Kinney's 16th Diary of a Wimpy Kid coming in October

Puffin has revealed the title of the 16th instalment of the bestselling series Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney.

His latest book will be called Big Shot, and will be released in hardback and e-book editions simultaneously across the world on 26th October. There will also be a new animated series of the original story streaming on Disney+.

According to Nielsen, Kinney has sold 14.3 million books in the UK for £80m. His bestseller is the first Diary of a Wimpy Kid (Puffin), which has sold 1.1 million copies in paperback. His latest title, Rowley Jefferson's Awesome Spooky Stories (Puffin), is on 47,782 copies to date, and for the post-Lockdown 3.0 period is the current children's bestseller.

The new book begins after a disastrous field day competition at school for Greg. But after his mum urges him to give sports one more chance, he reluctantly agrees to sign up for basketball. The publisher said: "Tryouts are a mess, and Greg is sure he won’t make the cut. But he unexpectedly lands a spot on the worst team. As Greg and his new teammates start the season, their chances of winning even a single game look slim. But in sports, anything can happen. When everything is on the line and the ball is in Greg’s hands, will he rise to the occasion? Or will he blow his big shot?"

Francesca Dow, managing director of Penguin Random House Children’s, said: "Puffin are incredibly proud to be publishing Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Big Shot this autumn. The launch of a new Diary of a Wimpy Kid title continues to be one of the most anticipated events by kids, as they are desperate to read the next Greg Heffley story; and a big moment in children’s publishing. And after the last difficult year for families in the UK and around the world, Jeff Kinney’s ‘laughter guaranteed’ adventures are needed now more than ever. We cannot wait for young readers, old and new, to join Greg Heffley in Big Shot, the phenomenal 16th book in this much-loved, number one bestselling series, as well as seeing the story that started it all brought to life on Disney+."