By Jeff Kinney
Amulet Books, $13.95, 217 pages

Siblings make for some of the best antagonists. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever follows the further misadventures of Greg Heffley, as he deals with snow, the surprising lack of bullies, and committing crimes and dealing with the aftermath. Greg frequently goes off-topic, but returning to the original topic reasonably quick. Somehow Greg survives his encounter with the snow, and learns how evil his brothers really are.

This makes for some interesting story-telling. It is easy to sympathize with Greg, especially as he has to face problems with guilt and applied sibling rivalry; Greg has a lot to deal with, and he is not always successful. The text is fun to read, going into side-topics effortlessly, and making for some interesting asides as the story progresses. The pictures back the text in a lot of nice ways, adding to the humor both by illustrating it directly as well as making a point about what is being said at the time. For what appears to be a simple book, there are some welcome complexities. This is one of those books you should be glad that your son is reading.

Reviewed by Jamais Jochim

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