Alex Aruda is a very intelligent and studious student who once attended Larry Mack Junior Middle School.[1] He appears throughout the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, with his latest appearance being in No Brainer.
History[]
Rodrick Rules[]
Alex is first mentioned when Greg is assigned a seat next to him in pre-algebra class, which Greg says is lucky, since Alex is very easy to copy off of (he always finishes his tests early and puts them on the floor next to him). He also claims that kids with last names early in the alphabet end up being the smartest since teachers call on them the most, juxtaposing him and Christopher Ziegel to prove his point.[2]
Later, Greg says that his seat next to Alex has been unhelpful, since the teacher, Mrs. Lee, watches him like a hawk. [3]
The Last Straw[]
When Patty Farrell is sick one day, Mrs. Craig makes Alex the class monitor while she is gone. He is ineffective at his position because the kids aren't afraid of him the way they're afraid of Patty. Mrs. Craig's dictionary has also recently gone missing, and she is keeping the class inside until somebody owns up to stealing it.
After a few kids who are tired of being kept inside for recess start trying to figure out who took Mrs. Craig's dictionary, Greg and some other kids who are worried about being cornered go to Alex to see if he can help, though he initially doesn't know what they talk about, since he has been very wrapped up in his book and generally stays inside to read during recess.
Alex says that he'll help the guys out if they pay him five dollars, which they decide is worth it. After they pay him and lay out the facts, Alex closes his book and reveals that it's Mrs. Craig's dictionary, which he'd been studying to get ready for the state spelling bee next month. A kid named Corey Lamb grabs the dictionary from him and puts it back on Mrs. Craig's desk but he is caught, because Mrs. Craig thought he was stealing it. This resulted in him being kept inside for recess for the next 3 weeks.
Hard Luck[]
On French Fry Fridays, the people at Greg's lunch table bring in Alex, so that he can divvy up the fries evenly. Some of the kids stay by and watch to make sure he's not taking any extra for himself. In the yearbook, he is voted Most Likely to Succeed.
Double Down[]
When discussing his ancestors, Greg mentions that the possibility that they are always watching him makes him feel guilty whenever he copies off of Alex.
Greg reveals that in elementary school, Alex was part of a group called "Mr. Halper's Helpers" (which is actually another name for the Talented and Gifted Club). He also says that he wouldn't want to be smart, since smart kids like Alex have to stay inside and do the teachers' tax returns.
No Brainer[]
After discovering that Greg was rewarding troublemakers with candy, while he was Principal for the Day to avoid getting in trouble with them, Alex creates a ruckus in his class so he could get sent to his office. However when Greg starts reprimanding him for his behavior, he ends up breaking down since it was his first time getting sent to the principal's office.[4]
Later when Alex's parents enroll him into a boarding school, the registration list for the new schools gets flipped upside down causing Greg's registration to now change to Slacksville Middle School.[5]
Online[]
Alex plays the same role when compared with Christopher Ziegel (who is known as Larry Ziegel) but with some minor difference in wording, saying he reads science fiction novels after finishing his test.[6] His role from The Last Straw is also included, though he takes advantage of Greg and his group to a greater extent. He agrees to help find the teacher's dictionary, further stipulating that they must pay him extra if he finds it by the end of the class and calling them together to reveal that he has it right before the class ends.[7]
Trivia[]
- Alex might have some Brazilian, or Cape Verdean ethnicity in him, as the surname Aruda is common in Brazil and Cape Verde, as they are both former Portuguese colonies, and as he wears an afro which is a common Brazilian and Cape Verdean hairstyle.
- Collin Lee in the online book looks nearly identical to him, with the difference being their noses and Alex's hair being rounder.
- Prior to No Brainer, Alex himself doesn't really show off too much personality. However, it can be assumed that he doesn't like that he is smart, because he has to do tedious things like tax returns.
- No Brainer is the only book where Alex's pupils are visible.
- It is unknown if he will return or not, as he is currently no longer enrolled in Larry Mack Jr. Middle School.
Appearances[]
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid (online)
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Hard Luck
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Double Down
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid: No Brainer
Gallery[]
Online[]
Rodrick Rules[]
Hard Luck[]
Double Down[]
No Brainer[]
References[]
- ↑ No Brainer, page 177
- ↑ Rodrick Rules, page 11
- ↑ Rodrick Rules, page 126
- ↑ No Brainer, pages 155-156
- ↑ No Brainer, page 177
- ↑ Diary of a Wimpy Kid (online), page 15
- ↑ Diary of a Wimpy Kid (online), pages 422-29