As part of its exceptional year-round programming, Miami Dade College’s (MDC) Miami Book Fair, in collaboration with Books & Books, will present an event with New York Times bestselling children’s author Jeff Kinney, best known for his successful Diary of a Wimpy Kid book series.
Kinney will take photos with fans and sign copies of his 12th book in the series, The Getaway (Amulet Books), at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 9, at MDC’s Wolfson Campus, 300 N.E. Second Ave.
Interactive, Wimpy Kid-themed play stations will be set up throughout the plaza for everyone’s enjoyment. The event is free, but must purchase book from Books & Books (in store, online or onsite at the event) to get autograph and photo with author.
Kinney’s dream was to become a newspaper cartoonist, but it didn’t work out. In 1998, he came up with the idea for Diary of a Wimpy Kid, a story about a middle school weakling named Greg Heffley. He worked on the book for six years before publishing it online on Funbrain.com in daily installments.
In 2006, Kinney signed a multi-book deal with publisher Harry N. Abrams, Inc. to turn Diary of a Wimpy Kid into a print series. The first book was published in 2007 and became an instant bestseller. A year later, more than 100,000 copies were in print in the U.S. alone. With each subsequent book, in-print numbers continue to grow exponentially both in the U.S. and abroad. There are now more than 180 million copies of the series in print worldwide. To date, the online version of Diary of a Wimpy Kid has more than 80 million visits, and is typically read by more than 70,000 kids a day.
In The Getaway, with the cold weather and the stress of the approaching holiday season, the Heffleys decide to escape to a tropical island resort for some much-needed rest and relaxation. But the Heffleys soon discover that paradise isn’t everything it’s cracked up to be.
Purchase a copy of The Getaway ($13.95) from Books & Books to get a voucher for two tickets to enter the line for autograph and photo with author.
Founded in 1984 by Miami Dade College and partners, Miami Book Fair engages the community through inclusive, accessible programs that promote reading and support writers year round. The annual eight-day festival has grown into the largest and most comprehensive community-rooted literary gathering in the United States.
The Fair features readings and discussions with the world’s most renowned authors, generating discourse on contemporary literature and current issues of international importance. The Fair also include culinary presentations; live music and interdisciplinary performances; interactive, educational activities for children, and more than 200 booksellers and publishers during the Street Fair. Events take place in English, Spanish, Haitian Creole, and French.
