Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days by Jeff Kinney

It’s hot, it’s summer, and Greg Heffley’s mom has decided that sleeping all day and playing video games is not an acceptable way to spend summer vacation. Dog Days follows Greg through his summertime adventures. You also find out how disturbing a pool locker room can be.

I do enjoy Greg Heffley’s antics, but this wasn’t as good as the first books in this series. Greg seems a little meaner. And sometimes you just want to smack him. Or, at least, I do, but I don’t really think that I’m in the demographic these books are written for…I’m definitely not a 4-7th grade boy.

An Off Year by Claire Zulkey

Cecily’s ready to go to college. All of her friends are going. But when Cecily and her father get to her dorm room on move-in day, she changes her mind. And she and her father start a silent journey back home. Cecily spends the next year figuring out what she wants to do with her life. She also discovers who she is and mends some bridges.

I liked this book, but I don’t think it was great. There are definitely some funny moments, but overall, it sort of fell flat. It would be good for teens who feel as ambivalent towards college as Cecily does.