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Penguin books that inspired young readers

Features

The Penguin books that inspired generations of young readers

An illustration from the Diary of Wimpy Kid books by Jeff Kinney

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Children's reading lists

Where to start with the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books

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16 laugh-out-loud funny books for 9-12-year-olds

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10 books for fans of comics and graphic novels

A photo of a young girl laying on the floor with a pair of headphones on, looking at her phone whilst she plays an audiobook

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10 audiobooks for a listen-aloud adventure

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Interviews

‘You can’t be a good writer without being a good reader’: 21 Questions with Jeff Kinney

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Extracts

Rowley Jefferson’s Awesome Friendly Spooky Stories by Jeff Kinney

Picture of the book Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Deep End by Jeff Kinney

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Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Deep End by Jeff Kinney

A photo of cut out masks of Greg Heffley and Rowley Jefferson on a yellow background next to some scissors and a copy of the book Diary of a Wimpy Kid

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Crafts & activities

Make your own Diary of a Wimpy Kid costume

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Children's quizzes

Which Wimpy Kid book should you read?

There are things we can all do to improve the way we read to our kids.

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How to read out loud to your children, according to audiobook narrators

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Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Wrecking Ball by Jeff Kinney

Extract Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Meltdown by Jeff Kinney

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Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Meltdown by Jeff Kinney

Extract | Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Getaway

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Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Getaway by Jeff Kinney

An illustration from the book Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Double Down by Jeff Kinney

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Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Double Down by Jeff Kinney

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw (Book 3)

Special Disney+ Cover Edition

The adventures of wise-cracking middle school student Greg Heffley who must somehow survive the scariest time of anyone's life: middle school. The hilarious and internationally bestselling Diary of a Wimpy Kid series.

This special edition of Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw features an exclusive cover image from the hit Disney+ original movie. Adapted from the third instalment of Jeff Kinney’s worldwide bestselling book series, Greg Heffley returns for his next family misadventure in the new animated feature Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw. 
Let’s face it: Greg Heffley will never change his wimpy ways. Just try telling that to his father.When Frank Heffley decides to send his aimless middle-school son to a military academy, Greg realizes he’d better shape up – and quick. But it’s not easy for a kid like Greg to transform himself overnight, so he plots and schemes in hilarious ways to avoid being sent away to a place he knows he’ll never survive.To celebrate the full-colour, 3D-animated Disney+ production of Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw, we’ve created this special edition with an exclusive cover image. 
Collect all the books in the #1 bestselling Diary of a Wimpy Kid series: Diary of a Wimpy Kid (#1) | Rodrick Rules (#2) | The Last Straw (#3) | Dog Days (#4) | The Ugly Truth (#5) | Cabin Fever (#6) | The Third Wheel (#7) | Hard Luck (#8) | The Long Haul (#9) | Old School (#10) | Double Down (#11) | The Getaway (#12) | The Meltdown (#13) | Wrecking Ball (#14) | The Deep End (#15) | Big Shot (#16) | Diper Överlöde (#17) | No Brainer (#18) | Hot Mess (#19) | Partypooper (#20) 
 
 
See the Wimpy Kid World in a whole new way with the #1 bestselling Awesome Friendly books, told from the perspective of Greg Heffley’s best friend Rowley Jefferson: Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid: Rowley Jefferson’s Journal | Rowley Jefferson’s Awesome Friendly Adventure | Rowley Jefferson’s Awesome Friendly Spooky Stories

Jeff Kinney is a #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series and the Awesome Friendly Kid series. He is a six-time Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award winner for Favorite Book and has been named one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the World. He spent his childhood in the Washington, D.C., area and moved to New England, where he and his wife own a bookstore named An Unlikely Story.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Partypooper (Book 20)

It’s Wimpy Kid Greg’s birthday – and you’re invited to the chaos. In Partypooper, the 20th book in Jeff Kinney’s global smash-hit Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, Greg Heffley is planning the ultimate party – for himself. 
 
