📚 Iris’s Summer Reading Adventures: 18 English Books, a Wimpy Kid Obsession, and One Good Dollarama Find

This summer, my 10-year-old daughter Iris quietly accomplished something special: she read 18 books in English — on her own, for fun, and completely by choice.

It wasn’t part of a challenge or a school assignment. She simply kept picking up one book after another and reading 😊. And while there were days when I thought she could have read more, OR read books with more “serious” content, I honestly couldn’t be prouder. The fact that she chose reading — again and again — is what matters most.

☝️ Note: These are just the books Iris read in English this summer. She also read a long list of books in Russian, which deserve their own spotlight. A separate post on that is coming soon!

😂 Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Certified Superfan Status

Let’s address the obvious: Iris is a full-blown Diary of a Wimpy Kid superfan.

This summer, she read 13 books from the series by Jeff Kinney.

Here’s what she read:

• Diary of a Wimpy Kid (Book 1: A Novel in Cartoons)

• Rodrick Rules

• Dog Days

• Double Down

• The Meltdown

• The Ugly Truth

• The Third Wheel

• The Last Straw

• Cabin Fever

• Old School

• Hard Luck

• The Long Haul

• Hot Mess (the newest one)

If Jeff Kinney ever needs a junior editor or an enthusiastic spokesperson, Iris is ready.

🧠 A Little Fun with Numbers

Amid the Wimpy Kid whirlwind, Iris also explored a few fun and clever math-themed books, proving that numbers can be just as entertaining as fictional drama. And I swear I DID NOT make or even encourage her to read them 😊.

Her math picks:

• The Grapes of Math by Greg Tang

• Math Appeal by Greg Tang

• Apple Fractions by Jerry Pallotta

🐶 A Good Find at Dollarama

Sometimes, the best books come from unexpected places. While browsing at Dollarama, Iris picked up Living with Mochi by Gemma Gene just because “the dog looked cute.”

Well, that cute dog turned out to be a star. The comic-style book is sweet, relatable, and genuinely funny — all about life with a round, spoiled pup named Mochi. Dollar well spent!

🌊 Deeper Stories That Stuck

In addition to her go-to funny reads, Iris also tackled two deeper and more emotionally resonant novels:

• Hatchet by Gary Paulsen — the timeless survival story about a boy stranded in the wilderness.

• Beyond the Bright Sea by Lauren Wolk — a beautifully written tale of identity, family, and quiet courage.

🥹 Final Thoughts

Iris read 😊. She read what she loved, on her own, and with enthusiasm. And for me, that’s everything.

📚❤️ Here's to a summer well spent — with stories that entertained, challenged, and inspired her. I can’t wait to share the next post soon with all the amazing books she read in Russian!