children’s book of the week

diary Of a Wimpy Kid: The meltdown by Jeff Kinney, Puffin Books, £12.99 (ebook £5.99) HHHHH In this 13th book in the bestselling Wimpy Kid series, Greg and his trusty best friend Rowley get up to their usual crazy capers, but this time it turns into a battle for survival as a neighbourhood snowball fight turns feral. A sudden cold snap shuts down Greg’s school and, snowed in with nothing better to do, the local kids soon see this winter wonderland become a winter battleground. Rival gangs fight over their territory and friends make and break alliances in an epic fight of modern-day Lord Of The Flies proportions. Award-winning author Jeff Kinney dishes up his usual dry humour in this hilarious latest instalment, with many a laughout-loud moment thanks to Greg’s bad ideas and loveable middle school neuroses.