Diary of a Wimpy Kid Books in Order: The Complete Reading Guide
Updated October 2026
Diary of a Wimpy Kid Books in Order: The Short Answer
There are 21 Diary of a Wimpy Kid books in Jeff Kinney's main series. All 21 are on shelves now; Book 21, Fight or Flight, came out October 20, 2026. Start with the 2007 original and read at least the first four in order; after that, most books stand on their own. The full list:
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2007) Buy a used copy
- Rodrick Rules (2008) Buy a used copy
- The Last Straw (2009) Buy a used copy
- Dog Days (2009) Buy a used copy
- The Ugly Truth (2010) Buy a used copy
- Cabin Fever (2011) Buy a used copy
- The Third Wheel (2012) Buy a used copy
- Hard Luck (2013) Buy a used copy
- The Long Haul (2014) Buy a used copy
- Old School (2015) Buy a used copy
- Double Down (2016)
- The Getaway (2017) Buy a used copy
- The Meltdown (2018) Buy a used copy
- Wrecking Ball (2019) Buy a used copy
- The Deep End (2020)
- Big Shot (2021)
- Diper Överlöde (2022)
- No Brainer (2023) Buy a used copy
- Hot Mess (2024)
- Partypooper (2025)
- Fight or Flight (2026)
Free printable: Download the Diary of a Wimpy Kid reading checklist to track which books your reader has finished.
Alongside the main series there are four Rowley Jefferson spin-offs, the newest of which arrived in August 2026, plus a do-it-yourself journal and several movie diaries. All of that is sorted out below.
In this guide:
- How Strictly to Follow the Reading Order
- All 21 Wimpy Kid Books at a Glance
- The Rowley Jefferson Spin-Off Books
- Wimpy Kid Companion Books and Journals
- Wimpy Kid Movies: Live-Action and Animated
- Age Range and Content Notes for Parents
- What to Read After Wimpy Kid
- Filling the Shelf with Used Copies
- Frequently Asked Questions
How Strictly to Follow the Reading Order
Less than with most series, but more than people assume. Each book covers a few months of Greg Heffley's school year (or summer, or holiday) and mostly stands on its own. A kid who grabs The Meltdown off a library cart will follow it fine.
That said, the first four books do build on each other. Greg's friendship with Rowley, his rivalry with older brother Rodrick, the Cheese Touch, and his father's ongoing disappointment all get set up early and paid off later. If your child is starting fresh, begin with Book 1 and read at least the first four in order. After that, let them pick whatever looks funny.
The one exception worth knowing: The Ugly Truth (Book 5) opens with Greg and Rowley no longer speaking, which lands better if the reader remembers how their friendship frayed in the earlier books.
All 21 Wimpy Kid Books at a Glance
A quick guide to what each book is about, handy when your reader asks "which one was the one with the..."
| # | Title | Year | The setup |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Diary of a Wimpy Kid | 2007 | Greg starts middle school and records the whole miserable year |
| 2 | Rodrick Rules | 2008 | Rodrick knows Greg's most embarrassing summer secret |
| 3 | The Last Straw | 2009 | Dad tries to toughen Greg up, with military school as the threat |
| 4 | Dog Days | 2009 | Summer vacation, the country club, and a new family dog |
| 5 | The Ugly Truth | 2010 | Growing up, a falling-out with Rowley, and awkward health class |
| 6 | Cabin Fever | 2011 | Snowed in over the holidays while in trouble at school |
| 7 | The Third Wheel | 2012 | The Valentine's Day dance |
| 8 | Hard Luck | 2013 | Rowley gets a girlfriend; Greg trusts a Magic 8 Ball |
| 9 | The Long Haul | 2014 | A family road trip goes wrong in every direction |
| 10 | Old School | 2015 | Mom goes anti-screens; Greg survives a school trip to an old-fashioned farm |
| 11 | Double Down | 2016 | Mom pushes creative hobbies; Greg makes a horror movie |
| 12 | The Getaway | 2017 | A Christmas escape to a tropical resort |
| 13 | The Meltdown | 2018 | A neighborhood-wide snow war |
| 14 | Wrecking Ball | 2019 | An inheritance funds a home renovation that goes sideways |
| 15 | The Deep End | 2020 | A cross-country trip in a borrowed camper |
| 16 | Big Shot | 2021 | Greg gets pushed into youth basketball |
| 17 | Diper Överlöde | 2022 | Greg tags along with Rodrick's band, Löded Diper |
| 18 | No Brainer | 2023 | Greg's school is in danger of closing |
| 19 | Hot Mess | 2024 | A beach-island family reunion for Gramma's 75th birthday |
| 20 | Partypooper | 2025 | A forgotten birthday turns into an over-the-top party |
| 21 | Fight or Flight | 2026 | Greg's secret binder of notes on school bullies falls into the wrong hands |
The newest book: Fight or Flight
Book 21 was published on October 20, 2026, as a 224-page hardcover like the rest of the series. The plot turns on a secret binder of Greg's notes about the school's biggest bullies, which ends up in the wrong hands. Kinney has put out a new main-series book every fall since 2010, almost always in late October or early November, so if you are reading this in 2027, check for a Book 22.
Hot Mess and Partypooper
These are the two most recent books most families will be missing. Hot Mess (October 22, 2024) sends the whole extended family to Ruttyneck Island for Gramma's 75th birthday. Partypooper (October 21, 2025) starts with Greg's family forgetting his birthday and ends with a party that goes about as well as you'd expect. Both are the usual 224-page hardcovers packed with cartoons.
