KidTeller BlogEvery Diary of a Wimpy Kid Book Ranked by Readers, 1 to 21
What is the best Diary of a Wimpy Kid book?
The Getaway, book 12 (2017), is the best Diary of a Wimpy Kid book by reader rating: 4.32 on Goodreads from 47,880 ratings, read on October 22, 2026. Wrecking Ball also scores 4.32 with fewer ratings, and The Long Haul, The Meltdown, The Deep End and Hot Mess follow at 4.31. For a first book, start with book 1.
Key takeaways
- The Getaway, book 12 from 2017, is the highest-rated Diary of a Wimpy Kid book on Goodreads at 4.32 from 47,880 ratings, read on October 22, 2026.
- All 20 rated books sit between 3.99 and 4.32 on Goodreads, so the gap between the best and the lowest-ranked Wimpy Kid book is a third of a star.
- The first book, Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2007), has the lowest average at 3.99 but the most ratings by far, 814,869, and it is still the best place to start.
- Book 21, Fight or Flight, came out on October 20, 2026 and is left unranked because 313 early ratings are too few to compare.
- Amulet Books lists the series for ages 8 to 12, and Common Sense Media rates the first book for age 9 and up.
The best Diary of a Wimpy Kid book, going by what readers rate highest, is The Getaway, book 12, at 4.32 stars on Goodreads. That answer will not settle the argument at your dinner table, and it should not end your search either. This page ranks all 21 Diary of a Wimpy Kid books by reader score, then picks the best Wimpy Kid book to start with, the funniest one, and the ones fans rank lowest.
Which Diary of a Wimpy Kid book is best?
The Getaway (2017) ranks first, with Wrecking Ball (2019) level on score. In The Getaway the Heffleys skip their holiday traditions and fly to a tropical resort; in Wrecking Ball an inheritance pays for a house renovation that goes wrong. Both are later books, and that pattern runs through the whole list.
The top of the table is crowded. Four books share 4.31 one step below the leaders, and the difference between first and sixth is one hundredth of a star.
How this ranking was built
Every score comes from the Goodreads series page for Diary of a Wimpy Kid, read on October 22, 2026. Books are ordered by average rating, and a tie goes to the book with more ratings, since a score from 47,880 readers is steadier than one from 12,295.
Plot lines come from the publisher and the list of Diary of a Wimpy Kid books on Wikipedia. The picks for best first book and funniest book are ours, and each one says why.
All 21 Diary of a Wimpy Kid books ranked
The main series has 21 books as of October 2026, all written and illustrated by Jeff Kinney and published by Amulet Books, an imprint of Abrams. Fight or Flight arrived two days before this ranking was taken, so it sits at the bottom without a rank. For the books in reading order, see every Diary of a Wimpy Kid book in order.
| Rank | # | Title | Year | Goodreads rating (ratings) | Why it ranks here |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | The Getaway | 2017 | 4.32 (47,880) | A family holiday at a tropical resort, far from the usual school setting. |
| 2 | 14 | Wrecking Ball | 2019 | 4.32 (35,517) | A home renovation goes wrong and the family thinks about moving. |
| 3 | 9 | The Long Haul | 2014 | 4.31 (89,049) | A summer road trip, and the most-rated book in the top ten. |
| 4 | 13 | The Meltdown | 2018 | 4.31 (39,567) | A street-wide snowball war with Greg and Rowley on one side. |
| 5 | 15 | The Deep End | 2020 | 4.31 (31,385) | A camping trip that strands the Heffleys at a crowded RV park. |
| 6 | 19 | Hot Mess | 2024 | 4.31 (12,295) | A vacation that threatens the secret of Gramma's meatballs. |
| 7 | 10 | Old School | 2015 | 4.28 (73,513) | An electronics-free weekend and a field trip to an old-fashioned farm. |
| 8 | 20 | Partypooper | 2025 | 4.28 (9,323) | The family forgets Greg's birthday, and he cashes in on the guilt. |
