Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Old School
AuthorJeff Kinney
IllustratorJeff Kinney
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
SeriesDiary of a Wimpy Kid
GenreChildren's novel
Graphic Novel
Comedy
PublisherAmulet Books (US)
Puffin Books (UK)
Publication date
November 3, 2015 (worldwide) January 26, 2017 (paperback re-issue)
Media typePrint (paperback, hardcover)
Pages217 story pages (224 altogether)
ISBN978-1-4197-1701-7
Preceded byThe Long Haul 
Followed byDouble Down 

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Old School is a children's novel written by American author Jeff Kinney first published in 2015. It is the tenth book of Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, preceded by Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul and followed by Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Double Down. The book was released on November 3, 2015 worldwide, though an extract from the book was released online on October 27, 2015.[1]

Plot

Greg Heffley talks about how his mother does not like technology and smartphones, and is starting a petition to prevent the town from using electronic devices for a weekend. As his school year starts, Greg wants to try something different, so he signs up for the Homework Buddies program. At home, Greg's grandfather moves in with them after the rent is raised at his retirement home and his girlfriend breaks up with him. After Greg forgets to screw the toothpaste cap back on, his father lectures him about how small things can lead to big consequences.

Greg hears about a school trip to an old-fashioned farm, which he decides not to attend. Meanwhile, his mother gets enough signatures for her petition, so the next day, Greg attends a park cleanup. He gets tired and runs away, then meets up with his Homework Buddy. A teenager doing community service follows them as well, and when they are soon located by the adults, Greg pins the blame on him.

Back at home, while his parents are away, Greg tries to put the toothpaste cap back on after brushing his teeth, but it falls down the drain. He loosens a pipe to get it, but forgets to turn off the water valve first, causing a puddle of water to leak downstairs. His grandfather tells him that they can buy paint and cover up the stain, but while on the road, he drives the wrong direction and the car runs out of gas. While his grandpa leaves to get fuel, Greg notices a community service crew cleaning up trash along the road, coming towards the car. When he realizes the teenager from before is among the group, he hides under the driver’s seat, next to the pedals until they pass. After the coast is clear, he uses the parking break to help pull himself up, but accidentally puts the car in neutral, sending it rolling forward into the path of his grandpa, who happens to be returning. Greg pulls on the steering wheel just in time, narrowly missing him, but instead sending the car into a ditch, damaging the fender and getting the vehicle stuck. Soon after, his mom arrives with a tow truck. Greg decides to go on the trip to get out of town and avoid facing punishment from his father.

After arriving at the farm, Greg hears rumors about a deranged farmer named Silas Scratch who wanders around the area, generating a sense of fear amongst the camp. The kids struggle to adapt to their uncomfortable cabins, with some beginning to get sent home for medical reasons, both accidentally and intentionally, including the group’s main chaperone, who inhales poison ivy. One of Greg’s cabinmates, named Julian, eats part of his deodorant stick to become sick as an excuse to leave, causing the other chaperones to confiscate all their deodorant so they do not try to eat it as well. Greg and his cabinmates then decide to sneak into another cabin to get more.

They steal one of the teachers' bags but are caught, resulting in Greg's dad being called as an emergency chaperone. While gathering firewood for the final night of camp, which is spent outside, Greg comes across an old shack that he thinks Silas Scratch lives in. It turns out to be a clean maintenance shed with a full bathroom and working shower. Greg encounters his dad, who explains that when he attended the camp as a kid, he invented the rumor about Silas Scratch to prevent people from coming in the shack, which he had used to use the bathroom and take showers. Greg’s dad sneaks everybody into the cabin to sleep, as they had failed at building their shelter.[2] Greg figures that he might be stuck chaperoning at the farm when he is older, and he will want to use the shack as well, so he continues to spread rumors about Silas Scratch as he leaves.

Marketing

The book was announced on March 9, 2015. The cover, color, and title were revealed on April 27, 2015 during a live stream co-hosted by Jeff Kinney, with appearances from Robert Capron live on stage, and Zachary Gordon through a video call.[3] At the 2015 Diary of a Wimpy Kid Virtually Live Event, Jeff Kinney stated that the book is black because he believes that black is a cartoonist's favorite color. An extract from the book was released exclusively by The Guardian on June 29, 2015.[4]

References

  1. ↑ "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Old School". Wimpykid.com. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  2. ↑ Kinney, Jeff (2015). Old School. Puffin Books. ISBN 978-1-4197-1701-7.
  3. ↑ "Diary Of Wimpy Kid 2015". Puffin Virtually Live. Archived from the original on January 3, 2017. Retrieved August 9, 2015.
  4. ↑ "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Old School - exclusive extract | Children's books | the Guardian". TheGuardian.com. Archived from the original on 2016-11-13. Retrieved 2016-12-11.
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