The Rowley Jefferson Spin-Off Books
Rowley, Greg's cheerful and endlessly patient best friend, has his own spin-off line. These are written as Rowley's own journal and stories, and they have a sweeter, sillier tone than Greg's books.
- Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid: Rowley Jefferson's Journal (2019)
- Rowley Jefferson's Awesome Friendly Adventure (2020)
- Rowley Jefferson's Awesome Friendly Spooky Stories (2021)
- Rowley Jefferson's Awesome Friendly Spooky Stories 2 (2026)
The first retells events from the main series from Rowley's point of view, which is funny precisely because Rowley doesn't realize how badly Greg treats him. The Adventure book is a fantasy quest Rowley writes himself, and the two Spooky Stories books are collections of goofy not-really-scary tales. Abrams lists the newest one for ages 8 to 13. None of the four are required reading for the main series.
These are a smart pick for a younger sibling who wants to be in on the Wimpy Kid craze. Rowley's books are gentler, and there's less of Greg's scheming and meanness to explain.
Wimpy Kid Companion Books and Journals
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself Book — a fill-in journal with prompts, comic panels and blank pages. A good gift for the kid who has read everything and wants to make their own.
- The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary — Kinney's behind-the-scenes account of making the 2010 film, later expanded in updated editions covering the sequels, and followed by The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary: The Next Chapter for the 2017 film.
None of these carry the story forward, so skip them if you are only buying the main series.
Wimpy Kid Movies: Live-Action and Animated
There are two separate film series, and they do not connect to each other.
Live-action (theatrical)
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2010)
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (2011)
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days (2012)
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul (2017)
The first three share a cast, with Zachary Gordon as Greg. The Long Haul recast every role and was poorly received, largely because of that change. Most families treat the first three as the real set. You can find them on DVD in our family and animation DVDs.
Animated (Disney+)
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2021)
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (2022)
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever (2023)
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw (2025)
These use Kinney's own drawing style and stay closer to the books. A fifth animated film, The Getaway, arrives on Disney+ on December 4, 2026.
Age Range and Content Notes for Parents
The publisher, Abrams (Amulet Books), lists the series at ages 8 to 12. In practice, strong second graders read it, and plenty of seventh graders still grab the new one every fall. For the younger end of that range, our guide to funny books for 8-year-olds has more picks at the same giggle level.
The format is the whole reason it works for reluctant readers. Every page mixes handwritten-style text with cartoons, the chapters are really just diary entries, and a kid can finish a book in a weekend. That sense of "I read a whole book" matters a great deal for a struggling reader. If you have an older boy who has aged out of Greg but still avoids books, try our list of books for sixth grade boys who don't like reading.
What parents should know: Greg is not a role model, and Kinney doesn't pretend he is. He's lazy, self-centered, and often unkind to Rowley, and he rarely gets a big lesson-learned moment. There's potty humor, sibling meanness and some mild crushes, but no bad language beyond the occasional insult. Many homeschool parents use this as a talking point: ask your child whether Greg was a good friend in a given chapter, and you'll usually get a surprisingly thoughtful answer.
For read-alouds, the books don't work as well as you'd think. So much of the humor is in the drawings that it's better as a solo read. For family story time, our best read-aloud chapter books for families are a better fit.
What to Read After Wimpy Kid
When a kid finishes every Wimpy Kid book and asks for more, the usual next stops are Big Nate by Lincoln Peirce, Dork Diaries by Rachel Renée Russell, Captain Underpants for younger readers, and Timmy Failure. We cover a longer list in our books like Diary of a Wimpy Kid guide. For a reader ready to move past cartoon diaries into regular chapter books, our best books for 10-year-olds is the natural next step.
A fun bookstore footnote: Jeff Kinney owns an independent bookshop, An Unlikely Story, in his hometown of Plainville, Massachusetts. A man who draws stick figures for a living is also a bookseller, which we appreciate.
Filling the Shelf with Used Copies
Wimpy Kid books are among the easiest series to collect used, since so many families bought them new and their kids outgrew them. See which Wimpy Kid books are in stock today, look for the Rowley Jefferson books, or browse more kids' books. Shipping is free on orders over $15, which usually means three or four of these.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Diary of a Wimpy Kid books are there?
There are 21 main-series books, the newest being Fight or Flight, published October 20, 2026. There are also four Rowley Jefferson spin-offs.
What is the newest Diary of a Wimpy Kid book?
Fight or Flight, Book 21, published October 20, 2026. Before that, the newest was Partypooper, Book 20, from October 2025.
Do you have to read Diary of a Wimpy Kid in order?
Not strictly. Each book stands on its own, but reading at least the first four in order sets up the characters and running jokes that later books rely on.
What age is Diary of a Wimpy Kid appropriate for?
The publisher recommends ages 8 to 12. The humor includes potty jokes and a main character who often behaves badly, so it works best with kids who can laugh at Greg rather than copy him.
Is there a Diary of a Wimpy Kid book 22?
Not announced as of October 2026. Jeff Kinney has released a new book every fall for years, so a Book 22 in fall 2027 would fit the pattern, but no title or date has been published.
How many Diary of a Wimpy Kid movies are there?
Eight so far: four live-action films (2010 to 2017) and four animated Disney+ films (2021 to 2025). A fifth animated film, The Getaway, arrives on Disney+ on December 4, 2026.
What are the Rowley Jefferson books?
Spin-offs written from the point of view of Greg's best friend Rowley: a journal (2019), an adventure story (2020), and two collections of silly spooky stories (2021 and 2026).
