Diary of a Wimpy Kid (series)

The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series is a penology of humorous books, written by American cartoonist and online game developer Jeff Kinney. They follow through the illustrations of Greg Heffley, a male student in middle-school explaining his everyday adventures through his detailed drawings and simple notes.

Background Information
After Jeff Kinney was unsuccessful in syndicating his comic strip, he started writing down his ideas for about 10 years (in the early 1990's), which eventually became Diary of a Wimpy Kid. The series are believed to be loosely based on Jeff Kinney's childhood, and virtually all the characters are based off people in reality, who are replaced by fictional names to protect their identity. Before writing, the author stated that he had a rather complex childhood in middle school in which he was given numerous swirlys in the girls bathroom, and wanted to write about this.

Books in the series
In total, there are about six books in the series, each having a different color and a picture.

Note 1: In the 5th book, on the first page it says that "More Diary of a Wimpy Kid," hinting a 6th book. Then, it was called Diary of a Wimpy Kid 6 in the revived Do-It-Yourself Book. The title was announced on June 16, 2011.
 * Book 1: Diary of a Wimpy Kid, released in 2007, talks about Greg and his relationship with Rowley, and the infamous Cheese Touch. (Red)
 * Book 2: Rodrick Rules, released in 2008, is about Greg and his relationship with his brother, Rodrick, and about the traumatic event that Greg experienced during the summer. (Blue)
 * Book 3: The Last Straw, released in early 2009, is about Greg and his relationship with his father. (Green)
 * Book 4: Dog Days, released in late 2009, is about Greg's worst summer ever. This book focuses on Greg's mother. (Yellow)
 * Book 5: The Ugly Truth, released in 2010, is about Greg and Rowley going through puberty. (Purple)
 * Book 6: Cabin Fever, released in 2011, is about a snowstorm that keeps Greg and his family inside. This book revolves around Greg's little brother Manny. (Baby Blue)
 * Book 7: The Third Wheel, which will be released in November 13, 2012, will be about Greg's relationship with girls and the valentines dance. (Brown)
 * Book 8: Jeff Kinney revealed an eighth book might be on the way. May be released in 2013.
 * Extra novels:
 * Diary of a Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself Book, first released in October 2008 is an activity book where the readers can write their own stories. An extended version was released in 2011 before Cabin Fever.
 * The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary, first released in 2010 is a non- fiction novel about how the first film was made. An upgraded version with information about the second and third films were released in 2012.

Note 2: The Ugly Truth was originally going to be called Rowley's Revenge.

Note 3: Jeff Kinney revealed an 8th book might be on the way.

Reception
The New York Times, which ranks children's serials collectively on a "Series Books" bestseller list, has included the Wimpy Kid series for 64 weeks as of April 10, 2010. USA Today, which ranks best sellers based on sales alone regardless of genre or intended audience, has listed Diary of a Wimpy Kid in its top 150, peaking at number 8, for 141 weeks as of April 4, 2010. As of the same date, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules has been on the list for 117 weeks (peaking at number 4), Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw has been on the list for 65 weeks (peaking at number 1), Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days has been on the list for all 25 weeks of its publication (peaking at number 1), and The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary has been listed for all three weeks of its publication, peaking at number 2. As of May 2010, more than 32 million Wimpy Kid books are in print in the U.S., and the books have been sold in more than 30 countries.

Film Adapations
In March 2010, Fox 2000 released a movie named Diary of a Wimpy Kid, based on the first book. The film garnered mixed reviews, and is rated 55% on Rotten Tomatoes.

The following year, a second movie (Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules) hit theaters. 47% of critcs gave the film a positive review, according to the aforementioned Rotten Tomatoes.

In 2012, a third movie Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days was released. Unlike the first two films, Dog Days combined the third and fourth books (The Last Straw and Dog Days).

A film for The Ugly Truth is being considered and a television special based on Cabin Fever is being planned.


 * Source(s): Wikipedia