What comes next? Diary of a Wimpy Kid
One of the most difficult things for parents is finding a good pukapuka for their child who has just finished an incredible series that kept them hooked for weeks (or more realistically, a few hours).
No need to stress, the library has got you covered!
Last month, in our blog What comes next? Percy Jackson and the Olympians, we looked at some action-packed titles with incredible world building and influences from different cultures! This time around we recommend what to read after finishing Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid is a great series for young readers that really captures the weird and whacky nature of middle school (for us non-Americans, that's like intermediate here in Aotearoa). Greg Heffley has a lot of lessons to learn throughout the series, and he is certainly relatable for many tamariki figuring out where they fit in. Luckily there are lots of books in the series, but once you've devoured them all it's hard to find the next good thing. So, without further ado, here are our picks for what to read after Diary of a Wimpy Kid.
Younger Kids:
If you're looking for more middle school hijinks then Dork Diaries or Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life are sure to take your fancy, or if you're after the humour of Jeff Kinney in a different setting, then check out the Long-Lost Secret Diary series by Tim Collins or the Treehouse series by Andy Griffiths.
- Tales from a NOT-SO fabulous life / Russell, Rachel Renée (CD audiobook, ebook)
- School stories, popularity, first in a 16-book series.
- Middle school, the worst years of my life / Patterson, James (eaudiobook)
- School stories, rule breaking, first in a 16-book series.
- The long-lost secret diary of the world's worst dinosaur hunter / Collins, Tim
- One of a series of five, each featuring a different period in history.
- The 13-storey treehouse / Griffiths, Andy (CD audiobook, dyslexia-friendly edition, eaudiobook, ebook)
- Weird and wonderful, first in a 13-book series.
Older Kids:
For tamariki on the older side looking for a Young Adult book with the same vibe as Diary of a Wimpy Kid then check out Not my Problem, the comedy-sci-fi classic Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, or the Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. All of these books have the comedy of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, with slightly older kid problems!
- Not my problem / Smyth, Ciara
- School stories, rule breaking.
- The absolutely true diary of a part-time Indian / Alexie, Sherman (eaudiobook)
- Award-winner, changing schools.
- The hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy : a trilogy in four parts / Adams, Douglas (eaudiobook, eaudiobook of the original radio show, ebook of book 1, ebook of full series)
- Surreal science fiction, older readers.