Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw (book #3) follows Greg Heffley as his dad, Frank, tries to toughen him up with "manly" activities, threatening military school after Greg fails to measure up, culminating in Greg trying to impress Holly Hills at a talent show and facing summer camp adventures, all while dealing with sibling annoyances and his own schemes to avoid responsibility. The core conflict revolves around Frank's exasperation with Greg's wimpiness and Greg's desperate attempts to prove he's not so bad, often leading to hilarious failures.
The Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw movie (2025) adapts the book but significantly changes timelines and details, setting the main events at Christmas instead of spring and incorporating elements from other books like Dog Days, focusing heavily on Greg and his dad's strained relationship, winter camping, and a humorous church incident, while the book is more expansive and detailed about Greg's middle school life and chores, making the movie a consolidated, seasonally-shifted version of Greg's struggles with his dad's expectations.
