There’s something about the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books. They draw in my oldest son, and he’ll gladly spend the whole day reading them. And it’s not just my child; one of the things I hear from readers most often is: “My child only wants to read Diary of a Wimpy Kid books! How can I find more books they will love?”
The good news is there are lots of other great books out there that are silly, fun, and engaging, just like the popular series created by Jeff Kinney. If you want to turn your Wimpy Kid-lover into a power reader, check out these hilarious chapter books.
12 Books for Kids Who Love Diary of a Wimpy Kid
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Book links are Amazon referral links.
Who is Jeff Kinney? by Patrick Kinney — My oldest son really enjoyed learning more about his favorite author in this book from the Who Was? series. Kinney had many failures before finding success with his popular series, and his story teaches an important lesson about never giving up.
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume — This book was Jeff Kinney’s favorite as a kid, and one of mine as well! Peter’s two-year-old brother, Fudge, is a handful. He’s always into everything, and he seems to find all kinds of ways to make Peter’s life miserable (like scribbling on his homework). Peter is tired of Fudge stealing the show — and getting away with it. How can he coexist with a terrible toddler?
The Last Kids on Earth by Max Brallier — Jack Sullivan is figuring out how to live life after a monster invasion destroys his town. To survive, he builds a team of friends and sets out to defeat the evil monster Blarg. Brallier does a great job of capturing the voice of a young boy, and both my son and I couldn’t put down this exciting book.
The Great Shelby Holmes by Elizabeth Eulberg — Shelby Homes is a bit different than her classmates: she’s the youngest and shortest sixth-grader in her school. She’s also a super-smart detective who is the best at solving mysteries in her Harlem neighborhood. She teams up with her new neighbor John to solve a mysterious dog-napping case that no one else has been able to crack.
My Big Fat Zombie Goldfish by Mo O’Hara — Tom can’t believe that his big brother Mark has decided to become an evil scientist. Mark’s first experiment is dipping his goldfish into some toxic goo! Tom zaps the poor fish back to life with battery, but now he’s got a bigger problem: now he’s a zombie goldfish, and he’s ANGRY.
Snoop Troop: It Came From Beneath the Playground by Kirk Scroggs — This series is a BIG favorite in our house! Girl detective Logan Lang is trying to figure out who (or what!) is stealing everything in town that the kids love. She teams up with aspiring cop Gustavo Muchomacho to solve the case and get the town’s playground and toys back. This interactive book calls on the reader to help solve the mystery.
The Magnificent Mya Tibbs: Spirit Week Showdown by Crystal Allen — Mya is super excited for spirit week! She can’t wait to be partners with her best friend Naomi and win the spirit week prize. But things don’t go the way they planned, and Mya ends up partnered with the school’s biggest bully instead. Can Mya still win the prize and stay friends with Naomi?
Big Nate: A Good Old-Fashioned Wedgie by Lincoln Pierce — The work of Lincoln Pierce was a big inspiration for Jeff Kinney, so it makes sense to include the Big Nate books on this list. Nate and his friends at P.S. 38 are always finding ways to get into trouble, and there are few problems a good wedgie won’t solve. My son adores these hilarious graphic novels.
Dog Man by Dav Pilkey — George and Harold, the creators of Captain Underpants, have created a new comic about a hero with the head of a dog and the body of a human. He uses his combined talents to fight crime and stand for justice! This is another awesome graphic novel kids will love.
Galaxy Zack: Hello, Nebulon! by Ray O’Ryan — Starting a new school is always hard, but it’s especially hard when the school is on another planet! Zack misses Texas, and he is doing his best to adjust to life on the planet Nebulon. A new friend and an awesome surprise make the adjustment easier.
Big Bad Detective Agency by Bruce Hale — When all three little pigs are robbed, you can guess who is to blame — the Big Bad Wolf, of course. The only problem is…he didn’t do it! Wolfgang the Wolf is forced to partner with the fourth little pig to solve the case and clear his name. Can he prove to Prince Tyrone that he’s innocent?
Zeke Meeks vs. The Crummy Class Play by D.L. Green — Zeke Meeks is excited to be part of the class play…until he hears that he’s got a tiny part. How can Zeke make his mark on the class production? In the end, he finds a way to make the class play less crummy.
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