The points of issue
First printing has a complete number line reading 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 (ending in 1) on the copyright page, under the Amulet Books / Abrams imprint. Issued as a pictorial laminated hardcover with no dust jacket, as issued. The small first printing (reported at about 25,000 copies) makes a true first scarce.
Is this the true first?
The US Amulet/Abrams 2007 edition is the true first. The book grew out of the serialized version published on the FunBrain website beginning in 2004. The decisive points are the complete number line ending in 1 and the Amulet/Abrams imprint.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A separate Scholastic paperback edition exists under a different ISBN and is not the hardcover first. Later printings show number lines that no longer end in 1. No dust jacket is correct for the first, so the number line and imprint are decisive rather than any jacket point.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Diary of a Wimpy Kid a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First printing has a complete number line reading 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 (ending in 1) on the copyright page, under the Amulet Books / Abrams imprint. Issued as a pictorial laminated hardcover with no dust jacket, as issued. The small first printing (reported at about 25,000 copies) makes a true first scarce.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. The US Amulet/Abrams 2007 edition is the true first. The book grew out of the serialized version published on the FunBrain website beginning in 2004. The decisive points are the complete number line ending in 1 and the Amulet/Abrams imprint.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
A separate Scholastic paperback edition exists under a different ISBN and is not the hardcover first. Later printings show number lines that no longer end in 1. No dust jacket is correct for the first, so the number line and imprint are decisive rather than any jacket point.
I have a first edition of Diary of a Wimpy Kid — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.