Diary of a Fifth Grade Bully by Beth Riwa was a much deeper story than I expected it to be. I highly recommend that you read this with your child, as it does have some pretty heavy topics: bullying (intentional and unintentional), abuse, and poverty. I think Beth Riwa did an amazing job of approaching these in a respectful way, but some children may have a hard time relating or understanding.

Dewey is not what I expected at all. At first, I didn't feel bad for him and wholeheartedly agreed with the assessment that he was a bully. But then I got to know him a little better. He's one of the deepest characters I've read in a middle-grade novel. As I learned more about him, his friends, and his school, I started to understand him a lot better. He's more than what he seems at first, so you'll have to give him a chance to show you.

Diary of a Fifth Grade Bully is written in the popular style of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, which was the perfect way to present this story. Getting to see into Dewey's mind and hear his thoughts and feelings in his own words, was incredibly impactful. 

Dewey learns a grows lot in this first book. And he doesn't seem to be afraid to look at himself and see what he's doing well and what he's doing wrong. He has some amazing friends that help him along his journey to proving he isn't a bully.

My only real complaint about the book was the cartoons in my digital copy were incredibly small and couldn't really be read easily.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**