Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Dog Days — Chapter 1

About This Passage

This passage delivers Kinney's signature comic move: a child narrator who is sharper about adults than the adults realize. The third sentence — 'which is what grownups say when they cannot fix the problem they are looking at' — is one of the smartest observations Greg has made in any of the books. It identifies a specific rhetorical move (the 'use your imagination' deflection) and names it as what it actually is (a confession of helplessness disguised as advice). Students learn how a writer can use a child narrator to deliver observations adults make but rarely admit. The phrase 'is what grownups say when X' is a useful structural move — it identifies a class of speech and explains its hidden purpose, which is the basic structure of almost all good cultural criticism. Kids should notice this move and practice using it in their own writing.

Narration Prompt

In your own words, tell the story of this chapter. What were the most important moments? What made them important — and how do you know?

Discussion Questions

1. Greg observes that 'use your imagination' is what grownups say when they cannot fix a problem. Is this an unusually smart observation for a twelve-year-old, or do most kids notice the same thing without quite being able to put it into words? What does Kinney achieve by letting Greg articulate it?
2. The book is about a summer that does not turn out the way Greg hoped. Most readers have probably had at least one summer like this. Why might Kinney write a whole book about a disappointing summer instead of an exciting one? What is more interesting to a reader about a summer that fails to deliver?

+ 3 more questions in the complete study guide