 But when the guest list grows, the decorations flop, and the surprises backfire, this birthday bash turns into a total blowout—just not the kind Greg had in mind. 
 
 Packed with cake disasters, family fiascos, and laugh out loud Wimpy Kid fun, this book is perfect for readers ages 8–12. 
 Collect all the books in the #1 bestselling Diary of a Wimpy Kid series: Diary of a Wimpy Kid (#1) | Rodrick Rules (#2) | The Last Straw (#3) | Dog Days (#4) | The Ugly Truth (#5) | Cabin Fever (#6) | The Third Wheel (#7) | Hard Luck (#8) | The Long Haul (#9) | Old School (#10) | Double Down (#11) | The Getaway (#12) | The Meltdown (#13) | Wrecking Ball (#14) | The Deep End (#15) | Big Shot (#16) | Diper Överlöde (#17) | No Brainer (#18) | Hot Mess (#19) | Partypooper (#20) 
See the Wimpy Kid World in a whole new way with the #1 bestselling Awesome Friendly books, told from the perspective of Greg Heffley’s best friend Rowley Jefferson: Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid: Rowley Jefferson’s Journal | Rowley Jefferson’s Awesome Friendly Adventure | Rowley Jefferson’s Awesome Friendly Spooky Stories

Jeff Kinney (Author, Illustrator) Jeff Kinney is a #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series and the Awesome Friendly Kid series. He is a six-time Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award winner for Favorite Book and has been named one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the World. He spent his childhood in the Washington, D.C., area and moved to New England, where he and his wife own a bookstore named An Unlikely Story.

International bestselling author Jeff Kinney serves up heaps of laughs in the 20th book in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series.

Rowley Jefferson's Awesome Friendly Spooky Stories

Scare yourself silly with Rowley Jefferson's Awesome Friendly Spooky Stories by Jeff Kinney, the #1 international bestselling author of Diary of a Wimpy Kid! 
 
Grab a flashlight, crawl under the covers, and dive into the twisted, unexpectedly hilarious world of Rowley Jefferson's imagination. You'll meet zombies, vampires, ghosts, and much more in these comically terrifying tales. 
 
Rowley's spooky stories might leave you laughing, but beware-you could end up sleeping with the lights on! 
 
And don't miss Rowley Jefferson's first two awesome friendly books, the instant #1 bestsellers Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid: Rowley Jefferson's Journal and Rowley Jefferson's Awesome Friendly Adventure! 
 
Stock may differ depending on availability.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid (Book 1)

Celebrating 85 years of Sparking Imaginations 
 
A beautiful clothbound edition of the much-loved modern classic Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Bound in real cloth with two coloured foils and sprayed coloured edges, this deluxe edition is a perfect gift or collector’s item. Part of an eight book set published to mark the 85th anniversary of Puffin Books. With a brand-new foreword from Dapo Adeola. 
 
'Let me get something straight: this is a JOURNAL not a diary... The other thing I want to clear up right away is that this was MOM's idea, not mine.' 
 
Things aren't going well for Greg Heffley. 
 
He's been thrust into a new school where undersize weaklings share the corridors with kids who are taller, meaner and already shaving. 
 
Along with his friend Rowley, Greg's desperate to prove his new maturity, which only going up a grade can bring. But when Rowley's star starts to rise, will Greg be able to reach the same heights of popularity as his best friend? 
 
 
Collect all eight titles in the Puffin Clothbound 85th Anniversary Collection 
<ul><li>THE STORY OF TRACY BEAKER by Jacqueline Wilson with a foreword by Beth Lincoln</li><li>DIARY OF A WIMPY KID by Jeff Kinney with a foreword by Dapo Adeola</li><li>CHARLOTTE’S WEB by E.B. White with a foreword by Jordan Lees</li><li>MATILDA by Roald Dahl with a foreword by Robin Stevens</li><li>THE EXTREMELY EMBARRASSING LIFE OF LOTTIE BROOKS by Katie Kirby with a foreword by Nadia Shireen</li><li>PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS: THE LIGHTNING THIEF by Rick Riordan with a foreword by Nazneen Ahmed Pathak</li><li>PIG-HEART BOY by Malorie Blackman with a foreword by Adam Kay</li><li>WONDER by R.J. Palacio with a foreword by Tom Fletcher</li></ul>

Jeff Kinney (Author) 
Jeff Kinney is a #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series and the Awesome Friendly Kid series. He is a six-time Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award winner for Favorite Book and has been named one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the World. He spent his childhood in the Washington, D.C., area and moved to New England, where he and his wife own a bookstore named An Unlikely Story. 
 
