Greg Heffley is kicking it old school in the newest addition to the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series ough not by choice. As has come to be expected, his candid diary account of his day-to-day experiences is filled with humor and comic doodles. Prime among his observations is that grown-ups are convinced life was much better when they were kids. But Greg can't figure out what was so great about it. No one ever smiles in old-timey photos; there was no air-conditioning or baby wipes; and everyone thought Kick the Can was actually fun. What's more, his mom has organized a technology-free weekend for the neighborhood, filled with community service activities. (Greg's disastrous attempt at selling lemonade and his evasion of park clean-up duties are sure to garner laughs.) The highlight, however, is his class trip to Hardscrabble Farms for a week in the woods. Mishaps galore and a chilling rumor make for a highly entertaining, and fairly smelly, foray into the great outdoors and, thankfully, back home to modern comforts.

Now in his tenth outing, Greg doesn't want to go on the class trip to Hardscrabble Farms--until he needs a way to escape his fathers certain wrath. Theres no TV or cell phones, dinner is leftover stew, and rumors suggest there's a dangerous lunatic lurking in the woods. Frequent black-and-white cartoon-style illustrations and (sometimes gross) middle-school humor will engage reluctant readers.