Pilkey
Dog Man
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Dog Man
Dav Pilkey - 12 books
Illustrated, irreverent, and beloved by the same age group. Dog Man leans harder into comic-book format with flip-o-rama pages and meta humor.
Series - Books in order
Diary of a Wimpy Kid books in order
by Jeff Kinney - 19 books - 2007-2024 - Updated June 2026
Greg Heffley is a scrawny middle-schooler navigating the social minefield of adolescence, documenting every humiliation in his journal (not a diary, he insists). Kinney's mix of hand-drawn illustrations and Greg's unreliable narration makes these books wildly popular with reluctant readers. Greg never learns, never grows, and that is entirely the point.
Kinney
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
✦
1
Kinney
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
✦
1
Start with this book
Most readers should start with Diary of a Wimpy Kid. It gives you the cleanest entry point before continuing through the full series order.Listen on Audible
Buy on Amazon19 books - read in publication order
Show orderPublication order
Contains affiliate links| # | Book | Published | Rating | Where to read |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Diary of a Wimpy Kid Diary of a Wimpy KidStart | 2007 | 4.1 | |
| 2 | Rodrick Rules Rodrick Rules | 2008 | 4.1 | |
| 3 | The Last Straw The Last Straw | 2009 | 4.0 | |
| 4 | Dog Days Dog Days | 2009 | 4.1 | |
| 5 | The Ugly Truth The Ugly Truth | 2010 | 4.0 | |
| 6 | Cabin Fever Cabin Fever | 2011 | 4.0 | |
| 7 | The Third Wheel The Third Wheel | 2012 | 3.9 | |
| 8 | Hard Luck Hard Luck | 2013 | 4.0 | |
| 9 | The Long Haul The Long Haul | 2014 | 3.9 | |
| 10 | Old School Old School | 2015 | 4.0 | |
| 11 | Big Shot Big Shot | 2021 | 4.0 | |
| 12 | No Brainer No Brainer | 2023 | 4.0 | |
| 13 | Hot Mess Hot Mess | 2024 | 3.9 |
Showing 13 of 19 - the openers plus the key entries. See the full 19-book list →
Our recommended reading order
publication
Kinney
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
✦
Best book to start with
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Book #1, and still the best on-ramp. It sets up everything that makes this series work.
Similar series
If you love Diary of a Wimpy Kid, try these next.
Peirce
Big Nate: In a Class by Himself
✦
Big Nate
Lincoln Peirce - 30+ books
Another illustrated diary-style series about a kid who thinks he is destined for greatness. Slightly younger audience, same school-comedy DNA.
humormiddle-grade
Pichon
The Brilliant World of Tom Gates
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Tom Gates
Liz Pichon - 19 books
A British take on the illustrated-diary format. Tom Gates is slightly more likable than Greg, and the doodles are more elaborate.
humormiddle-grade
Frequently asked questions
Not strictly. Each book covers a self-contained period in Greg's life. But running gags and character introductions work best from the beginning, so starting with book one is recommended.
As of 2024, there are 19 main-series books. Jeff Kinney also writes spin-off titles like the Rowley Jefferson's Awesome Friendly Adventure series.
The target audience is ages 8-12. The humor, illustrations, and short chapters make them especially popular with reluctant readers.
Contains affiliate linksUpdated June 2026