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Wimpy Kid 5 announced its title and print run today: The Ugly Truth will take Greg Heffley to the brink of adolescence. The five million copy laydown is the biggest print run for any book in the best-selling series. Details in the PR:

Amulet Books, an imprint of Abrams, reveals today in a major press announcement the title, first-printing quantity, and cover of the fifth Diary of a Wimpy Kid book. The Ugly Truth will have the largest first printing to date of any title in the series, with more than 5 million copies, making it one of the largest publishing releases of 2010 when it goes on sale Tuesday, November 9. The cover is purple, following the red, blue, green, and yellow of the first four #1 bestselling books, which are available together for the first time this September in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid Box of Books, which features an original Rowley Jefferson cartoon.

The Ugly Truth follows the sales and publicity momentum of the #1 bestseller The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary, a nonfiction book by Jeff Kinney published to coincide with the March 2010 release of the feature movie version of the first Wimpy Kid book. The Ugly Truth is a pivotal installment in the series and a must-read for fans.

“To me, the fifth book is the linchpin of the series,” said Jeff Kinney. “Since Greg Heffley is a cartoon character but also a literary character, I’ve always wondered if he should grow up or stay in a state of arrested development forever. This book answers that question once and for all.”

“With The Ugly Truth, Jeff Kinney takes his readers in a whole new direction,” said Charles Kochman, executive editor of the Wimpy Kid series. “All of the favorite characters will be back but, like Greg Heffley, you will see them in a new light as Jeff explores the reality of adolescence.”

The wide reach of the release of the title will include national publicity and a special promotion on the popular children’s website www.poptricpica.com, which will offer users a unique reveal of the cover on July 29, 2010. Kits with branded materials will be mailed in August to booksellers and librarians to help them build awareness and excitement.

“Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth is the most anticipated book of 2010, with the largest initial print run and with Jeff Kinney’s millions of fans elated with anticipation. And we at Abrams are happy to do our bit in bringing millions of kids— and their parents, caregivers, librarians, teachers, and friends—into stores for books this fall, starting with the release of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid Box of Books gift set next month.

“We believe that our laydown of The Ugly Truth will bring traffic into stores and help make this holiday season an upbeat one for booksellers. As we roll out our pre-sales and marketing campaign over the next few months, we know that the excitement will skyrocket and that we may well go back to press to cover increased demand.”

Since publication of the first Diary of a Wimpy Kid book in April 2007, more than 35 million books are in print in the United States, and the books have been sold in more than 30 countries around the world. Published by Amulet Books, an imprint of ABRAMS, Kinney’s work has been widely credited for its ability to turn reluctant readers on to books. In 2010, the movie adaptation of Diary of a Wimpy Kid grossed more than $60 million in box office sales, the book series won a Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Award, and books in the series won numerous awards voted on by students and teachers in schools around the globe. In 2009, Jeff Kinney was named one of TIME magazine’s most influential people in the world. A second movie is in production now and expected to be in theatres in March 2011.

Books by Jeff Kinney include Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days, Diary of a Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself Book, and The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary. The series is a fixture on the USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists, and has remained consistently in the top spots on the New York Times lists since publication.

74 COMMENTS

  1. Volume four had a four-million copy first printing.

    Mockingjay, the third and final volume in the Hunger Games trilogy, had a first-printing of 750,000.

    The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner had an initial printing of 1.5 Million copies.

    No word yet on “The Lost Hero” by Rick Riordan.

    So… kids are still reading, and reading BOOKS. Are there any adult books with these types of numbers?

  2. Nooo! I have to wait until November 9th for it! I love these books, their so funny. :) (so does my mother….)

  3. i love diary of the wimpy kid books i am dyeing to read the ulgy truth they are funny and these are the best books ever i hop they make more

  4. I already got the red one the blue one the green one thhe yellow one the orange one and the white one. I got all of them. But I cant wait for November 9th 2010 thats a long time. In the fall ommg omg omg!!!

  5. I’ve got all the books. i can’t wait for the 7th book in my collections.I’m ready to read it!

  6. The first Diary of a Wimpy Kid book came out when I was in 5th grade. I’m going into 8th grade now, and I still find all of the books to be fun to read. I can’t wait until “The Ugly Truth” comes out!

  7. Guys.I have all the “Diary of a wimpy kid” books and I read all them.My dad is really rich,so he can by,um,”Diary of a wimpy kid:the ugly truth right when it comes out,you know,the first day it comes out.I also met Jeff Kinney.When Dog Days came out,I watched him make it and it was so awsome.But it was really long,too.My real name is Lily,but in Diary of a wimpy kid I play Patty.She is a little bragey about everything.She love boys a little,but she thinks boys are like poop.
    I am in diary of a wimpy kid.I am also gonna be in the ugly truth.Well,yet me tell you,it’s really cool.Oh,there is really good news:THERE IS A DAIRY OF A WIMPY KID THE UGLY TRUTH MOVIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    Okay,I posted some other comments,so look at my other ones.I just want to get a shout out to my friend,Lindsey Steele and my other friend Katie Kelly.

  8. I love Diary of a wimpy kid and I have all of them.The person who writes them is named Jeff Kinny.(Katie Kelly,you are so weird and i hate you.I am not your friend anymore.You are such a loser.HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.yOU SMEell LIKe POOop.Loser)

  9. EWWWW!!! Bob noboody cares that you like sex and your penis is big this aboout diary kid ugly truth duhhhhhhhhhh

  10. I have read all of Jeff Kinney’s books. Rodrick Rules is my fave book of his. I think that the 5th book is going to be the best Diary of a Wimpy Kid book in the history of Diary of a Wimpy Kid books. I hope, and I know it will, be better than book 4. After this comment, out of all the other comments, will be the 70th comment. And I hope that people can send more comments about the book and books so we can reach up to 100 comments. Then Diary of a Wimpy Kid will be really popular. And maybe it will be the most popular book out of all the other books in the world or United States or California or other states. Well, who knows??? That is the end of my comment for this Diary of a Wimpy Kid comment.
    Thank you reader for reading this
    comment.
    :) :)

  11. Free copies of The Ugly Truth at nyjb.net
    Do not delay. Go enter yourself into the giveaway. Win the book. Don’t be a wimp about this.

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