Kinney initially planned to publish comic strips in the same vein as those he grew up reading in The Washington Post, such as The Far Side or Calvin and Hobbes. When he wrote his first manuscript, the intended audience was adults. “I wanted Diary of a Wimpy Kid to be for grown-ups who had forgotten what it was like to be a kid,” Kinney told the audience during the event, which was broadcast live from Clayton High School in Missouri. But when his publishers persuaded him to market the series to kids instead, it was the beginning of a blockbuster career that shows no signs of slowing down.

These fun, fast reads center on Greg Heffley, a hapless but hilariously self-aware middle-schooler who ranks himself either the 52nd or 53rd most popular kid at school. Kinney uses a mixture of diary entries and simple, stick-figure drawings to chronicle how the beleaguered pre-teen navigates the various obstacles in his life, from Rodrick, his older brother whose sole mission is to torment Greg, to the phenomenon of middle school, which he describes as “the dumbest idea ever invented.” The Third Wheel takes Greg and his wimpy sidekick, Rowley, into unchartered territory—the school dance, girls, and dating.

Students and librarians alike adore the Wimpy Kid novels, but in his talk, Kinney underscored the long process it took to reach his current level of fame. He began working as a cartoonist when he was a student at Villanova University, drawing a character named Igdoof, an endearingly awkward freshman who would serve as a prototype for Greg Heffley. However, it would take another 14 years before Kinney published anything.

Kinney also described some of his inspirations. He attributes many of his drawing techniques to Big Nate author Lincoln Peirce, with whom Kinney corresponded for several years when he was a young, aspiring cartoonist. Kinney also said that he drew on his own childhood for some of Heffley’s misadventures. A scene of Greg in a swimsuit hiding out in the bathroom to avoid his swim team coach in the second Wimpy Kid book, Rodrick Rules, came straight from Kinney’s own experience.

The author also emphasized the labor that goes into writing and illustrating his novels. He typically writes twelve to thirteen full drafts of each. “They say writing is rewriting, and you should believe that. Your first effort is not your best,” he said. Kinney also described the painstaking process of designing and illustrating The Third Wheel. He spent 17 hours a day during the month of August refining the book’s illustrations and examined over 200 different paint swatches to find the perfect shade of brown for the cover.

Kinney also spoke of the opportunities brought by fame, including the thrill of seeing a giant Greg Heffley balloon aloft as part of the 2010 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. He encouraged students to pursue their passions: “I want to encourage every kid who has a creative thought to just develop it and believe in it, because one day your dream will fly.”

Author interviews: “Writers Speak to Kids” is a free series of 17 videos from NBC Learn that features interviews with popular and award-winning children’s books creators. The authors, responding to questions posed by NBC News correspondent Jenna Bush Hager, talk about their writing process and experiences. The series launched on September 17, with interviews of Peter Brown, Doreen Cronin, Jeff Kinney, Daniel Kirk, and Mo Willems. Gordon Korman, Ridley Pearson, Laura Vaccaro Seeger, Philip Stead, Rebecca Stead, Clare Vanderpool, and Jacqueline Woodson are among the other authors that will be interviewed during the fall. The program is intended to inspire students and help them learn about creative writing techniques.

Mora Award Winner

Día celebration: The Lynden Public Library of the Whatcom County Library System in Washington has won the 2012 Estela and Raúl Mora Award for exemplary efforts promoting El día de los niños, El día de los libros (Children’s Day, Book Day). More than 250 people attended the festivities, and each child was given a book. The event featured craft activities led by bilingual teen volunteers, and had several storytimes that ended with a game of lotería (Mexican bingo) with books given as prizes. There was also a disc jockey, a piñata, and other games. The Lynden Public Library will receive $1,000 and a special plaque. “What resonated with the committee was the grassroots involvement of Lynden’s Día,” said Beatriz Pascual Wallace, Mora Award chair. “There was a strong sense of community connection with this event, of everyone coming together to plan, celebrate, and share.”

For the first time, three honor awards were given: the District of Columbia Public Library, King County (WA) Library System, and Sacramento (CA) Public Library each received $300. The award, presented annually in partnership with REFORMA, the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish speaking, was established in 2000 by author/poet Pat Mora and her siblings to honor their parents. The award will be presented during the American Library Association’s (ALA) Midwinter meeting in January 2013 in Seattle.

Common Core

Free writing rubrics: Turnitin, in partnership with the English Professional Learning Council, has made writing rubrics developed to align with the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) available free to educators. The rubrics for argumentative, narrative, and informative essay assignments for 9th and 10th graders and 11th and 12th graders help instructors explain to students what is expected of them, assess student work, and track their progress. You can also watch a free video on the Common Core writing rubrics.

Early Learning

Digital content: Capstone’s myOn reader has expanded its collection of early childhood reading content with the inclusion of hundreds of enhanced digital titles from eight additional publishers: Bellwether, August House, Little Folk, August House Story Cove, Orca, Rourke, Speakaboos, and Sylvan Dell.

