Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Grade Band 3-5 Reading Level 2.9
Adapted Book Usage
These adapted resources are provided by the ACCESS Project at the University of
Delaware’s Center for Disability Studies for teachers to help students with significant
intellectual disabilities participate in the general curriculum. Please limit the use and
distribution of these materials accordingly. Please read and purchase each original text
(cited by author) prior to using the adapted text.
ACCESS Project
Center for Disabilities Studies
University of Delaware
461 Wyoming Road, Newark, DE 19716
Phone: 302-831-1052
Email: deaccessproject@udel.edu
www.deaccessproject.org
School Starts (p. 1-23)
My name is Greg. This is my journal. Today was my first day back at middle
school. I’m sad summer is over. I don’t like middle school. I’m not the most
popular kid in school.
At school today, I went to see if the moldy cheese was still on the playground.
Someone left it there last year. It was gross! If you touch the cheese, you have the
Cheese Touch. You have to tag someone else to get rid of the Cheese Touch. I
hope there is no Cheese Touch this year.
I have an older brother named Rodrick. He likes to play tricks on me. I also have a
younger brother named Manny. He calls me “Bubby.” It’s embarrassing. I had a
lot of adventures in middle school.
Trouble (p. 24-43)
I really like video games, but my dad doesn’t want me to play them. I go to my
best friend Rowley’s house to play video games instead. I always beat him at
racing video games.
Rodrick got a new cd. My parents said I’m not allowed to listen to it. After
everyone went to sleep, I tried to listen to the cd quietly. My dad woke up and I
got in trouble. I had a lot of adventures in middle school.
Student Elections (p. 44-48)
Student elections are coming up at my school. I want to run for treasurer. My dad
wants to help me win. I made posters to hang up at school. Another boy is
running for treasurer, too. I wrote mean things about him on my posters. The
principal made me take them down. I don’t think I’m going to win now. I had a lot
of adventures in middle school.
Halloween (p. 49-75)
It’s going to be Halloween soon. I love Halloween. Rowley and I made a haunted
house in his basement. We hung up flyers for the haunted house. Twenty kids
came. The first kid was so scared, he hid under the bed and wouldn’t come out.
Rowley’s dad made us shut down our haunted house.
I was a pirate for Halloween and Rowley was a knight. We went trick-or-treating,
but we had to bring Manny with us. After we took Manny home, Rowley and I
stayed out. We wanted more candy. When we got home, my dad sprayed us with
water. He thought it was funny. All of our candy got wet! I had a lot of adventures
in middle school.
Wrestling (p. 76-93)
We started wrestling in gym class today. I want to be good, so I played my
wrestling video games when I got home.
Wrestling in gym class is very different from my video games. I have to wrestle
the same boy every day. He always beats me.
I decided to make my own exercise equipment. I wanted to get stronger so I lifted
gallons of milk. I had a lot of adventures in middle school.
School Play (p. 95-115)
My school did the play, “The Wizard of Oz.” I didn’t want to be in it, but my mom
made me try out. I signed up to be a tree because I didn’t want to sing. The
director added a song that the trees had to sing.
The play didn’t go very well. I didn’t sing the song because I was embarrassed.
Manny called me “Bubby” in front of everyone. I threw an apple at a girl on the
stage. Her glasses broke. They had to stop the play. I had a lot of adventures in
middle school.
Christmas (p. 115-133)
I love Christmas. I really wanted a video game. When I woke up on Christmas day,
there were a lot of presents under the tree. Manny got a lot of toys. My dad gave
me exercise equipment. I don’t care about exercise anymore because wrestling is
over. I didn’t get the video game I wanted. My mom gave it to someone else by
accident. I got a red sweater instead. Rowley got the video game I wanted, so I
played with him. I had a lot of adventures in middle school.
Big Wheel Game (p. 136-144)
Rowley and I were playing a game. He rode his bike down the hill and I tried to
throw a football at him. I hit him and he fell off and broke his arm. Rowley got a
cast. The girls at school gave Rowley a lot of attention, but I wanted them to pay
attention to me. I pretended I hurt my arm, too. The girls still didn’t like me. I had
a lot of adventures in middle school.
New Quarter (p. 145-155)
I decided to be on the Safety Patrol at school. This way, the bigger kids can’t pick
on me. Rowley signed up too. We walk the kindergarteners home from school.
We get free hot chocolate in the morning. I also get to miss part of math class. I
had a lot of adventures in middle school.
Snow Day (p. 156-164)
It snowed today. School was closed. Rowley and I decided to build the world’s
biggest snowman, but we ran out of snow. We made one big snowball instead.
Manny built a small snowman. I kicked it and my dad was mad at me. My dad
kicked my snowball. I still had fun on my snow day. I had a lot of adventures in
middle school.
Comic Strip (p. 165-178)
I like to draw. I became the cartoonist for my school newspaper. I drew the
pictures and wrote the words. Rowley helped, too. I made a funny cartoon about
a boy. My teacher put it in the school newspaper. No one laughed at my cartoon.
My teacher changed the words so it wasn’t funny anymore. I was upset that he
changed it, so I decided to quit. I had a lot of adventures in middle school.
Good-bye Rowley (p. 179-195)
Yesterday on Safety Patrol, I scared the kindergarteners when I walked them
home. I was wearing Rowley’s jacket. A lady saw me and thought I was Rowley.
She told the principal that Rowley scared the kindergarteners. Rowley got in
trouble for scaring them.
I told Rowley that I scared the kindergarteners. Rowley told the principal and I got
fired from the Safety Patrol. Rowley didn’t want to be my friend anymore. I had a
lot of adventures in middle school.
