Despite the COVID-19 pandemic limiting the ways in which people can safely get together, Diary of a Wimpy Kid author Jeff Kinney still found a way to share the magic of reading with children with a series of drive-through events.
Kinney first began world-building his Diary of a Wimpy Kid series as a web comic in 2004, with middle schooler Greg Heffley navigating failed attempts to climb the popularity ladder. The first book was published in 2007 and the franchise claims the title of longest running children鈥檚 series on the New York Times bestseller list. It has also been adapted for TV and four movies. Kinney鈥檚 newest series focuses on Greg鈥檚 best friend, Rowley Jefferson, with Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid: Rowley Jefferson鈥檚 Journal and Rowley Jefferson鈥檚 Awesome Friendly Adventure also reaching the top of lists in New York Times, USA 365bet体育在线世界杯 and Wall Street Journal.
To promote the third book in the Awesome Friendly series, Rowley Jefferson鈥檚 Awesome Friendly Spooky Stories, Kinney and his team have organized a tour of spooky drive-through experiences complete with fog machines, gnarled trees and giant spiders in a bat cave. The tour will stop in Flagstaff next week, Wednesday, March 24, hosted by Bright Side Bookshop at the downtown Flagstaff Public Library.
鈥淎t the end of it all, I'm there as a grave digger handing off books with a shovel,鈥� Kinney said. 鈥淚 think it's really important right now for us to do physical events that are safe for kids. In Massachusetts where I live, kids have been locked down for so long, they haven't been able to see their friends and haven't been able to do much outdoors, so we're trying to create something that is perfectly safe for everybody involved.鈥�
Participants must stay in their cars throughout the experience, and distanced photos with Kinney will be offered at the end along with signed copies of Rowley Jefferson鈥檚 Awesome Friendly Spooky Stories. Masks are required to be worn by all participants over the age of 2 when the car windows are open.
鈥淲e were really excited and flattered [to be involved] and thought it would be good for the community,鈥� Cori Cusker, assistant buyer and bookseller at Bright Side, said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e just now starting to dip our toes back into doing events since COVID hit so we鈥檙e excited to provide something fun for people to do.鈥�
Participants are encouraged to decorate the outside of their car to fit the spooky stories theme and be eligible for prizes. The grand prize winner will receive of boxed set of Awesome Friendly books.
Kinney began experimenting with these drive-through events this past August.
鈥淥n that first tour, it was just me in the van and a nine-foot grabber and I would hand books to kids,鈥� Kinney explained. 鈥淭hen that evolved into what we called the Deep End Pool Party, which was much more extravagant. It was this whole experience where cars drove through a tunnel that made them feel like they were underwater. There were sound effects and music and giant beach balls and everything else that comes with a pool party.鈥�
Innovative ideas like this contribute to keeping kids鈥� interest in reading strong even when everything else may have changed.
鈥淥bviously the landscape for learning and school has been very different and all of us are spending a lot more time at home, so this is a chance for kids to get out and have fun and connect with an author,鈥� Cusker said, 鈥渢o see that a human is writing these stories and make this connection between the words that make them excited to read.鈥�
Rowley鈥檚 Spooky Drive-Thru tour is making stops at a number of independent bookstores nationwide. Kinney is deeply familiar with the importance of these businesses as an owner himself鈥攈e opened An Unlikely Story in his hometown of Plainville, Massachusetts, in 2015.
鈥淚t's been a really fun experience because we've had authors from all over the world come to this little place, a population of about 9,000, and it's really made my life very enriched,鈥� Kinney said. 鈥淚 think that a bookstore really is the nerve center of the community.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 really fun when I see families walking out with big piles of books to read,鈥� Cusker said. 鈥淔or me, reading has been a positive distraction the past year, anyone can go on big adventures through reading pages in a book.鈥