Diary of A Wimpy Kid - Book 8: Hard Luck is part of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, which is a highly entertaining series of novels for kids. The story begins with the readers being introduced to Greg Heffley who is currently experiencing a streak of bad luck. He has just been ditched by his best friend, Rowley Jefferson. Rowley has moved on from Greg and is now with Abigail, who prevents him from doing the fun things that he would do with Greg, in days gone by.

Greg now decides to make new friends in middle school, which is a task that doesn't seem to be as easy as Greg thought it would be. His mother encourages him by reinstating the fact that even though friends may come and go in life, it is family that lasts forever. However, Greg feels that he and his family aren't meant to be together, even after hearing what his mother has to say.

Diary of A Wimpy Kid - Book 8: Hard Luck tells of Greg's endeavors as he goes about middle school, trying to find someone who could take the place that Rowley once occupied in his life. Greg decides that in order to make things work, he must leave a lot to chance, instead of trying to make things work. Will Greg's story be a successful one? Or will his bad luck continue?

The book Diary of A Wimpy Kid - Book 8: Hard Luck has been published by Puffin Books in the year 2013 and is available in hardcover.