Yearbook Plans (p. 197-205)
I wanted to get voted as “Class Clown” in the school yearbook. I decided to play a
joke on the substitute teacher. When I got to school, I found out the substitute
teacher was my mom! I couldn’t play a joke on her. I had a lot of adventures in
middle school.
Greg and Rowley Make Up (p. 204-217)
Rowley is the new cartoonist for the school newspaper. He used my idea for his
cartoon. He said it was his idea. Everyone thought the cartoon was really funny.
They voted Rowley “Class Clown.” I was really upset.
Rowley and I were about to fight when some high schoolers came to the
playground. They made Rowley eat the cheese! Rowley didn’t want the other kids
at school to find out he ate it. I told everyone I threw it away. Everyone thought I
had the Cheese Touch, but Rowley and I were friends again. I had a lot of
adventures in middle school.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid Vocabulary Definitions
* This list is a vocabulary reference tool.
Teachers should choose existing words and/or create additional words based on student needs.
Essential Vocabulary
Important vocabulary
Journal: a book used to write what happens in your life
Middle School: a school that includes grade 5 to 8 or 6 to 8
Popular: very well liked
Embarrassed: feeling uncomfortable and self-conscious
Adventure: an exciting experience or activity
Video Games: games played with pictures on a screen
Trouble: consequence for doing something wrong
Election: the process of choosing someone for a certain position
Treasurer: a person who is in charge of money
Principal: the head of a school
Halloween: October 31, celebrated with wearing costumes, trick-or-treating
Haunted: scary
Scare: to frighten, alarm, or terrify
Knight: soldier from a long time ago who rode horses and wore metal armor
Wrestling: a sport where two people try to pin each other on the ground
Gym: a room used for sports
Exercise: moving your body to be healthy or get strong
Play: acting out a story in front of an audience
Director: the person who is in charge of a play
Definitions adapted from www.wordcentral.com
Diary of a Wimpy Kid Vocabulary Definitions
* This list is a vocabulary reference tool.
Teachers should choose existing words and/or create additional words based on student needs.
Essential Vocabulary
Important vocabulary
Christmas: December 25, celebrated with Christmas trees, giving presents, and stockings
Broken: to separate into parts suddenly
Cast: a hard cover to keep a body part from moving in order to heal
Safety Patrol: student role models who teach other students how to be safe
Biggest: large
Snowman: snow shaped to look like a person
Snowball: a round ball of snow
Snow day: when school is cancelled because there is so much snow
Cartoonist: someone who draws funny pictures and words to go in a newspaper
Fired: to not be allowed to continue a job, asked to leave a job and not come back
Clown: someone who wears a funny costume and does tricks
Yearbook: a book from a school with pictures of everyone
Substitute teacher: someone who teaches a class when the regular teacher cannot be there
Upset: to be worried, angry, or unhappy
Fight: to physically struggle against another person
Definitions adapted from www.wordcentral.com
Diary of a Wimpy Kid Vocabulary Object List
* This list is a vocabulary reference tool.
Teachers should choose existing words and/or create additional words based on student needs.
Vocabulary
Journal
Middle School
Popular
Embarrassed
Adventure
Video Games
Trouble
Election
Treasurer
Principal
Halloween
Haunted
Scare
Knight
Wrestling
Gym
Exercise
Play
Director
Christmas
Broken
Cast
Safety Patrol
Biggest
Snowman
Snowball
Snow Day
Cartoonist
Fired
Clown
Yearbook
Substitute Teacher
Upset
Fight
Object
Notebook, leather book
Lock, locker
Award ribbon, Miss America sash
Hands over face
Map; Compass
Game controller
Time Out
Demonstrate Voting
Cashier’s drawer, Locked box with money in it
Tie
Jack o’ lantern; mask
Fake spider webs
Hide under a blanket (reaction to fear)
Armor, metal mask, fake sword
Wrestling mat, arm wrestle
Weights; Sneakers
Running shoes, weights
Costumes, Makeup
Director’s clapboard
Stocking, Santa hat
Broken stick
Paper Mache, piece of a cast
Orange vest, stop sign
2 objects-1 small, 1 big
Ice, carrot, felt hat, sticks
Snowball, ice
Sled, Winter Apparel
Pencil, colored pencils, comic book
Whistle (You’re out!)
Red clown nose, juggling balls
Scrapbook, tactile yearbook
Chalk, Pointer (For Board)
Tissues, make fist
Boxing gloves
Diary of a Wimpy Kid Public Domain Vocabulary
* This list is a vocabulary reference tool. Teachers should choose existing words and/or create additional words based on student needs.
Journal
Embarrassed
Middle School
Adventure
Popular
Video games
Trouble
Election
Treasurer
Principal
Halloween
Haunted
Diary of a Wimpy Kid Public Domain Vocabulary
* This list is a vocabulary reference tool. Teachers should choose existing words and/or create additional words based on student needs.
Scare
Knight
Wrestling
Gym
Exercise
Play
Director
Christmas
Broken
Cast
Safety patrol
Biggest
Diary of a Wimpy Kid Public Domain Vocabulary
* This list is a vocabulary reference tool. Teachers should choose existing words and/or create additional words based on student needs.
Snowman
Snowball
Snow day
Cartoonist
Fired
Clown
Yearbook
Substitute Teacher
Upset
Fight
Diary of a Wimpy Kid Public Domain Vocabulary
* This list is a vocabulary reference tool. Teachers should choose existing words and/or create additional words based on student needs.