Fight or Flight Tour Wimpy Kid Press Release

Are You Ready to Step into the Ring? Jeff Kinney, the #1 International Bestselling Author of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid Series, Celebrates Book 21 with Fight or Flight Tour

Multicity Tour Features Interactive Stage Show Highlighting both
Fight or Flight and Rowley Jefferson’s Awesome Friendly Spooky Stories 2

New York, NY (October 2, 2026)—Amulet Books, an imprint of Abrams Children’s Books, announced today Jeff Kinney’s “The Fight or Flight Show” and tour schedule, timed to the publication of Fight or Flight (Diary of a Wimpy Kid Book 21), releasing on October 20, 2026, in hardcover and eBook by ABRAMS as well as audio by Recorded Books, which will also be released in 27 languages.

The Fight or Flight tour celebrates the launch of the 21st book in the blockbuster series in 14 cities, featuring Kinney as the host of a knock-out, interactive stage show called “The Fight or Flight Show.” Kicking off mid-October, right in the heart of spooky season, the Fight or Flight tour will also feature the hilariously terrifying Spooky Stories 2 (August 11, 2026), Kinney’s newest installment in his spin-off series, Rowley Jefferson’s Awesome Friendly Spooky Stories.

In Fight or Flight, Greg Heffley faces his biggest challenge yet as he becomes a target for the school bully, putting his hard-earned expertise navigating the rough-and-tumble world of middle school to the test. When a secret binder filled with Greg’s notes on the school’s biggest bullies falls into the wrong hands, his world quickly begins to unravel, setting him up for a race against time before the truth comes out.

“The Fight or Flight Show will see us take our ambition to the next round with a knock-out interactive experience for the whole family!” says Kinney. “This year, we’re planning to punch up the fun factor while breaking new ground in author events—all inside the ropes of an on-stage boxing ring! I’ll be playing the part of a referee who’s come into town to help contestants settle disputes. Friend vs. friend. Neighbor vs neighbor. Parent vs. child. Opponents will step into the ring to face off in the most hilarious ways imaginable! Legends will rise and feathers will fly through the final bell. I cannot wait to be back on the road, meeting fans and soaking up the energy!”

To mark this stand-out fall with two brand-new books from the world of Wimpy Kid, Kinney will be sharing some spooky-season treats along the tour route, including surprise school visits. Boo! Kinney will also be personally donating $1,000 worth of diverse children’s books to each school library, continuing his commitment to championing children’s choice and agency as readers.

About the Tour

Kinney is teaming up with bookstores in 14 cities across the country and in Canada to host epic family-friendly events that bring the fun of Fight or Flight and Spooky Stories 2 to kids in their hometown. Select audience members will have the opportunity to join Kinney in the ring on stage for a series of hilarious, head-to-head challenges with a chance to win books, prizes, and more! Further details for “The Fight or Flight Show” are available on WimpyKid.com/appearances.

Kinney will partner with bookstores across the country to host “The Fight or Flight Show” on:

• Sunday, October 18: An Unlikely Story in Wrentham, MA
• Monday, October 19: Midtown Scholar in Harrisburg, PA
• Tuesday, October 20: Penguin Bookshop in Pittsburgh, PA
• Wednesday, October 21: Gramercy Books in Columbus, OH
• Thursday, October 22: The Whispering Shelf in Indianapolis, IN
• Friday, October 23: Carmichael’s Bookstore in Louisville, KY
• Saturday, October 24: Parnassus Books in Nashville, TN
• Sunday, October 25: The Novel Neighbor in St. Louis, MO
• Monday, October 26: Rainy Day Books in Kansas City, MO
• Tuesday, October 27: The Bookworm in Omaha, NE
• Wednesday, October 28: Swamp Fox Bookstore in Cedar Rapids, IA
• Thursday, October 29: Wild Rumpus Books in Minneapolis, MN
• Friday, October 30: Barnes & Noble in Fargo, ND
• Sunday, November 1: Indigo in Winnipeg, Canada

About Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Diary of a Wimpy Kid books are published in 93 editions and 75 languages and have sold more than 330 million copies globally. Published in 2007, the first Diary of a Wimpy Kid book was an instant bestseller. The series has remained on the New York Times bestseller list for eighteen years since its publication and through the release of the twentieth book as well as the four-book spin-off Awesome Friendly Kid series. The series is also a fixture on the USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Publishers Weekly, and IndieBound bestseller lists and is one of the top five bestselling book series of all time. Diary of a Wimpy Kid books are edited by Charles Kochman, editor-in-chief of Abrams ComicArts and Kinney’s longtime editor. The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series has now been adapted into four animated movies on Disney+ and a musical. Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: The Getaway will be streaming this holiday season on Disney+. Wider licensed products are also available.

About the Author

Jeff Kinney is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and a six-time Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Award winner for Favorite Book for his Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. Jeff has been named one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People in the World. He is also the creator of Poptropica, which was named one of Time’s 50 Best Websites. He spent his childhood in the Washington, D.C., area and later moved to New England, where he and his family own a bookstore, An Unlikely Story, in Plainville, MA. For more about Wimpy Kid visit: wimpykid.com.

About ABRAMS

Founded in 1949, ABRAMS was the first company in the United States to specialize in publishing art and illustrated books. The company publishes works in art, photography, cooking, craft, comics, interior and garden design, entertainment, fashion, and popular culture as well as narrative nonfiction and fiction for adults; children’s books ranging from middle grade to young adult fiction to picture books to board books. ABRAMS creates and distributes books under the following imprints: Abrams; Abrams ComicArts; Megascope; Kana; akaSTORY; Abrams Press; ABRAMS Well; Abrams Books for Young Readers; Abrams Fanfare; Amulet Books; Abrams Appleseed; and Magic Cat. ABRAMS also distributes books for Booth-Clibborn Editions, Bungie, Alain Ducasse Édition, Éditions de La Martiniére, Editions BPI, Enchanted Lion Books, Familius, Getty Publications, Global Golf Group, Lucky Spool, Milky Way Picture Books, Red Comet Press, Taunton Books, The Museum of Modern Art, SelfMadeHero, Skittledog, Tate Publishing, V&A Publishing, and The Vendome Press.