Diary of a Wimpy Kid Lesson Plan

At the beginning of Diary of the Wimpy Kid, Greg emphasizes that what he is writing is a journal, not a diary. Why do you think that Greg feels that it is important to make this distinction?

Greg makes it clear that he views diaries as "wimpy": he believes that diaries are for writing down ones "feelings." Greg says this in a mocking way, showing readers that he finds sharing his feelings to be uncool. He is concerned that some bully at school may discover his diary and make fun of him, which could ruin the reputation that he is trying to cultivate in middle school—calling it a "journal" instead, therefore, is a way of shielding himself from what he and others view as...