| 9 | 18 | No Brainer | 2023 | 4.27 (15,363) | Greg's school faces closure unless test scores climb. |
| 10 | 8 | Hard Luck | 2013 | 4.25 (101,229) | Rowley starts dating Abigail, and a Magic 8-Ball runs Greg's choices. |
| 11 | 6 | Cabin Fever | 2011 | 4.23 (138,341) | A blizzard traps the family while Greg fears trouble at school. |
| 12 | 11 | Double Down | 2016 | 4.22 (51,080) | Greg tries an instrument, a movie with Rowley and a Halloween party. |
| 13 | 16 | Big Shot | 2021 | 4.21 (21,423) | After a bad field day, Greg is pushed onto a weak basketball team. |
| 14 | 7 | The Third Wheel | 2012 | 4.19 (110,424) | Greg and Rowley end up taking the same date to the Valentine's dance. |
| 15 | 5 | The Ugly Truth | 2010 | 4.18 (147,322) | Puberty, a school lock-in and a new dentist in one school year. |
| 16 | 4 | Dog Days | 2009 | 4.17 (167,542) | A summer of boardwalk trips, the pool and a new family dog. |
| 17 | 2 | Rodrick Rules | 2008 | 4.16 (202,893) | Greg's older brother holds an embarrassing summer secret over him. |
| 18 | 3 | The Last Straw | 2009 | 4.14 (175,911) | Greg's dad threatens military academy while Greg chases Holly Hills. |
| 19 | 17 | Diper Överlöde | 2022 | 4.08 (16,095) | Greg joins Rodrick's band, Löded Diper, on a rough tour. |
| 20 | 1 | Diary of a Wimpy Kid | 2007 | 3.99 (814,869) | Greg's first middle school year; read by far the most, rated the lowest. |
| — | 21 | Fight or Flight | 2026 | 4.56 (313) | Out October 20, 2026; too few ratings to rank yet. |
Why the scores sit so close
Every rated book lands between 3.99 and 4.32, a spread of a third of a star. Readers who dislike the series likely stop after one or two books, so the later titles are rated mostly by fans who kept going.
That is why the newer books cluster at the top and the first five sit lower. Book 1 carries 814,869 ratings, four times as many as Rodrick Rules, and that crowd includes every child who tried Greg once and moved on. Read the ranking as "which books fans enjoy most," not as a verdict on which book a new reader will like.
The best Wimpy Kid book to start with
Book 1, Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2007), is the best place to start, even though it ranks 20th. It introduces Greg Heffley, his best friend Rowley, his brothers Rodrick and Manny, and the Cheese Touch, and the later books lean on all of them.
The publisher lists the series for ages 8 to 12, and Common Sense Media's review of the first book rates it for age 9 and up. Parents there describe it as a good pick for reluctant readers, which matches how the series reads: short entries, a cartoon on almost every page, and a joke every few lines.
The best pick for a reluctant reader
For a child who balks at book 1, pick a book by setting instead of number. Each title closes its own story, so jumping in is safe.
- Sports fans: Big Shot, where Greg plays on a basketball team he did not want to join.
- Music fans: Diper Överlöde, where Greg tours with Rodrick's band.
- Snow-day kids: The Meltdown or Cabin Fever, both built around winter at home.
- Travelers: The Getaway or The Long Haul, both family trips gone sideways.
The funniest Diary of a Wimpy Kid book
Our pick for the funniest Diary of a Wimpy Kid book is The Long Haul, book 9 (2014). A family road trip gives Kinney a new setback in every scene, and the score backs the pick: 4.31 from 89,049 ratings, the most ratings of any book in the top six. It is also one of the few books with its own film, the 2017 live-action Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul.
Funny depends on the child. A reader who loves sibling fights will laugh harder at Rodrick Rules, and one who loves pranks and chaos may prefer the snowball war in The Meltdown.
What makes a Wimpy Kid book land
The funniest books keep Greg in a tight spot he cannot escape: a car, a blizzard, an RV park, a resort. Kinney's cartoons then carry half of every joke, so a child who studies the drawings is reading too.
