My 10 year old has read all of the books, and most of them out loud to me. I thought they did a terrific job of bringing the characters to life - especially Rowley & Fregley. He and I really enjoyed this movie - although we were a little confused about the new female character. But she added to rather than detracted from the story, so it didn't really matter. We're looking forward to owning the DVD, and hopefully, seeing another installment of the Wimpy Kid books soon!