Diary of a Wimpy Kid- The Interview

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Our signed copy of Diary of a Wimpy Kid.

Today was an amazing day for Crystal & Co. We were invited to meet and interview the author of the well known and booming book series, turned film series, Diary of a Wimpy Kid.

My big boys knew I was headed off to do this gig after dropping them off at school, but I tried hard not to make a big deal about it because I knew too much talk would result in two boys wanting to skip school.

The Wimpy Kid Crew

Not only did we meet the author of the rocking succession, but also the young stars of the movie- Greg and Rowley. Well, really their names are Zach and Robert, in real life. Super, adorable, precious, cool kids they were indeed! They made me smile… and laugh.

Jeff Kinney– totally down to earth. Dad to kiddos who are 5 and 7. He and his wife are raising their family in Massachusetts. Did you know he started writing Diary of a Wimpy Kid as an adult book?  Who knew?

Here are the questions we asked and their answers, none captured word for word, strictly my perception of the conversations.

Q: What is the first book he ever wrote?
A: Fish, as a young boy. It was a cartoon flip book. (Have you ever made one of those? Me too! )

Q: Does he ever get writers block?
A: Yap. He forces himself to set time aside to ideally complete four jokes per day.

Q: Does he consider himself a cartoonist or a writer? 
A: Neither

Q: Was it difficult to transform the book into a movie?
A: Somewhat. When turning this book into a film diving into the emotion was key to ensure the story came across the screen as intended.

Q: Are you really a creator in the online game Poptropica and what new games can we expect?
A: Yes. Coming around the bend is a Big Foot Island, a Western Island, and of course a Wimpy Kid game/island.

Q: Any Diary of a Wimpy Kid video games in the near future (for Wii, XBox, etc.)?
A: YES!!



Wimpy Kid crew with local DFW bloggers!

Zach Gordon (a.k.a. Greg) was awesome and so cool. I was totally digging his black sweatpants and converse tennis shoes! I loved his confidence- he knew he nailed the audition when trying out for the movie. And Jeff confirmed it.

He brought a cowboy hat along with him as he travels the Lone Star State of Texas. It appropriately had a handmade label attached to the front, written on a slip of paper with a black marker no less, that said Wimpy Cowboy.

In real life, he is a 7th grader from California who has seen real snow, for the record!

Q: Bullying. Any advice for young kids?
A: Think about what you think of yourself. Just walk away- who cares if they do not want to be your friend. He likes who he is and that is all that matters.

Q: Would you eat the cheese?
A: Nope. No amount of money would convince him to eat the cheese.

Robert Capron (a.k.a Rowley) seems wise beyond his years- a very articulate young man who is a fantastic story teller.

He had no idea he would someday be playing the role of Rowley when he first laid his hands on the Diary of a Wimpy Kid after waking up early at a sleepover with friends and to pass the time he read the first book from cover to cover. 

He is also a 7th grader and hangs his hat in Rhode Island.

Q: Any siblings?
A: Yes, a little sister who never cleans up after herself! 

Q: Would you eat the cheese?
A: He wanted to know how big of a bite he would have to eat to qualify as eating the cheese. He was certain there must be a loop hole.

Jeff Kinney’s advice on bullying: silence is the weapon of the bully. You have to speak up and tell. 

The tour bus!

 So tonight my big boys are in awe. They really wish I had taken them with me. They’ve starred at the signed copy of the book and have fought over who is going to share it with their class tomorrow at school.

What do I love most about these books? As a mom I love that they are written in a handwriting-type font and are full of pictures- sometimes multiple pictures on each page. This is great for a child who may struggle to read or is intimidated by chapter books. I have found this to be extremely encouraging for our child who has dyslexia. And the funny jokes, totally keep their attention!

Make sure you swing by and check out Texan Mama and Mommy Needs Coffee and their perspectives of this interview as well.