The following version of the book was used to create this study guide: Kinney, Jeff. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Big Shot. Abrams Publishing, New York, NY, 2021. Hardback.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Big Shot picks up the continuing story of Greg Heffley, an eighth grader. His school is about to hold the Field Day event that takes place every four years. Since the prize is a day off school, the competition is fierce. Not everyone is willing to play fair. For example, some of the teachers are sending students to spy on other teams. The janitors and the lunch ladies demand the chance to play for that prize. There is a gambling ring going on, and one boy is paid to fall down instead of running his race. At the end of the event, the lunch ladies win. With the idea that the janitors are going to fill in for the winners at lunch time, school officials announce that everyone can have a day off school.

Greg is not very interested in sports because he is not good at any sport. His mother, Mrs. Heffley, becomes convinced that Greg needs to experience the excitement of being part of a true team, and she pushes Greg to try out for something. Greg remembers that he once made an incredible shot with a wadded up napkin, and he decides he might be good at basketball. He hopes that his mother will forget about it, but that does not happen. When he shows up for tryouts, he learns there are 29 boys vying for 20 open positions. He feels his chance of being picked is very low, even though his mother is trying to help him from the sidelines. He is surprised when he learns he has been picked for a team that includes Preet Patel. Greg is even more surprised when he thinks back on tryouts and remembers that Preet was not present. Greg then learns that Preet was at a funeral on the night of tryouts, meaning he could not qualify for one of the two teams. His dad, Mr. Patel, begins a third team just so Preet can play.

Preet is a good player, and Greg hopes Mr. Patel can teach the rest of them to play as well as Preet. However, during their first scrimmage game, Preet falls and breaks his ankle. He is out for the season, but Mr. Patel continues to coach Greg's team anyway. The team has two problems. First, they cannot figure out any of Preet's plays. They also have no skills. The league officials make the rules harder for their opponents, but Greg's team continues to lose. The opponents begin making things harder for themselves, including shooting with their eyes closed, but Greg's team never wins. Even when playing against younger players, Greg's team loses every game.

They are all relieved when the season ends, but Mrs. Heffley wants Mr. Patel to take the team to a second-chance tournament. When he declines, Mrs. Heffley buys new jerseys for the team and takes the players herself. The tournament is not played in the traditional way. This time, the team members are allowed to leave only after they win a game. This means that only one of the teams will walk away without winning a single game. It comes down to Greg's team against the Funky Dunkers when Preet walks in. He is no longer on crutches, but he is wearing a protective boot. He is still the best player on Greg's team. Preet injures one of the Funky Dunkers with his boot, putting that player out of the game. They are going to have to forfeit, but Mrs. Heffley offers to let Greg join the Funky Dunkers' team. When he accidentally gets the ball, he is desperate to get rid of it and makes a three-point goal for his new team, earning them the victory. For the first time, Greg is a hero and understands the draw of being part of a sports team. The Funky Dunkers take Greg with them for ice cream. They discuss the possibility of getting together to play again, but Greg knows “sometimes you should just quit while you're ahead” (217).