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Jeff Kinney facts for kids

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Jeff Kinney
Kinney in November 2011
Kinney in November 2011
Born (1971-02-19) February 19, 1971 (age 54)
Fort Washington, Maryland, U.S.
Occupation
  • Author
  • cartoonist
  • game designer
  • producer
  • actor
Education University of Maryland, College Park (BA)
Period 1998–present
Genre Children's novels, realistic fiction, satire, comedy
Subject
  • Novels
  • films
Notable works Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Poptropica
Spouse
Julie Kinney
​
(m. 2003)​
Children 2

Jeffrey Patrick Kinney, born on February 19, 1971, is an American author and cartoonist. He is famous for creating and illustrating the popular children's book series Diary of a Wimpy Kid. He also made the fun website Poptropica for kids.

Early Life and College Days

Jeff Kinney grew up in Fort Washington, Maryland. He went to Potomac Landing Elementary School. Later, he graduated from Bishop McNamara High School in 1989. He has three siblings: an older brother, an older sister, and a younger brother. His family has Irish roots.

In the early 1990s, Jeff attended the University of Maryland, College Park. While there, he created a popular comic strip called Igdoof. This comic appeared in the school's student newspaper, The Diamondback. Kinney finished college in 1993. He first studied computer science but changed to criminal justice. This gave him more time to work on his comic strip.

The Diary of a Wimpy Kid Series

In January 1998, Kinney thought of a character named Greg Heffley. Greg was a middle schooler who wrote and drew about his life. In May 2004, Jeff Kinney and Funbrain launched an online version of the story. It was called Diary of a Wimpy Kid. New entries were added daily until June 2005.

Kinney worked on his book for almost eight years. Then, he showed it to a publisher in New York City. In February 2006, at the New York Comic Con, Jeff signed a deal. He partnered with Harry N. Abrams, Inc. to publish Diary of a Wimpy Kid as a book series.

The book quickly became a huge success. By 2007, the online version had about 20 million views. Many online readers wanted a printed book. Kinney agreed, and in April 2007, Diary of a Wimpy Kid was published. So far, 31 Wimpy Kid books have been released. These include a movie diary, a Do-It-Yourself Book, and a biography by Greg's best friend, Rowley Jefferson.

In April 2009, TIME magazine named Kinney one of The World's Most Influential People. The series is still ongoing. The latest main book is called Diary of a Wimpy Kid: No Brainer.

To celebrate Diary of a Wimpy Kid: No Brainer, Kinney went on a book tour. It was called "The No Brainer Show." He traveled across the West Coast of the United States from October 23 to November 8, 2023. Kinney dedicated this tour to libraries and librarians. He personally gave $100,000 to libraries along the tour route. He also worked with 11 publishers. Together, they provided interesting and diverse books to libraries and kids they met. Each stop had a game show hosted by Kinney. Participants could win prizes for their local library.

Jeff Kinney's Other Work

Jeff Kinney in Israel 2016
Kinney at a book signing event in Israel, 2016

Kinney works full-time as a writer and illustrator. He also created Poptropica, a website for kids. Poptropica has two islands, "Wimpy Wonderland" and "Wimpy Boardwalk". On these islands, characters and events from Diary of a Wimpy Kid appear in the Poptropica world.

By 2023, over 275 million copies of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books had been sold worldwide. The series was also made into movies. Kinney helped produce these films.

In May 2015, Kinney and his wife, Julie, opened a bookstore and cafe. It's called "An Unlikely Story" and is in Plainville, Massachusetts. Kinney believes kids should spend time reading. He thinks it's a great alternative to too much screen time.

Kinney also hosted 10 episodes of the TV show High School Quiz Show. This was for WGBH when the regular host was away. Kinney hosted the second half of the first-round games, the quarter-finals, and the semi-finals.

Awards and Recognition

Jeff Kinney's Diary of a Wimpy Kid series has won many awards. It won a Nickelodeon Kids Choice Award for Favorite Book in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, and 2016.

Publications

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Rowley Jefferson

Supplementary books

  • Diary of a Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself-Book (October 1, 2008)
  • The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary (Original: March 16, 2010, 1st Revised Edition: February 15, 2011, 2nd Revised Edition: June 26, 2012)
  • The Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself-Book (May 10, 2011)
  • Wimpy Kid Blank Journal (October 8, 2013)
  • Diary of a Wimpy Kid Writer’s Notebook (October 8, 2013)
  • The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary: The Next Chapter (May 9, 2017)

Films Based on the Books

Main article: Diary of a Wimpy Kid (film series)

The Diary of a Wimpy Kid books have been made into several movies.

The first film, based on the first book, came out on March 19, 2010. 20th Century Fox produced it, and Thor Freudenthal directed it. The movie starred Zachary Gordon as Greg Heffley and Robert Capron as Rowley Jefferson.

A second film, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules, was released on March 25, 2011. Zachary Gordon returned as Greg. David Bowers directed this film. Jeff Kinney himself had a small role, or "cameo," as Holly's father.

He played this role again in the third film, Dog Days, released in 2012. This movie combined stories from The Last Straw and Dog Days.

A fourth film, The Long Haul, was announced by Kinney in April 2016. It came out on May 19, 2017, with a brand new cast. Jeff Kinney also made a cameo in this film as the owner of a convention booth.

More recently, animated films have been made:

  • Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2021)
  • Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (2022)
  • Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever (2023)

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Jeff Kinney para niños

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