Mar 25, 2013 03:26 PM
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It's November, and Greg is already worried about making Santa's naughty list. To get info directly back to St. Nick, Greg's mom enlists the help of an elf doll that she calls Santa's Scout. That doesn't stop the mischievous misadventures, though, as Greg ices over someone's driveway (thinking a hose would be faster than shoveling) to make money to feed and clothe his online pet, pretends to use his mom's exercise game (but just sits and presses the buttons instead), and accidentally defaces school property with posters that stain the walls (and there's no way he's owning up to that).
But when a blizzard strands Dad comfortably at a hotel and the rest of the family is stuck with limited food and no electricity, that's when the Christmas holidays really get interesting.Fans of the Wimpy Kid series could definitely do worse than having CABIN FEVER handy during cold winter weather. Greg is still up to no good in his own clueless funny way. Seeing how his family handles being stranded in a snowstorm is the highlight of the book. On the other hand, flashbacks about Greg's strange doll and the president's physical fitness test aren't as engaging and are too big a departure from the main story.
As always, there are reminders that being a kid is so different today. Parents reading along will laugh about the sad state of Greg's playground (all the toys are removed for "safety reasons"), the kids sneaking energy drinks when the school soda machine is removed, and that Greg gets rewarded with cybercash for watching his online pet watch commercials. While the later volumes in this series lack a little punch compared with the early ones, there's still plenty to laugh at and discuss with young readers.
