Jeff Kinney was born in 1971 in Maryland and is not just a writer, but a game designer and a cartoonist also. His huge range of talents has led him to create games, websites and produce his well known “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” book series.

The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series traces the life of Gregg Heffley a kid at middle school. He is made to write a diary by his mum and it contains details of all of his adventures, including his interactions with kids at school, his dysfunctional family and girls. Gregg does not fill the traditional role of the main character- he is desperate to improve his standing in the rat race of school and as a result he is not the most principled of characters. However it is Gregg’s sometimes questionable morals and his obliviousness to the rest of his family that makes him such an endearing character and the books so funny and addictive. As well as being written brilliantly, the books also have great illustrations as well, which really adds to the appeal of the series for young readers.

The first book in the series is simply entitles “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” and opens with Gregg complaining how bad his life is. Backed by his friend Rowley, he goes through tough times such as being chased by teenagers on Halloween. However Gregg and Rowley’s friendship starts to deteriorate; especially after Rowley breaks his arm and starts to get much more attention than Gregg. Other issues drive the friends apart, such as Gregg framing Rowley for scaring younger children and Rowley claiming ownership of a comic that they co-created. However, eventually their disputes are put behind them, when they are again confronted by the teenagers who chased them at Halloween.

“Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth” is the fifth book in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series and starts with Gregg having a fight with his previously best friend Rowley. However that is the least of his worries, as his mum decides to return to college, leaving his dad in charge of the house. His dad isn’t the most practical of people, struggling to cook and keep the house clean and tidy. All the while Gregg is trying to work his way up the school social ladder and as usual makes very little progress. When he is eventually invited to a party by a popular kid from the year above, he cannot attend as his uncle has a wedding on the very same day- such is Gregg’s luck.