Greg records his sixth grade experiences in a middle school where he and his best friend, Rowley, undersized weaklings amid boys who need to shave twice daily, hope just to survive, but when Rowley grows more popular, Greg must take drastic measures to save their friendship. "Being a kid can really stink. And no one knows this better than Greg Heffley. It's a new school year, and Greg finds himself thrust into middle school, where undersized weaklings...

Publishers Weekly: "You can run, but you can't hide'' is the rather belated conclusion reached by Catherine, called "Birdy'' for her caged pets, in this fictive diary of a medieval young woman's coming-of-age and struggle for self-determination. Escaping regularly into a fantasy life of daring escapades and righteous battles, Birdy manages to postpone the inevitable sale of herself as a wife to a very unwelcome suitor. Just as she resigns herself...