NOT SUCH A WIMP

MAKING THE BEST OF CHILDHOOD PRATFALLS

Move over, Dan Brown and Glenn Beck: Author Jeff Kinney is back and the kids are buying. “;Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days,”; the fourth book in Kinney's popular series, was released Monday and is the best-selling book on Amazon.com, ahead of Brown's latest thriller and Beck's political commentary. Demand is so high that the publisher increased the initial print run to 4 million copies. Not bad for an author who admits that some misadventures of hapless middle-school protagonist Greg Heffley are based on his own embarrassing childhood memories.

READ TO ME

Swept away by first reading

U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye and U.S. Rep. Mazie Hirono joined a dozen members of Congress in reading the popular book “;The Very Hungry Caterpillar”; to preschoolers in Washington, D.C., through Jumpstart's Read for the Record program. Asked by a reporter what their favorite book was growing up, Hirono said, “;The first book that was read to me was by a librarian, and it was 'Mary Poppins,' and that awakened my love for reading.”; Inouye's answer: “;'Peter Rabbit,' because I had a rabbit at home.”;

LET IT SNOWE

Snowe rains on GOP's parade

Turns out the GOP has a female maverick, but it's not Sarah Palin.

Maine senator Olympia J. Snowe deserves the moniker, for being the sole Republican on the Senate Finance Committee to vote for the health reform bill backed by all 13 of the panel's Democrats.

Political analysts said she should expect no repercussions in her home state, where voters are considered fiercely independent and Snowe is particularly popular.