Diary of a Wimpy Kid is a satirical realistic fiction novel by Jeff Kinney. It is the first
book in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. The book is about a boy named Greg Heffley and
his struggles in middle school. Diary of a Wimpy Kid first appeared on FunBrain.com
in 2004, which was read 20 million times. The hardcover version was released on April
1, 2007. Diary of a Wimpy Kid was named New York Times bestseller among awards and praise.
A film of the same name was released on March 19, 2010. The sequel to the film is Rodrick
Rules and that was followed by Dog Days.
Background
In 2005, FunBrain and Jeff Kinney released an online version of Diary of a Wimpy Kid,
with 217 pages. The website made daily entries until June 2005. The book became an instant
hit and the online version received about 20 million views as of 2007. Many online readers
requested a printed version. Kinney had agreed and in 2007, Diary of A Wimpy Kid was published.
At the 2006 New York Comic-Con and Kinney proposed Diary, to Charles Kochman, Editorial
Director of the ComicArts division of Abrams Books, who purchased the rights to the book.
According to Kochman, the two initially conceived it as a book for adults, believing it would
have an appeal to audiences similar to that of the TV series The Wonder Years. Kochman
brought it before the Abrams publishing board, which convinced Kinney and Kochman that it
would be better aimed toward children. Characters
Gregory Heffley The main character, Greg, has trouble with
family, friends, and his local middle school. He tries to fit in in his neighborhood and
usually does not succeed. Facing many troubles, Greg handles them very "creatively."
Rowley Jefferson Greg's best friend. He is always willing to
do what Greg tells him and is going on vacations all the time, which annoys Greg. Rowley is
a loyal friend from lots of people's perspectives. Manny Heffley
Greg's "spoiled" little brother. He NEVER gets in trouble no matter what, even when
he really deserves it. Manny is three years old.
Rodrick Heffley Rodrick is Greg's older brother and he never
misses a chance to terrorize Greg, Rodrick is part of a band called ' The Loded Diper.
Rodrick will do anything to embarrass Greg and will even wind up Manny to make everyone's
life a misery. Sequels
Diary of a Wimpy Kid is the first book in an ongoing book franchise. The second, Rodrick
Rules was released February 1, 2008 and was listed on the New York Times Best Sellers
list for 117 weeks. The Last Straw, the third book in the series, released on January 13,
2009 was on the New York Times Best Sellers list for 65 weeks, peaking at number one.
Dog Days was released October 12, 2009 with 217 pages. The book was ranked at number one
on the New York Times Best Sellers List for all 25 weeks of inclusion, making Dog Days
the #1 Best Selling Book of 2009. The Ugly Truth was released November 9, 2010 with 217
pages. The sixth, Cabin Fever was released November 15, 2011. The seventh, The Third
Wheel was released on November 13, 2012. The eighth, Hard Luck was released on November
5, 2013 in the United States and on November 6 in the United Kingdom.
Awards The book won the Blue Peter Book Award 2012,
revealed live on British kids channel CBBC on March 1, 2012.
Adaptations
Diary of a Wimpy Kid is a 2010 American comedy directed by Thor Freudenthal and based on
Jeff Kinney's book. The film was released on March 19, 2010. It was released on DVD,
iTunes, and Blu-ray on August 3, 2010. The movie stars Zachary Gordon as Greg Heffley,
Robert Capron as Rowley Jefferson, Steve Zahn as Frank Heffley, Rachael Harris as Susan
Heffley, Devon Bostick as Rodrick Heffley, Chloë Grace Moretz as Angie Steadman, and
Connor & Owen Fielding as Manny Heffley, Greg's brother.
References
External links Official website
Diary of a Wimpy Kid on FunBrain.com Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Channel One News Interview
with Jeff Kinney on Channel One News The Wonderful World of Wimpy - Parade magazine
An interview with Jeff Kinney in Parade Magazine