Dapo Adeola (Foreword By) 
Dapo Adeola is an illustrator, author and character designer who was awarded Illustrator of the Year at The British Book Awards in 2022. Dapo rocketed into the picture book world with his greatly acclaimed illustrator debut, Look Up!, written by Nathan Bryon and published by Puffin in 2019, which won the Waterstones Children's Book Prize in 2020. Dapo illustrated My Dad is a Grizzly Bear and My Mum Is a Lioness written by award-winning author Swapna Haddow (both published by Macmillan Children's Books), and collaborated with Malorie Blackman on their picture book We're Going to Find the Monster! 
 
Dapo made his author debut in 2021 with the Puffin published picture book Hey You!: An Empowering Celebration of Growing Up Black, featuring 18 talented Black British illustrators, which also went on to win Illustrated book of the year at The British Book Awards in 2022. Dapo was announced as the winner of the inaugural Illustrator of the Year Award for The Laugh Out Loud Book Awards (the Lollies), which celebrates the best and funniest children's books in the UK and Ireland, voted for by children in 2023. 
 
Born in Britain and of Nigerian heritage, Dapo is an avid believer in the importance of equal representation in the creative arts. He currently lives in Manchester.

Celebrating 85 years of Sparking Imaginations 
 
A beautiful clothbound edition of the much-loved modern classic Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Bound in real cloth with two coloured foils and sprayed coloured edges, this deluxe edition is a perfect gift or collector’s item. Part of an eight book set published to mark the 85th anniversary of Puffin Books. With a brand-new foreword from Dapo Adeola. 
 
'Let me get something straight: this is a JOURNAL not a diary... The other thing I want to clear up right away is that this was MOM's idea, not mine.' 
 
Things aren't going well for Greg Heffley. 
 
He's been thrust into a new school where undersize weaklings share the corridors with kids who are taller, meaner and already shaving. 
 
Along with his friend Rowley, Greg's desperate to prove his new maturity, which only going up a grade can bring. But when Rowley's star starts to rise, will Greg be able to reach the same heights of popularity as his best friend? 
 
Collect all eight titles in the Puffin Clothbound 85th Anniversary Collection 
 
THE STORY OF TRACY BEAKER by Jacqueline Wilson with a foreword by Beth Lincoln 
DIARY OF A WIMPY KID by Jeff Kinney with a foreword by Dapo Adeola 
CHARLOTTE’S WEB by E.B. White with a foreword by Jordan Lees 
MATILDA by Roald Dahl with a foreword by Robin Stevens 
THE EXTREMELY EMBARRASSING LIFE OF LOTTIE BROOKS by Katie Kirby with a foreword by Nadia Shireen 
PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS: THE LIGHTNING THIEF by Rick Riordan with a foreword by Nazneen Ahmed Pathak 
PIG-HEART BOY by Malorie Blackman with a foreword by Adam Kay 
WONDER by R.J. Palacio with a foreword by Tom Fletcher

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: No Brainer (Book 18)

THE NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER - LAUGHTER GUARANTEED! 
In No Brainer, book 18 of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series from #1 international bestselling author Jeff Kinney, it's up to Greg to save his school before it's shuttered for good. 
 
Up until now, middle school hasn't exactly been a joyride for Greg Heffley. So when the town threatens to close the crumbling building, he's not too broken up about it. 
 
