Wimpy Kid's Jeff Kinney

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By Rocco Staino -- School Library Journal, 9/3/2008 2:10:00 PM

Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2007) has appeared on the New York Times Best Seller list for 70 weeks, and Rodrick Rules (2008, both Abrams/Amulet), the second book in the series, has been there for 31 weeks.

SLJ caught up with this overnight sensation to talk about geeks, bullies, grammar, and what's up next. The Diary of a Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself Book (Abrams/Amulet), which features art, along with blank pages for readers to create their own stories, will hit bookstores on October 3.

Your books have remained on best seller lists for months. How does it feel to be such a huge overnight sensation in the world of children's books?
It feels great! Sometimes, I feel like I don't belong at the table. I know how hard it is to make those lists, and I had only been published for a short time before it happened. On the other hand, I worked on my book for about nine years before it made its way to print. I feel very happy and fortunate just to have been published, really!

Your character Greg Heffley deals with bullies. Did you have similar experiences growing up? 
I certainly had a few. In my middle school, there was always the threat of bullying, but I somehow managed to escape unscathed. I've visited a few middle schools in the past year, and I'm happy to say that the environment seems much safer than I remember my school being. 

Greg is portrayed as an above-average student, but he constantly uses phrases, such as, "Me and Rowley." Do you think this was necessary?
Yes, I think it's important for Greg to sound like an authentic kid. The best compliment I ever received was that you can't sense the adult behind the character. I strive to make sure Greg sounds believable. That being said, I don't misspell words in the book, because I do think that would cross the line.

You just sold the movie rights for Wimpy Kid and there are at least three more books planned in the series. Is this a Wimpy Kid franchise in the making?
My hope is for Diary of a Wimpy Kid to stay on the shelves the same way Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing and Freckle Juice have stuck around. When writing the books, I try to be very careful not to include references to technology, because I don't want to do anything to date the book.

You’ve spent much time playing video games, and you’re involved with a company called Fun Brain. Do you consider yourself a computer geek?
My video game days ended right around the time when I started writing my book, about 10 years ago. So I think I've flushed the geek out of my system. Ask my wife, though, and she might have a different answer.

Tell us about Fun Brain.
FunBrain is an educational gaming Web site owned by Pearson and managed by myself. We've just launched a new product called Poptropica, which is a next-generation game, a massive virtual world in which kids can play games against each other.

What can you tell us about Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw?
The third book revolves around Greg's conflict with his father. Greg's dad is tired of his son's wimpy ways, and sets out to change him. Part of the plan includes sending Greg to military academy.