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How We Got
A Profile of Author
Jeff Kinney
By Josh Morison
Table of Contents
Chapter One
A Funny Empire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Chapter Two
An Ordinary Life? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Chapter Three
Middle School Is Tough . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Chapter Four
Why Be Wimpy? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
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Chapter One
A Funny Empire
Who knew that a book about a whiny, self-centered kid could be successful? Who
could have predicted that one cartoon book would sell millions upon millions of
copies? Certainly not Jeff Kinney, the author of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. He
had no idea that his book would even be published. After all, he had never written
a book before!
Kinney’s witty and humorous series walks readers through the mind of his
character, Greg Heffley. Greg is in middle school and maintains a diary about his life.
The books are drawn as if they really were a kid’s diary, filled with simple sketches
and handwritten words. The books tell about Greg’s life and adventures in and out
of school. Other main characters include his best friend Rowley, his older brother
Rodrick, and his parents.
Five years after the first book, Kinney’s zany cast of characters is still wildly popular.
He just published the latest book in the series, and his books are available in 30
languages. Two films have already been made based upon them, and there are
Wimpy Kid action figures, t-shirts, and games. The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
even featured a Wimpy Kid balloon. You could say that Kinney has built an empire
out of jokes! How did he become a famous author, though?
Title: How We Got Wimpy: A Profile of Author Jeff Kinney
Grade: 5
Page: 1
Chapter Two
An Ordinary Life?
Jeff Kinney was born in Fort
Washington, Maryland, in 1971.
He claims he had an ordinary,
though often funny, childhood. He
attended college at the University of
Maryland. While there, he wrote a
daily comic strip for the university’s
newspaper. When Kinney graduated,
he thought he’d get a job writing
comics, but no one would hire him.
Instead, he worked at newspapers
and on computers. After many
years, he knew he wanted to be
creative again, so he started to
write a cartoon diary about a kid
named Greg.
Kinney took his time writing the book. He spent almost nine years reworking and
revising it, until he felt it was perfect. Kinney had originally thought his readers
would be adults. He felt like he was still
a kid in many ways. He wanted to write
a funny story that would make grownups
remember their childhoods with laughter.
When Kinney finally finished the book, he
showed it to a publisher. The publisher
agreed to print his book, but only if it
was marketed for children. Kinney admits
that he was upset about this at first. He
quickly realized, however, that kids could
enjoy it, too. He thought his book might
help anyone who might be going through
a tough time in middle school, like
his character.
Title: How We Got Wimpy: A Profile of Author Jeff Kinney
Grade: 5
Page: 2
Chapter Three
Middle School Is Tough
At first, Kinney wanted to write a humorous story about growing up. However, from
experience, he also remembered that sometimes middle school can be difficult. It’s
very different from elementary school. Suddenly you have lockers, different periods,
and new classmates. His books are still mostly based around humor. At the same
time, they address some of the universal
troubles people face growing up. Kinney
wants kids to understand that they are
not alone, and that those difficult times
get better. His character is one that kids
can relate to and understand.
When he writes, Kinney says that he just
tries to remember what it feels like to be
a kid. He tries to see life as a kid does.
Kinney also thinks it is essential to respect
a kid’s intelligence. He never tries to make
his writing easier to read. He knows that
kids are smart enough to understand
almost anything. That’s probably why his
stories appeal to children.
Kinney doesn’t try to teach any lessons, either.
He just wants to entertain people. Most of all,
he wants kids to read. He is thrilled that his
books are popular, since it means that kids are
reading them. He loves to hear from parents
that their children are enjoying his writing
and stories.
Title: How We Got Wimpy: A Profile of Author Jeff Kinney
Grade: 5
Page: 3
Chapter Four
Why Be Wimpy?
Where does Kinney get his ideas? He says that he tries to make up everything
in his books. He loves the challenge of inventing new adventures for Greg.
He lets his imagination take
over. However, sometimes
he does use stories from his
own childhood. For instance,
when Kinney was a kid, he
hid in a bathroom to avoid
swim class. It was so cold
that he had to cover himself
in toilet paper to stay warm!
That was a hilarious, true
story that he fit into his
second book.
Though some of his tales
might stem from real life,
Kinney admits he does exaggerate the characters’ personalities at times. Greg, for
instance, is sometimes shown as being mean and clueless. Kinney hopes readers
realize that Greg is just a kid. He is learning how to get along with others. He has to
make his own discoveries about the world. At the same time, Kinney feels that some
of Greg’s mistakes make him a funny and interesting character. Kinney doesn’t want to
present a perfect, well-behaved model. He
likes to show how a real person acts.
Scene from the Diary of a Wimpy Kid movie.
While fans eagerly read Kinney’s latest
book, the author hopes to make Wimpy
Kid into an animated series. Beyond that,
he’ll just keep working on his educational
website, Poptropica.com, and coming up
with more wacky adventures for Greg and
his friends.
Title: How We Got Wimpy: A Profile of Author Jeff Kinney
Grade: 5
Page: 4
Glossary
animated: (adjective) told using a series of images, like a TV cartoon.
clueless: (adjective) unaware of or lacking knowledge about something.
empire: (noun) a large business usually controlled by one person.
exaggerate: (verb) to make something seem better, worse, larger, or more
important than it really is.
graduate: (verb) to successfully finish school, such as high school or
college.
humorous: (adjective) funny.
publish: (verb) to print the work of an author, such as in a book,
magazine, or newspaper.
wacky: (adjective) weird, crazy.
witty: (adjective) clever.
zany: (adjective) entertaining in a strange, wild way.
Cover: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images; Page 1: Talya/shutterstock; Irina Petculescu/iStockphoto; Ana de Sousa/shutterstock;
Page 2: Design Pics/Ron Nickel/Getty Images; Scott Weiner/Retna Ltd./Corbis; Page 3: Gail Oskin/WireImage for Macy’s/Getty Images;
Christina Kennedy/Alamy Page 4: John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images; Photos 12/Alamy
Title: How We Got Wimpy: A Profile of Author Jeff Kinney
Grade: 5
Page: 5