The Third Wheel (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Book 7) by Jeff Kinney

One sentence summary:

In ‘The Third Wheel’ (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Book 7) by Jeff Kinney, a teenage boy navigates having a crush, Third Wheel Syndrome, and a much-dreaded Valentine’s Day dance.

Book genre:

Humor, Children’s Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Coming-of-Age

Main topic of the book:

Growing up and navigating teenage relationships, especially around Valentine’s Day.

Key ideas:

• Third Wheel Syndrome: Being stuck in the middle as the third person in the group.
• Friendships vs. crushes: Navigating interpersonal relationships and whether platonic or romantic should take priority in life.
• Valentine’s Day Dance: Facing the fear of being alone and the sense of dread that comes unanticipated social events.

Main parts of the book and a short summary:

• Greg Heffley is nervous about having a crush on someone and to make matters worse, he’s stuck in Third Wheel Syndrome. He faces being a third wheel between his crush and his closest friend Rowley, who also likes her. Eventually, Greg must face the dreaded Valentine’s Day dance, and work up the courage to ask his crush to the dance.
• Greg works on his image and do something unexpected- trades places with Rowley and invites his crush’s best friend to the dance, creating an awesome night for all of them.
• Rowley learns that having a best friend is the real Valentine’s Day gift, and Greg learns that it’s not just knowing the right things to do that matters, but being brave enough to act on it.

Key takeaways:

• Friendships should be valued at all times, especially over crushes.
• Navigating social situations can be intimidating, but there are ways to get through them.
• Growing up is about learning to both be brave and do the right thing.

Author’s background and qualifications:

Jeff Kinney is an American author, cartoonist, and game designer. He is best known for writing the Diary of a Wimpy Kid book series, which has been translated into plenty of languages. Kinney has been named one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in 2009.

Target audience:

7-13 years old, children and young adults.

Publisher and first publication date:

The Third Wheel was first published by Abrams in November of 2012.

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