Kinney Report

Kids are nuts about Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2007) and Rodrick Rules (2008, both Abrams/Amulet).

Your books have remained on best-seller lists for months. How does it feel to be such a huge overnight sensation?

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. I worked on my book for about nine years before it made its way to print.

Greg is an above-average student. Was it necessary for him to use poor grammar?

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 don’t misspell words in the book, because I do think that would cross the line.

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 a military academy.