<P> Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days is a novel written by American author and cartoonist Jeff Kinney, and is the fourth book in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series . It was released on October 12, 2009 in the USA and October 13, 2009, in Canada . The film, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days, released on August 3, 2012, was based on the book and its predecessor, The Last Straw . </P> <P> The book starts with Greg describing how he is more of an "indoor person", and how he will spend his summer vacation playing video games; unfortunately, his mother stops him, saying that he has better things to do . Greg and his friend Rowley go to Rowley's country club after school closes for the summer, but after a few weeks, Greg is not invited to return because he complains about even the smallest things, much to his disappointment . Greg doesn't want to go to the town pool with his mother and little brother because of the shower area he has to walk through to get to the pool . </P> <P> A few weeks later, Rowley and his father arrive at the Heffley residence, informing Greg's father that Greg and Rowley racked up a bill for $300 worth of smoothies at the country club . Both boys decline to pay, saying they were unaware they would be charged and it would be unfair to do so (Rowley's father is an architect), but Greg's mother and Rowley's father disagree . Greg and Rowley decide to start a lawn care service called the "V.I.P. Lawn Care Service". Unfortunately, the job is a fiasco since the boys have never used a lawn mower before . </P> <P> During Greg's birthday party, Susan confiscates some of his birthday money to pay off Rowley's dad's smoothie bill from the country club . Greg also gets a Ladybug, a cell phone that can only make emergency calls and home calls . Greg, Rodrick, Manny, and his mom go to the local pet store . Greg gets an angelfish but Rodrick, on the other hand, gets a pet piranha which he neglects while Manny buys fish food which he later eats as a snack . After a trip to the water park, Greg finds that the piranha ate his angelfish while they were gone, upsetting Greg . </P>

Diary of a wimpy kid dog days cliff notes