Showing results by narrator "Dan Russell" in All Categories

You know how you're supposed to come up with a list of "resolutions" at the beginning of the year to try to make yourself a better person? Well, the problem is, it's not easy for me to think of ways to improve myself, because I'm pretty much one of the best people I know. But Greg's dad has other ideas. He wants Greg to change his wimpy ways, toughen up and enlist in other 'manly' endeavours.

After a disastrous field day competition at school, Greg decides that when it comes to his athletic career, he's officially retired. But after his mom urges him to give sports one more chance, he reluctantly agrees to sign up for basketball. Try-outs are a mess, and Greg is sure he won't make the cut. But he unexpectedly lands a spot on the worst team. As Greg and his new teammates start the season, their chances of winning even a single game look slim.

Get ready - book 10 in the phenomenally best-selling Diary of a Wimpy Kid series is coming! Life was better in the old days. Or was it? That's the question Greg Heffley is asking as his town voluntarily unplugs and goes electronics free. But modern life has its conveniences, and Greg isn't cut out for an old-fashioned world. With tension building inside and outside the Heffley home, will Greg find a way to survive? Or is going "old school" just too hard for a kid like Greg?

An unexpected inheritance gives the Heffley family a chance to make major improvements to their home. But they soon find that construction isn't all it's cracked up to be. When things get rough, will the Heffleys be able to stay...or will they be forced to move?

In Big Shot, book 16 of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series from number one international best-selling author Jeff Kinney, Greg Heffley and sports just don't mix. After a disastrous field day competition at school, Greg decides that when it comes to his athletic career, he's officially retired. But after his mom urges him to give sports one more chance, he reluctantly agrees to sign up for basketball.

General Stanley McChrystal, commander of international and US forces in Afghanistan, was living large, with staff calling him a rock star. Journalist Michael Hastings of Rolling Stone looked on as McChrystal and his staff let off steam, partying and openly bashing the Obama administration. When Hastings' piece appeared a few months later, it set off a political firestorm: McChrystal was ordered to Washington, where he was unceremoniously fired.

It's the summer holidays, the weather's great and all the kids are having fun outside. So where's Greg Heffley? Inside his house, playing video games with the shades drawn. Greg, a self-confessed 'indoor person', is living out his ultimate summer fantasy: no responsibilities and no rules. But Greg's mom has a different vision for an ideal summer...one packed with outdoor activities and 'family togetherness'. Whose vision will win out? Or will a new addition to the Heffley family change everything?

Greg Heffley is in big trouble. School property has been damaged, and Greg is the prime suspect. But the crazy thing is, he's innocent. Or at least sort of. The authorities are closing in, but when a surprise blizzard hits, the Heffley family is trapped indoors. Greg knows that when the snow melts he's going to have to face the music, but could any punishment be worse than being stuck inside with your family for the holidays?

Whatever you do, don't ask Greg Heffley how he spent his summer holidays, because he definitely doesn't want to talk about it. As Greg enters the new school year, he's eager to put the past three months behind him...and one event in particular. Unfortunately for Greg, his older brother, Rodrick, knows all about the incident. And secrets have a way of getting out...especially when a diary is involved.

Up until now, middle school hasn't exactly been a joyride for Greg Heffley. So when the town threatens to close the crumbling building, he's not too broken up about it. But when Greg realizes this means he's going to be sent to a different school than his best friend, Rowley Jefferson, he changes his tune. Can Greg and his classmates save their school before it's shuttered for good? Or is this the start of a whole new chapter for Greg?

The pressure's really piling up on Greg Heffley. His mom thinks video games are turning his brain to mush, so she wants her son to put down the controller and explore his 'creative side'. As if that's not scary enough, Halloween is just around the corner, and the frights are coming at Greg from every angle. When he discovers a bag of gummy worms, it sparks an idea. Can Greg get his mom off his back by making a movie...and will he become rich and famous in the process? Or will doubling down on this plan just double Greg's troubles?

For 21 years, Dan Russell trained for four to six hours a day, six days a week in pursuit of winning an Olympic Gold medal in the sport of wrestling. He pushed his body to the limits, enduring brutal weight loss regimens, shattering injuries, personal tragedy, and constant inner battles with the voices from his past telling him that he wasn't good enough.

When snow shuts down Greg Heffley's middle school, his neighborhood transforms into a wintry battlefield. Rival groups fight over territory, build massive snow forts and stage epic snowball fights. And in the crosshairs are Greg and his trusty best friend, Rowley Jefferson. It's a fight for survival as Greg and Rowley navigate alliances, betrayals, and warring gangs in a neighborhood meltdown. When the snow clears, will Greg and Rowley emerge as heroes? Or will they even survive to see another day?

Greg Heffley will never change his wimpy ways...somebody just better tell Greg's dad that. Frank Heffley actually thinks he can get his son to toughen up and he enlists Greg in organised sports and other 'manly' endeavours. Thus far, Greg manages to sidestep his father's efforts, then comes the threat of military school, and Greg realises he has to shape up or ship out!

Zero Hour in Phnom Penhis a brilliant detective story that portrays - with no illusion - Cambodia’s adventurous transition from genocide and civil war to a free-market economy and democratic normality. Zero Hour in Phnom Penh is a rare stroke of luck and a workof art, from which one can always draw more stories and levels of meaning....an all too human, timeless, historical and philosophical novel.

Greg Heffley has always been in a hurry to grow up. But is getting older really all it's cracked up to be? Greg suddenly finds himself dealing with the pressures of boy-girl parties, increased responsibilities and even the awkward changes that come with getting older - all without his best friend, Rowley, at his side. Can Greg make it through on his own? Or will he have to face the 'ugly truth'?

Five foreigners have died in Bangkok. Were they drugging overdose victims? Or victims of a serial killer? Calvino believes the evidence points to a serial killer who stalks tourists in Bangkok. The Thai police, including Colonel Pratt, don't buy his theory. Calvino teams up with an LAPD officer on a bodyguard assignment. Hidden forces pull them through swank shopping malls, rundown hotels, Klong Toey slum, and bars in the red light district as they try to keep their man and themselves alive. As Calvino learns more about the bodies being shipped back to America, the secret of the serial killer is revealed.

Greg Heffley and his family hit the road for a cross-country camping trip, ready for the adventure of a lifetime. But things take an unexpected turn and they find themselves stranded at an RV park that's not exactly a summertime paradise. When the skies open up and the water starts to rise, the Heffleys wonder if they can save their vacation-or if they're already in too deep.

Greg Heffley and his family are getting out of town. With the cold weather and the stress of the approaching holiday season, the Heffleys decide to escape to a tropical island resort for some much needed rest and relaxation. A few days in paradise should do wonders for Greg and his frazzled family. But the Heffleys soon discover that paradise isn't everything it's cracked up to be. Sunburn, stomach troubles and venomous critters all threaten to ruin the family's vacation. Can their trip be saved, or will this island getaway end in disaster?

Middle-schooler Greg Heffley charts the rise of his teenage brother's band, Löded Diper, as they live out their rock-and-roll dreams. But things could get messy for Greg and Rodrick when the Diper hits the road.