'Let me get something straight: this is a JOURNAL not a diary... The other thing I want to clear up right away is that this was MOM's idea, not mine.' Things aren't going well for Greg Heffley. He's been thrust into a new school where undersize weaklings share the corridors with kids who are taller, meaner and already shaving.

Along with his friend Rowley, Greg's desperate to prove his new maturity, which only going up a grade can bring. But when Rowley's star starts to rise, will Greg be able to reach the same heights of popularity as his best friend?