Jeff Kinney's done it again. For the third time, he's brought out his smart wimp, Greg Heffley, and let him tell about his sorry life in an illustrated journal. Kinney's portrait of preteen angst over girls, sports and bullies nails the middle-school boy. His parents embarrass him. His father wants to change him into a macho man. Even his imagination tortures him with daytime nightmares about what can go wrong.
Grown-ups may wince as they laugh, but middle-schoolers will howl in self-recognition. While readers may never have wondered whether a scab smells, many can relate to Greg's bumbling efforts to talk to a girl.
Greg may be a first-class wimp, but there's nothing wimpy about author Kinney's fast-paced humor and his cartoonlike drawings. His book may not be literature in the classic sense, but who cares? It's funny, and it's perfect for boys who think they're allergic to reading.
"Phenomena: Secrets of the Senses" Donna M. Jackson
Little, Brown, $17, 176 pages Ages 9 to 12
We all know dogs can sniff out drugs and explosives, but cancer? Maybe so. The Pine Street Foundation in San Anselmo (www.pinestreetfoundation.org ) is trying to find out. An anecdote from that study appears in Donna M. Jackson's intriguing book "Phenomena: Secrets of the Senses." The dog she writes about belongs to a nurse. Her pet persisted in licking a mole on her leg until she had it removed. Turned out the mole was cancerous. Author Jackson also details a study at the center where dogs identified lung cancer breath samples with 99 percent accuracy. And the dogs are just a small part of one chapter.
Jackson uses many such amazing stories to illustrate other mind-tingling occurrences in a dozen chapters. Because so much is unknown, curious young adults will find plenty to ponder about their bodies and what they could discover with research. Jackson's writing is clear and friendly. It's enhanced by lots of photograghs and drawings. Her extensive source notes are perfect to launch a science fair project.
"Tale of Two Cities" As told by Jim Weiss
Greathall Productions, $13.45, 76 minutes/CD, ages 12 and up
Storyteller Jim Weiss doesn't miss a nuance in his adaptation of "Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens. Nicely paced in 76 minutes, Weiss dramatizes the loves and intrigues woven into this classic novel set in Paris and London during the tumultuous French Revolution.
Listeners will revel in the story's complications and clever solutions, so much so they may well seek out Dickens' original. Weiss' recording is ideal for family listening. More information at www.greathall.com.
Note: The correct address for the James Patterson kids reading Web site mentioned on the Feb. 17 Connection page is www.readkiddoread.com.
Judy Green can be reached at jgreen@sacbee.com.
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