He's the author of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, creator of Poptropica, and thanks to WORD Christchurch I got to see him speak on Wednesday.
The auditorium was packed full of excited kids and parents. We were all waiting for 6 o'clock to finally arrive and the star to walk out on stage, I looked around at the demographics represented. It was wonderful seeing kids of all ages present - most clutching well-worn copies of Diary of a Wimpy Kid books. I'm sure one kid was carrying the whole series, his stack of books was almost too big to carry. Several kids got up to boogie along to the pumped vibe music - it was just too exciting to keep still.
Finally Jeff Kinney himself walked on stage - oh my gosh, one of the coolest authors for kids was actually within throwing distance!
If you want to get your kid into reading, introduce them to Diary of a Wimpy kid. You won't regret it.
He talked a bit about his history, why he became an author and things from his childhood that shaped him. Reading all kinds of things from his local bookstore was a big part of his childhood, particularly comics.
"Comics can also be literature" he said.
Remember that, pictures and the meaning they bring are so important. His books have his cartoons dispersed throughout the text. He describes this as "little islands to swim to," which is why these books are so great for all levels of readers.
Encourage your kid to read comics, if that's what they like.
Jeff's iPad was hooked up to the big screens, so we could see him draw in action. He taught us how to draw his main characters, and showed us how a slight difference in line can make the character have a completely different emotion.
Have a go! Then try do it blindfolded. He had a couple of volunteers up on stage drawing with him, with hilarious results.
It all ended too quickly, and I can't wait till I get to see him speak again.
*scurries off to read Diary of a Wimpy kid again*
Photos of Jeff Kinney event
More Jeff Kinney
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- Find books by Jeff Kinney in our collection
Another great writer for kids coming to town ...
Heads up! Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton (the Treehouse series guys) are coming to New Zealand! The Christchurch show is sold out - but there's still space in the Dunedin one!
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