One Sentence Summary
In Diary of a Wimpy Kid #13: Meltdown, comedic author Jeff Kinney brings readers a fun-filled and hilarious wintertime adventure in the latest installment of his best-selling journal series.
Book Genre
Diary of a Wimpy Kid #13: Meltdown is a comic fiction novel, written in the format of a diary, for middle school kids and teens.
Main Topic of the Book
The main topic of Diary of a Wimpy Kid #13: Meltdown is wintertime fun and hijinks at the Heffley family’s new snow fort.
Key Ideas
- Greg and his family spend the holidays in a secluded mountain cabin.
- Greg’s siblings – Rodrick and Manny – get bored quickly and start causing trouble.
- The Heffleys build a snow fort, but not everything goes as planned.
- Greg learns the importance of standing up for himself.
Main Parts of the Book and a Short Summary
Part 1: Life on the Mountain – Greg and his family spend their winter break in a secluded mountain cabin. Greg and his siblings – Rodrick and Manny – have plenty of fun and adventures, but it doesn’t take them long to get bored. Manny starts with childish pranks, while Rodrick carves a ski slope in the cabin’s backyard.
Part 2: The Snow Fort – The Heffleys build a snow fort, but their project is interrupted by the arrival of their neighbors, the Myers’ kids. Each family decides to make their own fort, and a competition begins. Before long, things get out of hand and they settle the feud by going out to play some snow games.
Part 3: The Lessons of Winter – Greg learns a few hard lessons as the holidays come to an end, such as the importance of working with his family and standing up for himself.
Key Takeaways
- Family is important.
- Having fun is key to keeping sane during the winter months.
- Sometimes it pays off to stand up for yourself.
Author’s Background and Qualifications
Jeff Kinney is an American author and cartoonist, best-known for his children’s books, including the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. He graduated from The University of Maryland, and was later accepted as a member of the National Cartoonists Society.
Target Audience
Diary of a Wimpy Kid #13: Meltdown is mainly aimed at kids and teenagers aged 8-12 years old.
Publisher and First Publication Date
Diary of a Wimpy Kid #13: Meltdown was published by Amulet Books on October 30th, 2018.