Diary of a Wimpy Kid — a children’s book series and media franchise created by author and cartoonist Jeff Kinney — is the fourth-best selling book series of all time, selling more than 250 million copies globally as of 2020. How impressive is that?
For those who are unfamiliar with what the Diary of a Wimpy Kid book series entails, it follows the life of Greg Heffley, a middle-schooler who illustrates his daily life in a diary (even though he insists that it is a journal). With engaging characters like Rowley Jefferson, Rodrick Heffley, Fregley and more — as well as storylines that are sure to keep you on the edge of your seat — each and every novel is truly a must-read.
Since the original book, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, 18 books have been released as of 2023 — with one being released every single year since 2007 — as well as an activity book, a spin-off series surrounding Greg’s best friend, and more.
While the Diary of a Wimpy Kid book series was a staple for anyone who grew up in the early 2000s, if you have outgrown the franchise, keep scrolling to see which books you might have missed.
The entire Diary of a Wimpy Kid book series is as follows:
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2007)
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (2008)
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw (2009)
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days (2009)
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth (2010)
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever (2011)
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Third Wheel (2012)
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Hard Luck (2013)
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul (2014)
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Old School (2015)
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Double Down (2016)
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Getaway (2017)
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Meltdown (2018)
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Wrecking Ball (2019)
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Deep End (2020)
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Big Shot (2021)
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Diper Overlode (2022)
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid: No Brainer (2023)
Aside from the 18 novels within the Diary of a Wimpy Kid book series, The Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself Book was published in 2011, serving as an activity book that is “filled with loads of interactive pages and plenty of space to write your own life’s story,” allowing readers to channel their inner Greg Heffley. It also includes 32 pages of full-color comics!
To follow, The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary: How Greg Heffley went to Hollywood was released in 2012, covering the making of the first film, all while utilizing stills and brand-new illustrations. This novel was updated as more and more Diary of a Wimpy Kid movies were released over time, adding even more behind-the-scenes content to the book.
To top it all off, author and cartoonist Jeff Kinney experimented with a spin-off series surrounding Rowley Jefferson from 2019 to 2021. Who knows, even more books from Rowley Jefferson’s perspective could be on the way!
The spin-off series is as follows:
- Diary of Greg Heffley’s Best Friend (2019)
- Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid: Rowley Jefferson’s Journal (2019)
- Rowley Jefferson’s Awesome Friendly Adventure (August 2020)
- Rowley Jefferson’s Awesome Friendly Spooky Stories (2021)
To relive your inner child over and over again, the Diary of a Wimpy Kid book series and its spin-offs are available to purchase via the official website for the franchise.