Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul 'inspired me to write my own secret journals'

‘The Long Haul’ is the ninth book in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series written by Jeff Kinney. The book is about Greg and his family embarking on a road trip. They kick-start their journey without making any definite plans.

Obstacles like a punctured tyre, an engine break down and greedy, angry seagulls await them. We see them visiting places like a country fair, a butter museum, the world’s largest popcorn kernel and a water park. Their conflicts with the Beardo family take the story to another level. The story ends with Greg finding the locker key, which he thought he had lost, in his own pocket.

I love all of the Wimpy Kid books but The Long Haul is my favourite. If you’ve read any of the books in the series, you may have a pretty good idea of what to expect from the Heffley family. Greg, the main character, is a middle child studying in middle school. He loves to take shortcuts to reach his goal.

The story is told as if he is writing a diary. Drawings in the form of stick figures can be seen throughout the whole book. Children, like myself, will find it visually appealing. This book has inspired me to write my own secret journals.

— The reader is a pupil based in Sharjah.