Amulet Books Announces the Global Publication of Diary of a Wimpy Kid Book 8
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BOLOGNA, Italy, March 25, 2013—Today at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, ABRAMS announced that its Amulet Books imprint will join forces with seven publishers around the world for a global release of the eighth book in the blockbuster Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. The release of the latest book is one of the most anticipated publishing releases of the year.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid Book 8 will go on sale in the United States in November 2013. The United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, Greece, Japan, Korea, and Norway will release the book in their respective territories just after the U.S. debut. An original new image by Jeff Kinney, featuring Greg Heffley under an umbrella being bombarded by raining Magic 8 balls, was revealed to tease fans about what might next happen to Greg Heffley.
“Never in my wildest dreams did I think that Greg Heffley’s stories would be enjoyed by this many kids around the world,” says Kinney. “I’m incredibly excited that ABRAMS is launching the newest Diary of a Wimpy Kid book with an international release of this size.”
Following major marketing and social media promotions in the U.S. for the November 2013 release, international partners will launch their respective campaigns around the world as fans cheer the arrival of the newest Diary of a Wimpy Kid story.
Books in the core Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney include Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2007), Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (2008), Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw (2009), Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days (2009), Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth (2010), and Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever (2011). On November 13, 2012, book 7 in the series, The Third Wheel, released with a 6.5-million-copy first printing in North America. Jeff Kinney has also written and illustrated The Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself Book and The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary. The books are a fixture on the USA Today bestseller list (the first book in the series has remained in the top 150 for more than 200 weeks) and the Wall Street Journal and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists. The series has remained consistently in the top spots on the New York Times lists since the publication of the first book.
Published by Amulet Books, an imprint of ABRAMS, Kinney’s work has been widely praised for its ability to turn reluctant readers on to books. More than 85 million Diary of a Wimpy Kid books are in print around the world. The books have been sold in more than 44 territories in 42 languages. Jeff Kinney was named one of Time magazine’s most influential people in the world. Three movies based on the book series have grossed more than $250 million internationally. The book series won Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards in 2010, 2011, and 2012 (and is nominated for one in 2013), and Jeff Kinney won a Children’s Choice Book Award in 2012. The books have won numerous awards voted on by students and teachers around the globe. The Wimpy Kid Island on poptropica.com, a virtual world for kids, remains one of the most visited on the site.
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For more information, interviews, or images, please contact:
Jason M. Wells
Executive Director, Publicity and Marketing
Abrams Books for Young Readers/Amulet Books
115 West 18th Street, New York, NY 10011
office: 212-229-8826 mobile: 646-456-5446 fax: 212-366-0809
jwells@abramsbooks.com
About ABRAMS
Founded by Harry N. Abrams in 1949, ABRAMS was the first company in the United States to specialize in the creation and distribution of art and illustrated books. Now a subsidiary of La Martinière Groupe, the company publishes visually stunning illustrated books in the areas of art, photography, cooking, interior and garden design, craft, architecture, entertainment, fashion, sports, and pop culture, as well as children’s books and general interest titles. The company’s imprints include Abrams, Abrams ComicArts, Abrams Image, Abrams Books for Young Readers, Amulet Books, Abrams Appleseed, Stewart, Tabori & Chang, and STC Craft/Melanie Falick Books. Abrams also distributes books for The Vendome Press, Victoria & Albert Museum, Tate, Royal Academy of Arts, Booth-Clibborn Editions, Five Continents, and others.
