Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw - Jeff Kinney

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw is the third book in the bestselling series by Jeff Kinney. Released in January 2009, the novel follows Greg Heffley’s struggle to avoid being sent to a strict military academy after his dad, Frank, decides it is time for Greg to toughen up and give up his lazy ways.

📖 Summary at a Glance

• New Year's Resolutions: The book kicks off in January with Greg making a New Year's resolution to "help other people improve," fully convinced that he himself is already perfect.
• Frank's Toughen-Up Campaign: Tired of seeing Greg spend his days in his pyjamas, his dad, Frank, signs Greg up for organised sports like football to build his character. Greg ends up as the backup benchwarmer for a team called the Tigers and naturally finds a way to ruin their season finale.
• The Military Academy Threat: After seeing Greg show a complete lack of discipline—including an embarrassing incident where Greg falls asleep on a hill and loses his trousers during a Boy Scouts camping trip—Frank threatens to send him to Spag Union Military Academy for the summer.
• Impressing Holly Hills: Amidst his domestic struggles, Greg develops a massive crush on a popular girl at school named Holly Hills. He spends months attempting elaborate stunts to get her attention, only for his efforts to backfire when she mistakes him for his best friend, Rowley.
• The Climax & Saved by a Pastry: Frank takes Greg to a Spag Union open house to seal his fate. However, the next morning, Greg inadvertently saves his dad from massive public embarrassment at a neighborhood party by accidentally getting his trousers caught on a tree branch while trying to retrieve a stray football, distracting everyone from a blunder Frank made. Appreciative of the unintended distraction and realising his son will never be a military man, Frank calls off the Spag Union trip.