Greg's mom, Susan, doesn't want to give him money to spend on the site and says he has to earn money on his own. Greg starts playing an online game called 'Net Kritterz' which is based around treating a virtual pet and requires paid features. Greg is afraid of this doll because he thinks that it might actually send information to Santa. In addition, his mother obtains a doll which she calls 'Santa's Scout' that is meant to keep track of how he behaves and make his behavior better. The story starts before Christmas when Greg Heffley wants to behave well to get really good gifts for the holidays.
The book was followed by 2012's The Third Wheel. The book received widespread acclaim from critics. In 2012 Kinney won a 'Best Author' Children's Choice Award from the Children's Book Council for Cabin Fever. Cabin Fever had a first printing run of six million copies, which Amulet Books stated was one of their most significant titles for that year. The book was released on November 15, 2011, the paperback edition was released on January 31, 2013, and was the fastest-selling book of 2011, giving him the third-strongest opening-week sales for a children's author. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever is a 2011 bestselling and award-winning children's book and the sixth book in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, written by American author Jeff Kinney.
