Diary of a Wimpy Kid vs New Kid — which is harder to read?

Lexile data not available for one or both titles in this comparison. See each book's page (/book/diary-of-a-wimpy-kid and /book/new-kid) for grade-range + reading-level estimates from school assignments.

What grade level is Diary of a Wimpy Kid vs New Kid?

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: 3-7 grade range. New Kid: 4-8 grade range. Both assigned within the 3-5 band. Specific district and curriculum vary; see each book's page for the full assignment history.

Which is more commonly taught, Diary of a Wimpy Kid or New Kid?

Both Diary of a Wimpy Kid and New Kid are in the top-10 most-cited books on ReadingList.school across US school assignments and curricula. Each book's individual page (/book/diary-of-a-wimpy-kid, /book/new-kid) lists every tracked assignment with source citation, so you can see which has broader curriculum reach in your specific region.

Should I read Diary of a Wimpy Kid or New Kid first?

If they're in the same school year, follow the syllabus order (usually chronological by publication or grouped by theme). If reading independently: start with the shorter or lower-Lexile title to build context, then move to the other. Both titles often appear together on AP / IB reading lists as paired study.

Comparison

Diary of a Wimpy Kid vs New Kid

How Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney and New Kid by Jerry Craftcompare on reading level, grade placement, curriculum overlap, and shared themes — derived from primary-source citations on each book’s ReadingList page.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Jeff Kinney

Lexile: 950L
Grades: 3–7
Published: 2007
Pages: 217
Genre: Middle Grade Fiction

New Kid

Jerry Craft

Grades: 4–8
Published: 2019
Pages: 256
Genre: Middle Grade Graphic Novel

At a glance

Grade-range overlap: Grades 4–7
Year-of-publication gap: 12 years (2007 vs 2019)
Page-count gap: 39 pages (217 vs 256)
Shared curricula: 50 of 140
Shared themes: 1 of 10

Curriculum overlap

Both books appear in 50 shared curriculum frameworks:

Themes

Shared

friendship

Only Diary of a Wimpy Kid

school · family · humor · growing up

Only New Kid

race and identity · code-switching · middle school adjustment · graphic narrative · private vs public school

Get these books

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Jeff Kinney

Where to find this book

Buy on AmazonPrime · 1-click Listen free on Audiblestarts instantly

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New Kid

Jerry Craft

Where to find this book

Buy on AmazonPrime · 1-click Listen free on Audiblestarts instantly

Audible: new members only · many assigned titles are included · a free 30-day trial starts listening right away, with no wait for delivery.

Other formats on Amazon: Kindle · Audiobook

As an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases and membership trials at no extra cost to you. Pricing, Prime, and trial terms shown on Amazon.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

New Kid

At a glance

Curriculum overlap

Themes

Shared

Only Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Only New Kid

Get these books

Where to find this book

Where to find this book

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