How Many Diary Of A Wimpy Kid Books Are There?

The Diary Of A Wimpy Kid franchise has proven to be immensely successful, and this success has helped to create a whole new generation of book readers in an age continually dominated by online digital entertainment.

How Many Diary Of A Wimpy Kid Books Are There?

As part of that success, the franchise has spawned numerous printed books, numerous live-action, and animated feature adaptations, as well as a whole host of merchandising opportunities. 

However, because the franchise has become so massively successful, it can be easy to lose track of its roots, and where it originated from.

As a series of successful books, many people find themselves wondering just how many books there are in the franchise. Are you wondering this yourself?

Well, you’ve come to the right place, because we have the answers that you have been looking for!

How Many Books Are In The Diary Of A Wimpy Kid Series?

Let’s jump right in with the all-important question. The first book in the Diary Of A Wimpy Kid franchise was published on April 1st, 2007, and since then, the series has seen a massive number of sequels spawned in its name.

At the time of writing this article, there are now currently 25 books in the series!

This is an incredibly impressive number, and perhaps explains why so many people were unsure just how many books had been published in the series! 

How Often Do The Diary Of Wimpy Kid Books Get Released?

The first book was released in April of 2007, and since then, the series has seen numerous annual releases every year since the first book was released. 

Alongside the mainline books that continue the overarching storyline of the franchise, there are also numerous spin off and supplemental books that have been released regularly.

This has meant that some years since the franchise began have seen multiple releases in a small span of time. 

What Are The Diary Of A Wimpy Kid Spin-Off Books?

The vast majority of spin-off Diary Of A Wimpy Kid books take the form of journals and DIY alternatives.

What Are The Diary Of A Wimpy Kid Spin-Off Books?

These are books that allow fans of the franchise to create their own Diary Of A Wimpy Kid stories. 

Other spin-offs of the franchise follow stories that are centered around side characters in the series, such as Diary Of An Awesome Friendly Kid, which is a book that follows Rowley Jefferson, Greg Heffley’s best friend.

It is written in a similar way to the original Diary Of A Wimpy Kid books, except with a little bit of personal flair reflective of how Rowley writes.

How Many Films Are There In The Diary Of A Wimpy Kid Series?

At the point of writing this article, there are currently 5 Diary Of A Wimpy Kid movies, though the continuity of these films is slightly less organized than the continuity in the original books!

The first three films, released in 2010, 2011, and 2012 are set in the same continuity and have the same cast of characters and actors.

These films are more beloved by fans of the series and have gone on to garner something of a cult-classic status. 

However, by the time the fourth film of the franchise, Diary Of A Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul, was put into production, much of the cast had aged significantly in the five years since the third film.

This means that the lead actors could no longer pass as children, and thus they needed to recast all of the main roles of the film. This caused quite some controversy amongst fans of the series, who bemoaned the new casting.

The film was also critically panned across the board.

The latest film in the Diary Of A Wimpy Kid franchise, at the point of writing this article, is Diary Of A Wimpy Kid, a total reboot of the franchise that debuted on Disney+ in 2021.

Unlike the prior four films of the franchise, this film is entirely animated and features a run time of only around 50 minutes, rather than the feature-length of the prior entries. 

The animated entry of the franchise was not well received and was critically panned, however, the film has been streamed many times by Disney+ users, so it is likely that a sixth film, also animated, will eventually be put into production.

How Successful Are The Diary Of A Wimpy Kid Books?

The Diary Of A Wimpy Kid books are incredibly successful, as indicated by the fact that, as a whole, the franchise has sold over 150 million copies! This is no small feat and has proven the success of the series. 

Part of the success of the books is due to the fact that new books are continually being released (see also: 10 Best Books You’ll Love For 5 Year Olds)every year, which builds franchise loyalty and keeps it fresh in the minds of new readers.

The continued publication of older volumes also ensures that the franchise can keep garnering profits long into the future simply based on prior success.

The success of the books has also been bolstered by the media presence of the series.

The books have been adapted into multiple successful films, and whole lines of merchandise and spin-off books have given fans new ways to interact with the franchise, in turn helping the franchise to continue turning a profit every single year!

To Wrap Up

As you can see, the Diary Of A Wimpy Kid franchise is nothing if not prolific! The series has spawned more than 25 books, with more continuing to release annually for the foreseeable future! 

As well as this, new feature-length film adaptations of the books continue to be released regularly, which helps to keep public awareness of the series healthy, so that the franchise can continue into the future.

Sophie Andrea