Twelfth Wimpy Kid coming in November

Penguin Random House Children's is publishing the 12th book in Jeff Kinney's bestselling Wimpy Kid series, alongside 20 other international publishers, in November 2017.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Book 12 will be a new, original story from Kinney, inviting readers to join the Heffleys on "a holiday trip to remember". After deciding to spend Christmas at a resort instead of celebrating at home, the trip, billed as a stress-free vacation, however risks becoming a holiday nightmare.

The book will go on sale for publishing houses in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Germany, France, Australia, Turkey, Greece, China, Japan, Brazil, Spain, Catalonia, Romania, Portugal, Hungary, Sweden, Latvia, Norway, Taiwan, Israel, and Korea.

Kinney said: “I’ve traveled quite a bit over the last few years, and I’ve realized there's a ton of comedic potential in airplane travel. And when a family like the Heffleys is involved, the possibility of something going hilariously wrong multiplies."

According to PRH, 180 million copies of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series are in print globally. The new book follows book 11, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Double Down.

Francesca Dow, m.d. of Penguin Random House Children’s, said: “This year marks a very special milestone in this incredibly popular and original superbrand, as we celebrate the tenth anniversary of the publication of the first Diary of a Wimpy Kid book. Very few series indeed have achieved such phenomenal global success, or turned so many children onto books, enticing even the most reluctant of readers.

“We couldn’t be more excited at Puffin because this will be one of our biggest Wimpy Kid years yet, with a new film release, a brand new Wimpy Kid Movie Diary and in November the publication of the twelfth book in this bestselling series. We are so proud to be part of this international publishing event, as we bring Jeff’s new book to as many readers and fans as possible, around the world, and at the same time”.

Kinney will continue his global tour throughout 2017. He is currently in Italy doing events, and will travel to Amatrice to do a school presentation and hear from students whose lives were impacted by the earthquake. Kinney’s international travels for book 11, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Double Down, involved working closely with publishers on more than 20 stops on three continents.

The fourth annual "Wimpy Kid Month" begins on 1st April 2017, ending with the reveal of the cover of the latest book on 27th April to a live audience of fans at Carnegie Hall in New York, to be shared through a webcast on Wimpy Kid's YouTube page.

On 18th May, PRH Children’s will publish a movie diary from Kinney, The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary: The Next Chapter, in time for the release of the 20th Century Fox film "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul". Three movies based on the book series have grossed more than $225m, according to PRH.