The Getaway by Jeff Kinney

Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Book 12. Penguin, 2017. ISBN 9780143782797
(Age: 7-12) Recommended. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Getaway is the 12th book in the long standing, award winning series by Jeff Kinney. Just as in book 9 The long haul, this story depicts the Heffley family going on vacation. The structure of the book is the same as the previous titles, written in a diary style and filled with the line drawn pictures that are synonymous with this series. As usual there are many struggles and issues that Greg and his family face. From the beginning there are problems and it is easy to see that this is not going to be the relaxing Christmas break that they had hoped for.
The issues include a fear of flying, navigating unknown and interesting local animals, annoying parents, and stomach troubles to name a few! Most of these would be very real to children when on holidays and I think that this book, even though it is total fiction, deals with them in a funny way and shows that even after all sorts of incidents and problems you can still enjoy a holiday with your family.
It is over 200 pages long, however it is an easy read with the pictures adding interest and especially humour to the story. It is written for primary school aged children and it fits this criteria perfectly. The topics are relevant, it is very funny and the illustrations mean that even children who are not confident readers will find enjoyment in the series. There was not as much toilet based humour as in the previous books I have read, but the tropical paradise holiday craziness makes up for that.
This is the 4th book of this series that I have read and I can see why so many children love it. I recommend this book to children aged 7-12, especially readers who may struggle with longer chapter books as the pictures break up the text very nicely. I give it 4/5.
Lauren Fountain