Rodrick Rules

Rodrick Rules is a 2008 middle grade graphic novel by American children’s author Jeff Kinney. The book is the second installment in the bestselling Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, and the sequel to Kinney’s first graphic novel in the series. Written in the same journal format as its predecessor, the story spans from September to December and focuses on the protagonist Greg Heffley’s relationship with his older brother Rodrick. Following an embarrassing incident that took place over his summer vacation, Greg tries to move past his humiliating mistake, concentrate on becoming popular in middle school and keeping his dark secret under wraps. However, Greg’s brother Rodrick, the lone witness to Greg’s embarrassing mistake, tries to blackmail Greg. Rodrick Rules uses graphic elements combined with humor to tell a story about sibling relationships, embarrassment, self-confidence, family dynamics, dishonesty, and friendship. Rodrick Rules was adapted into a live action film of the same name that was produced in 2011, and a computer-generated film was released in 2022.

The guide references the eBook version of the Amulet Books imprint of ABRAMS.

Plot Summary

Middle school student Greg Heffley is relieved that summer is over and school is starting again. However, he is still nervous that his older brother Rodrick might tell the whole school about the embarrassing thing that happened to Greg over the summer. Greg once again finds himself trying to navigate the world of popularity in middle school, and while Greg’s best friend Rowley has no trouble achieving popularity despite his unusual clothes and juvenile interests, Greg wonders if he can finally achieve popularity by stepping on the other students and starting jokes about them. Deep down, Greg wants to be able to tease someone smaller than him, and he starts bullying one of his friends in the process.

While Greg tries to earn admiration and respect at school, he fights with Rodrick constantly at home. Greg complains that Rodrick is a jerk who thinks he can treat Greg however he likes without any fear of repercussions, and Greg feels powerless in his own family. Despite the tension between Rodrick and Greg, Greg’s mom takes it upon herself to force the boys to try to bond and resolve their differences. Mrs. Heffley’s numerous attempts end in disaster as Rodrick and Greg’s fighting intensifies, and one night Rodrick decides to throw a party while Mr. and Mrs. Heffley are away. Rodrick then blackmails Greg into helping him clean up and hide the evidence of the party, threatening to spill Greg’s secret if he refuses. Greg complies, but he secretly hopes Rodrick will still get caught. Eventually, Mr. Heffley uncovers a photo from the party and punishes Rodrick and Greg for trying to hide the truth.

Rodrick and his heavy metal band Löded Diper hold frequent rehearsals in the Heffleys’ basement, which annoys Greg and his father. When Rodrick and his bandmates learn that the winter talent show is approaching, they realize they have the chance to make it big if they are discovered. However, Rodrick has a bigger problem brewing: The science fair is fast approaching, and Rodrick has once again neglected to do his schoolwork. Despite his father’s insistence that Rodrick give up on the talent show and focus on school, Rodrick refuses because he believes the band is his future.

The night of the talent show, everything goes wrong. Greg refuses to videotape Löded Diper’s performance, and Mrs. Heffley has to step in to record. Mrs. Heffley’s recording is useless because she starts dancing and the footage becomes too shaky. The official recording of the performance done by the school focuses on Mrs. Heffley’s dancing instead of Löded Diper’s performance, and Rodrick thinks Greg has ruined his chances at stardom. Rodrick starts telling people Greg’s embarrassing secret and how he accidentally got stuck in the women’s bathroom at their grandpa’s senior living facility over the summer. However, when Greg arrives at school the next day, he is applauded as a hero. The story has been retold so many times that the details changed, and everyone thinks Greg snuck into the girls’ locker room of the local high school. Greg becomes popular at school, and he decides to take pity on Rodrick and help him with his last-minute science fair project.