origami Yoda” by Tom Angleberger. Meet Dwight, a sixthgrade oddball. Dwight does a lot of weird things, like wearing the same T-shirt for a month or telling people to call him “Captain Dwight.” But Dwight does one cool thing. He makes origami. One day he makes an origami finger puppet of Yoda. And that’s when things get mysterious. Origami Yoda can predict the future and suggest the best way to deal with a tricky situation. His advice actually works, and soon most of the sixth grade is lining up with questions. Dwight's friend Tommy wants to know how Origami Yoda can be so smart when Dwight is so clueless. Is Yoda tapping into the Force?

“Diary of a Wimpy Kid” has a lot more drawings, but both of these laugh-out-loud books are made even funnier by their cartoon illustrations. Both books also have great characters (from seriously quirky to utterly normal) who have realistic middle-school embarrassments, problems, and victories.

A series your child might enjoy is “Clueless McGee” by Jeff Mack. Clueless McGee is just your average fifth grader: snarky, awkward, and a magnet for trouble. The only difference: he's also an amateur detective. Determined to make his absent father proud, he uses the skills he's learned playing video games to solve mysteries. Only he's no Sherlock Holmes. Or Encyclopedia Brown. Or even Scooby-Doo. When the school bully is framed for filling the orchestra teacher's tuba with macaroni and cheese, Clueless is on the case. But can he catch the culprit before he strikes again?

Hapless heroes try to make the best of it in these funny stories filled with plenty of cartoony illustrations. Clueless McGee is a wannabe detective trying to impress his private eye dad while Greg Heffley is just a regular guy.

For more book recommendations, call or email the library at 512- 393-8200 or smpl@sanmarcostx.gov.