Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Meltdown
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Meltdown is the 13th book in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney. It was published on October 30, 2018. The story takes place soon after the events of The Getaway, in the winter and centers on a snowball fight in protagonist Greg Heffley's neighborhood. The Meltdown was advertised through a live book tour by Kinney. Upon release, the novel sold several hundred thousand copies and received positive reviews from critics.
Plot
On a hot day in January, Greg worries about climate change and how it will impact his life in the future. When he forgets about a social studies assignment, his mother punishes him by not allowing him to watch television or play video games. Greg is unable to play outside due to a rivalry between groups on his street: those who live on the straight Lower Surrey Street or the slanted Upper Surrey Street. The day after, his family unsuccessfully searches for their pet pig who was acquired in The Long Haul, and had escaped from obedience school.Greg is frustrated at school when his classmates are unsanitary, and struggles with the cold weather. While walking to school, Greg is stopped by the Safety Patrols, an authoritative organization of only female students. The students begin rioting at the school when they fear that they will be snowed in overnight, and are dismissed early.
Greg and his friend Rowley take the bus of the rival Whirley Street, and are mistakenly blamed for having thrown a snowball at the bus driver. The two are kicked off the bus and dropped off near the woods, where they accidentally wander into the camp of the Mingo Kids, a savage group who live in the woods. They run away frightened, but get lost in the woods by doing so. However, Greg and Rowley are eventually saved when they come across Greg's father, Frank Heffley.
The next morning, Greg meets with Rowley and builds a snow fort, indirectly starting a snowball fight among the Upper Surrey Street kids. They agree to team up after being ambushed by the Lower Surrey Street residents, and build a single gigantic fort, enjoying early success but slowly being demoralized as the Lower Surrey Street kids begin besieging the wall. A Lower Surrey Street spy, Trevor Nix, lures many Upper Surrey Street defenders away from the fort, allowing the Lower Surrey Street kids to destroy it, but the long-resentful school Safety Patrols begin to attack the various Surrey Street kids. The Whirley Street kids get involved, but they as well as the Surrey Street and Safety Patrol kids band together against the attacking Mingo Kids. Tired of the violence, Greg and Rowley attempt to hide in the remains of the snow fort, but when a delayed snowplow arrives and drives through the remains of the fight, everyone agrees to stop fighting. Days later, the weather begins to clear up. Greg is glad that he survived the snowball fight.