# Is "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Meltdown (13)" by Jeff Kinney a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Meltdown (13) by Jeff Kinney (Amulet Books / Abrams, 2018) is identified by: First printing carries the full descending number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 on the copyright page; Amulet Books, an imprint of Abrams, New York, 2018. The US Amulet/Abrams edition, published October 30, 2018, is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing carries the full descending number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 on the copyright page
- Amulet Books, an imprint of Abrams, New York, 2018
- Issued as a hardcover in pictorial glazed boards showing a melting snowman on a purple background, with a purple spine strip and blue endpapers, and no dust jacket, as issued
- There is no separate stated-edition wording beyond the number line
- Publisher imprint reads Amulet Books / Abrams
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Jeff Kinney |
| Publisher | Amulet Books / Abrams |
| Year | 2018 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | First printing carries the full descending number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 on the copyright page |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First printing carries the full descending number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 on the copyright page; Amulet Books, an imprint of Abrams, New York, 2018. Issued as a hardcover in pictorial glazed boards showing a melting snowman on a purple background, with a purple spine strip and blue endpapers, and no dust jacket, as issued. There is no separate stated-edition wording beyond the number line.

## Is this the true first?
The US Amulet/Abrams edition, published October 30, 2018, is the true first. A simultaneous UK Puffin issue exists, but the Amulet printing is the primary first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings advance the number line so the lowest digit is greater than 1; the binding is otherwise nearly identical. First printings are common given the very large initial run.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Meltdown (13)* by Jeff Kinney a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/diary-of-a-wimpy-kid-the-meltdown-13
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.