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Diary Of A Wimpy Kid Series Author Jeff Kinney To Do Drive-Through Socially Distant Book Tour

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Jeff Kinney, bestselling author of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, is taking his book launch on the road for the series’ 15th title, The Deep End, out October 27 from Amulet Books, an imprint of Abrams Children’s Books, with socially distanced “The Deep End Drive-Thru Pool Party Tour.” The 20-city book tour will partner with independent bookstores at each stop where, according to a press release, “families will drive through pool party–themed interactive vignettes, such as a lifeguard dunk tank, a tiki hut, a venture underwater, and the final moment when Kinney will personally deliver children their signed copies of The Deep End using a six-foot pool skimmer.” The novel follows Greg Heffley and his family as they “hit the road for a cross-country camping trip,” only to “find themselves stranded at an RV park that isn’t exactly a summertime paradise.”

The tour will begin October 25, in Plainville, Massachusetts, with an event in a parking lot across the street from the bookstore Kinney owns, An Unlikely Story,. The other events will take place at schools and community centers. Other participating bookstores include Loyalty Bookstore, Curious Iguana, A Likely Story, Midtown Scholar Bookstore, Let’s Play Books, Doylestown Books, Inkwood Books, River Road Books, and River Bend Bookshop, with the final 10 bookstores to be announced at a later date, to conclude in New Hampshire.

Kinney, who will be driving the tour van and traveling with a small team from Abrams, explained in a statement why the particular challenges of this year prompted him to create the tour. “2020 hasn’t been fun for kids,” he said. “We’re excited to be throwing drive-thru parties that kids and their families can look forward to. We can’t wait to put on our masks, hit the road, and create happy memories for all the fans we meet along the way.”

The tour was Kinney’s idea, and follows his sold-out socially distant book tour in August for Rowley Jefferson’s Awesome Friendly Adventure, in which Kinney greeted fans from atop an eight foot grabber tool wrapped as a trident. With this new tour, Abrams will, according to a representative, “expand that concept into a larger-scale, fully drive-through experience for Wimpy Kid fans to engage with on multiple levels (expect pool party-themed music, scents, floaties, and activities) all while maintaining social distance.”

Michael Jacobs, Abrams President and CEO, said in an interview, “Abrams is thrilled to support Jeff Kinney as he brings the magic of reading and his amazingly successful and resilient Diary of a Wimpy Kid series to kids and their families and caregivers in the midst of this pandemic. Kids’ lives, and all of ours, have been so disrupted this year that both Jeff and we felt it was important to bring some unexpected, in person fun as well as the consistent joy of reading to them this season. Jeff’s steadfast commitment to engaging with his fans is one of the many reasons we’re so happy and proud to be his publisher.”

Booksellers are also appreciative of the interactive events Kinney has lined up. Julie Beddingfield, owner of Inkwood Books in Haddonfield, New Jersey, said in an interview that the store is “thrilled” to bring Kinney to South Jersey. “Kids around here haven’t had much to be excited about during this tough time, parents are struggling to find safe, enriching, off-screen activities for their families, and small businesses like ours need an financial boost like never before,” said Beddingfield. “Jeff Kinney’s willingness to tour, and the team’s super fun, safe, and creative event fills all of these needs in spades (or pool skimmers)!”

Alex Brubaker, Manager of Midtown Scholar Bookstore, said in an interview, “We couldn’t be more excited to have this opportunity. We've come across so many kids at the bookstore who have fallen in love with reading through Jeff's books. This has been a surreal year for so, so many people — to offer them this little glimmer of joy by meeting Jeff on the road, well, you just don't say no to that."

The first Diary of a Wimpy Kid book was published in 2007, and the series has gone on to sell over 250 million copies globally. The first of four Diary of a Wimpy Kid films was released in 2010.