But when Greg realizes this means he's going to be sent to a different school than his best friend, Rowley Jefferson, he changes his tune. Can Greg and his classmates save their school before it's shuttered for good? Or is this the start of a whole new chapter for Greg? 
*Don't miss Hot Mess - the brand-new, hilarious Diary of a Wimpy Kid book, coming October 2024* 
 
WHAT'S IN DIARY OF A WIMPY KID? 
50% words, 50% cartoons, 100% hilarious! 
Stories that all readers can't wait to get their hands on 
Laughter guaranteed! 
'Kinney is right up there with J K Rowling as one of the bestselling children's authors on the planet' Independent 
 
Have you read all the DIARY OF A WIMPY KID series? 
Diary of a Wimpy Kid 
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Roderick Rules 
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw 
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days 
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth 
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever 
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Third Wheel 
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Hard Luck 
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul 
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Old School 
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Double Down 
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Getaway 
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Meltdown 
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Wrecking Ball 
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Deep End 
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Big Shot 
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Diper ÖverlödeDiary of a Wimpy Kid: No Brainer

Up until now, middle school hasn't exactly been a joyride for Greg Heffley. So when the town threatens to close the crumbling building, he's not too broken up about it. 
 
But when Greg realizes this means he's going to be sent to a different school than his best friend, Rowley Jefferson, he changes his tune. Can Greg and his classmates save their school before it's shuttered for good? Or is this the start of a whole new chapter for Greg?

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Do-It-Yourself Book

Now everyone can write their own Wimpy Kid diary! 
 
 Keep boredom at bay with Greg Heffley! Draw your own Wimpy-Kid-style cartoons, fill in facts and lists, check out the full-colour comics inside and even write your own Wimpy Kid journal, just like Greg. 
 *Now with a brand-new cover!* 
 LOOK OUT FOR *HOT MESS* - THE BRAND-NEW DIARY OF A WIMPY KID BOOK 
 WHAT'S IN DIARY OF A WIMPY KID? 
 50% words, 50% cartoons, 100% hilarious! 
 Stories that all readers can't wait to get their hands on 
 Laughter guaranteed! 
 
 
 Have you read all the DIARY OF A WIMPY KID series? 
 Diary of a Wimpy Kid 
 Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Roderick Rules 
 Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw 
 Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days 
 Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth 
 Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever 
 Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Third Wheel 
 Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Hard Luck 
 Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul 
 Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Old School 
 Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Double Down 
 Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Getaway 
 Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Meltdown 
 Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Wrecking Ball 
 Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Deep End 
 Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Big Shot 
 Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Diper ÖverlödeDiary of a Wimpy Kid: No BrainerDiary of a Wimpy Kid: Hot Mess

NOW YOU CAN WRITE LIKE A WIMPY KID! 
 
Packed with hilarious activities, fill-in pages and word balloons, this Do-It-Yourself Book has everything you need to create your own stories and comics or keep your own daily journal. 
 
You can laugh out loud playing &lsquo;Have you ever?&rsquo; and &lsquo;Would you rather&rsquo; or take the Wimpy Kid personality test to find out more about YOU. 
 
BONUS! INCLUDES FULL COLOUR WIMPY KID COMICS SECTION!

Jeff Kinney

Half words and half cartoons, this brilliant series which has now sold 290 million books, keeps on going from strength to strength

The pressure is building for Greg Heffley, who discovers that when you mix heaps of family, a tiny beach house, and sweltering heat, it’s a recipe for disaster. Speaking of recipes - the secret ingredients behind Gramma’s famous meatballs have been closely guarded for years. Can Greg unpack all of his family’s mysteries before their vacation is over? Or will he just stir the pot? 
 
This sidesplittingly relatable story is the funniest Wimpy Kid book yet!

Jeff Kinney

Praise for Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Hot Mess (Book 19)

Half words and half cartoons, this brilliant series which has now sold 290 million books, keeps on going from strength to strength

Books by Jeff Kinney

Series by Jeff Kinney

Diary of a Wimpy Kid26 Books

Rowley Jefferson’s Journal3 Books

Articles featuring Jeff Kinney