The most popular Diary of a Wimpy Kid books
Abrams does not publish sales figures for each book, so "most popular" here rests on two public measures. On Goodreads, book 1 is the most-rated by a wide margin, with 814,869 ratings, followed by Rodrick Rules at 202,893 and The Last Straw at 175,911.
Best-seller lists tell the same story for the early books. According to the Wikipedia list, The Last Straw and Dog Days both reached number 1 on the USA Today list, and the series had spent 812 weeks on the New York Times series list as of October 2024.
The newest book
Fight or Flight, book 21, came out on October 20, 2026 from Amulet Books. A secret binder of Greg's notes on the school's biggest bullies falls into the wrong hands. Its 4.56 from 313 early ratings is a fan's first-week score, and our Fight or Flight guide covers what the publisher has confirmed.
The Wimpy Kid books fans rank lowest
The lowest-ranked books are Diary of a Wimpy Kid (3.99), Diper Överlöde (4.08) and The Last Straw (4.14). None of them is a bad book by any measure; a 3.99 is still close to four stars across more than 800,000 ratings.
Book 1 ranks last for the reason given above: everyone reads it, including readers who never come back. The Last Straw centers on Greg's dad and the threat of military academy, which gives a school-joke fan less of what they came for. For a fuller fan debate on the low end, read the best and worst Wimpy Kid books.
The edge case: Diper Överlöde
Diper Överlöde is the only book after 2016 to score below 4.2. It hands the spotlight to Rodrick and his band on tour, so readers who like Rodrick in small doses rate it lower. A child who loves music or older-sibling stories may rank it near the top.
Your Wimpy Kid ranking checklist and next steps
- Best by rating: The Getaway, book 12, at 4.32.
- Best to start with: Diary of a Wimpy Kid, book 1.
- Funniest (our pick): The Long Haul, book 9.
- Newest: Fight or Flight, book 21, out October 20, 2026.
- When the series runs out: try books like Diary of a Wimpy Kid or the Dog Man books in order for a younger reader.
How to pick the next book, step by step
- Start at book 1. It sets up the cast and the running jokes, so the rest land better.
- Read book 2 next. Rodrick Rules builds the brother rivalry that returns again and again.
- Then follow the ranking. Jump to The Getaway, Wrecking Ball or The Long Haul for the books fans rate highest.
- Match the setting to your child. Use the reluctant-reader list above to pick by sport, music, snow or travel.
- Keep the next book on the shelf. A child who finishes one book in two days loses steam if the next one is a week away.
- Ask for their own ranking. After five books, have your child rank them and compare against the table.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the highest rated Diary of a Wimpy Kid book?
The Getaway, book 12, at 4.32 on Goodreads from 47,880 ratings, read on October 22, 2026. Wrecking Ball, book 14, has the same average from 35,517 ratings. Fight or Flight shows 4.56, but from only 313 ratings in its first days on sale.
What is the funniest Diary of a Wimpy Kid book?
Our pick is The Long Haul, book 9, a summer road trip in which one setback follows another. It also scores 4.31 on Goodreads, third in the ranking. Funny is a matter of taste, so a child who loves snow days may laugh harder at The Meltdown.
Which Diary of a Wimpy Kid book should you read first?
Start with book 1, Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2007). It ranks low on Goodreads, but it introduces Greg, Rowley, Rodrick, Manny and the Cheese Touch, and every later book leans on them.
What is the best-selling Diary of a Wimpy Kid book?
Abrams does not publish sales per book. Book 1 is the most-rated by far on Goodreads, with 814,869 ratings, and The Last Straw and Dog Days both reached number 1 on the USA Today best-seller list.
How many Diary of a Wimpy Kid books are there?
Twenty-one books are in the main series as of October 2026, all by Jeff Kinney. The newest, Fight or Flight, came out on October 20, 2026. The three Rowley Jefferson books are spin-offs and carry no series number.
