Diary of a Wimpy Kid is the first graphic novel in the titular series by Jeff Kinney. Since its initial publication in 2007, Diary of a Wimpy Kid has become a New York Times bestseller and 16 sequels have followed in the series. Diary of a Wimpy Kid is written in a diary format and documents the misadventures of middle school student Greg Heffley, who longs for popularity and hatches dozens of schemes to achieve his goals. The series is known for its humorous cartoons, relatable characters, and for exploring themes of popularity, acceptance, family, responsibility, friendship, adolescence, and learning to do the right thing. Over 250 million copies have been sold, making it one of the most successful book series of all time. The series includes several film adaptations, including an original 2010 film of the same name, and the series won an ALA Notable Book Award as well as the 2010 award for Most Favorite Book Around the World. The version used for this guide is the hardback of the Amulet Books imprint of ABRAMS.

Plot Summary

At the beginning of the school year, middle school student Greg Heffley begins writing in a journal to document his daily life. Greg complains that he is stuck in middle school with a bunch of “morons” and that he’s only writing in this journal because he’s sure he’ll be rich and famous one day and he doesn’t want to have to answer stupid questions. Greg thinks he is better than his classmates, but he also acknowledges that he isn’t the most popular student. Greg decides to focus on gaining popularity, and as the school year progresses, Greg rolls out one scheme after another in hopes of finally earning a name for himself as a popular kid.

At home, Greg has to deal with his very traditional dad, his protective mom, his obnoxious older brother Rodrick, and his baby brother, Manny. Amid the chaos of his home, Greg often leaves his house to find peace, and he spends a lot of time with his best friend Rowley Jefferson. Greg complains that Rowley is uncool and doesn’t seem to care about popularity the same way Greg does, and Greg often blames Rowley for getting in the way of Greg achieving popularity. Still, Greg is perfectly content to use Rowley to get what he wants, and he enjoys playing jokes on Rowley.

As the school year goes on, Greg finds himself in a series of unusual situations. He and Rowley are chased by teenagers on Halloween night, Greg has to wrestle a strange student named Fregley in Physical Education, and his mom forces him to sign up for the school play. Each step of the way, Greg actively tries to avoid being embarrassed, but he often ends up causing his own humiliation in the process. He soon finds that popularity in middle school is much harder to figure out than he originally thought, and before long Greg’s quest for popularity starts to drive a wedge between him and Rowley.

In January, Greg breaks Rowley’s hand in a freak Big Wheel accident, but he takes no personal responsibility for his actions. When Rowley has to start wearing a cast, Greg grows jealous of the attention Rowley is getting at school. In February, Greg and Rowley try to become cartoonists for the school newspaper, but Greg is so obsessed with controlling the project that he drives Rowley away. In March, while serving on the school’s Safety Patrol, Greg abuses his power and terrorizes a bunch of kindergarteners. Instead of owning up to his mistake, however, Greg lets Rowley take the fall for his actions, and Rowley decides to stop speaking to Greg. As the school year draws to a close, Greg realizes that Rowley is becoming far more popular than him, and all of Greg’s attempts to get attention at school have backfired.

One day, Greg and Rowley are cornered by the same teenagers that attacked them on Halloween night, and Rowley is forced to eat a moldy piece of cheese that has been sitting on the school’s blacktop for over a year. Greg knows that Rowley’s reputation will be ruined if anyone finds out what happened, so he takes the fall for Rowley and tells everyone in school that he threw the Cheese away. Greg becomes a social outcast because everyone believes he has the “Cheese Touch,” but Greg doesn’t mind. In the end, Greg and Rowley become friends again, and Greg realizes that being popular isn’t worth the hassle. He decides he would rather have Rowley’s friendship, and he can always remind Rowley of what really happened to the Cheese.