The Long Haul
2014
- automobile travel
- humorous stories
- families
- diaries
- comics & graphic novels
- family life
- fiction
- vacations
- juvenile fiction
- general
The story
A family road trip is supposed to be a lot of fun... Unless, of course, you’re the Heffleys. The journey starts off full of promise, then quickly takes several wrong turns. Gas station bathrooms, crazed seagulls, a fender bender, and a runaway pig — not exactly Greg Heffley’s idea of a good time. But even the worst road trip can turn into an adventure — and this is one the Heffleys won’t soon forget.
What it’s like
Jeff Kinney's Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, so think doodled pencil cartoons running alongside short, dated diary entries, with the stark white pages and loose hand-lettering of a middle-grade graphic novel. The look is bright and uncomplicated, with plenty of big-panel vacation scenes: a cramped family car, roadside motels, a gas station restroom, a stretch of beach. The sound is entirely in the reader's head, all deadpan asides and sibling bickering. Vibe: cheerful, scruffy, mildly chaotic, the comic misadventure of an ordinary family that keeps going wrong in small, silly ways. It suits a lazy afternoon, a long car ride of your own, or a light read between heavier books. Pacing is quick and episodic, one gag or mishap per spread, with the family dynamic softening into affection by the end. Intensity is very low: slapstick mishaps, a fender bender, a loose farm animal chase, and no real violence, fear or sexual content. Best for younger readers, reluctant readers, and adults who want a gentle laugh with nothing to brace for.
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