(And of course, Greg himself is not as unaffected as he wishes.) The gags include effectively placed callbacks to seemingly incidental events (the “stress lizard” brought in on testing day is particularly funny) and a lampoon of after-school-special–style problem books. While Greg’s positive about the move, he’s not completely uncaring about Rowley’s action. Left with only enough inheritance to patch and repair the exterior of the house-and with the school’s dismal standardized test scores as a final straw-Greg’s mom steers the family toward moving, opening up house-hunting and house-selling storylines (and devastating loyal Rowley, who doesn’t want to lose his best friend).

Once the professionals are brought in, the problems keep getting worse: angry neighbors, terrifying problems in walls, and-most serious-civil permitting issues that put the kibosh on what work’s been done. Before bringing in the construction crew, the Heffleys attempt to do minor maintenance and repairs themselves-during which Greg fails at the work in various slapstick scenes. Greg’s mom calls a family meeting to determine what to do with their share, proposing home improvements and then overruling the family’s cartoonish wish lists and instead pushing for an addition to the kitchen. When Great Aunt Reba dies, she leaves some money to the family.

The Heffley family’s house undergoes a disastrous attempt at home improvement. He writes not in 'Americanese' but with the dialects and flavors of Olde England.

Children enamored of legend and fantasy, especially those for whom an army of complicated characters offer a challenge, will like Mr.

The evil sprits however, seize the bracelet and Susan and Colin, aided by their 'friends', embark on a weird search through caves and woods over hill and dale, in an attempt to recover it for the Wizard. To Susan's amazement the weirdstone appears on her charm bracelet making her the object of attention in both camps. But the Wizard guarding the precious gem has, alas, fallen asleep and the prize has disappeared. The weirdstone is a magic stone which keeps a band of knights asleep until the appointed day when they must awaken to conquer Nastrond and all his evil spirits. Goblins, dwarfs, demons and witches all with strange and ancient names, coming from equally alien sounding caves and hills, enter the lives of Colin and Susan, two quite modern children who, on a visit to a farm near Alderley Edge, England, are sucked into the legend of the Weirdstone of Brisingamen, recounted as an introduction to the main story.

The weirdstone of brisingamen radio 4