Launched in 2011, myOn reader is a personalized literacy program that offers access to an integrated library of digital books with reading supports, customized to a student’s interest and reading abilities. Teachers can monitor, track, and measure student reading growth. To date, myOn reader offers more than 2,500 books. These titles include reading supports such as an embedded dictionary, highlighting, and audio. “Reading proficiency is the foundational aspect of learning, so building students’ literacy skills early is critical to putting them on the path to success throughout school and beyond,” said Todd Brekhus, president of Capstone Digital. “The expanded collection of early childhood content available on myON reader combines a student’s love of technology with their innate curiosity and interest in learning.”

A Booklist for Teens

Best books: Sixteen school and public libraries have been selected by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), as official book groups for their Teens’ Top Ten, a booklist created by and for teens. Groups of young adults from these libraries nominate titles published during the 2013-2014 calendar year to create the Teens’ Top Ten nominations. Then, it’s up to teens across the country to vote for their three favorites. When the ballots are tallied, the Top Ten list is created. And that’s not the only job for these teen book groups. They also evaluate books for more than 30 publishers. New groups are chosen every two years.

The libraries that have been selected are: BHS Book Club, Barrington (IL) High School; Book Hook, Cecil County Public Library, Elkton, MD; Bookhype, Perry Branch Library/Perry High School, Gilbert, AZ; Bookmarked, Patrick F. Taylor Science & Technology Academy, Jefferson, LA; CCHS YA Galley Group, Concord-Carlisle (MA) Regional High School; Greene Teens Review Board, Springfield-Greene (MO) County Library; HCRHS Bookworms, Hunterdon Central Regional High School, Flemington, NJ; Interesting Reader Society, Poudre River Public Library District, Fort Collins, CO; McReaders, Oakridge Middle School, Clover, SC; Mount Carmel Academy Book Club, Mount Carmel Academy, New Orleans, LA; PPL Teen Book Club, Prescott (AZ) Public Library; Read, Read, and Read Some More, Milton (VT) Middle School and High School; The TABbler, La Vista (NE) Public Library; Teen Book Posse, TAB, and Q Club, Kitsap Regional Library, WA; Teens Know Best, Metropolitan State University and St. Paul (MN) Public Library; Young Adult Advisory Councils, Johnson County Library, Shawnee Mission, KS.

Granted

Literacy skills: Want to help teens in grades 10–12 learn news literacy skills like distinguishing between fact, and opinion and between propaganda and news? Public libraries and library consortia can apply for more than $50,000 in grant money from the News Know-how initiative. Funded by the Open Society Foundations and administered by the American Library Association’s Office of Intellectual Freedom (OIF), students get training and support from librarians, journalists, and news ethicists.

Participating libraries select 12–15 diverse students from the 10–12 grades from their community. The students must attend about 25 hours of training during the summer 2013 and complete a team project that requires about 25 hours of outside work. All students who complete the project receive a stipend. Make sure to apply by December 8.

Book donations: Three Coretta Scott King Book Donation Grants are available for underfunded libraries, schools, and non-traditional organizations that provide educational services to children. Recipients of the grants will receive more than 100 titles submitted for consideration for the 2013 Coretta Scott King Book Awards as well as all the winning books. You have until January 31 to apply for the grant (make sure you click on Book Donation Grant after you log on). Winners will be notified in February.

The Coretta Scott King Book Awards are presented each year by the Coretta Scott King Book Awards Committee of the American Library Association’s Ethnic and Multicultural Information Exchange Round Table (EMIERT) “to encourage the artistic expression of the African-American experience via literature and the graphic arts.”

Join us for a special presentation by Jeff Kinney and a first look at the seventh Diary of a Wimpy Kid book, The Third Wheel, on the eve of its release!

Broadcasting LIVE from Clayton High School in St Louis, Missouri

SPONSORED BY: Abrams Books and School Library Journal

SCHEDULED EVENT DATE: Monday, November 12, 2012– 1:00 PM ET – estimated 60 minutes

Archive is now available!

In The Third Wheel, love is in the air—but what does that mean for Greg Heffley?

A Valentine’s Day dance at Greg’s middle school has turned his world upside down. As Greg scrambles to find a date, he’s worried he’ll be left out in the cold on the big night. His best friend, Rowley, doesn’t have any prospects either, but that’s a small consolation.

An unexpected twist gives Greg a partner for the dance and leaves Rowley the odd man out. But a lot can happen in one night, and in the end, you never know who’s going to be lucky in love.

Jeff Kinney tells all about Greg’s pursuit of dance happiness in this one hour live-streaming event, and will answer your questions live!

Can’t make it on November 12? No problem! Register now and you will get an email reminder from School Library Journal post-live event when the webcast is archived and available for on-demand viewing at your convenience!

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Bryan Collier at the National Book Festival in DC.

More than 800 fans showed up to see Green, a New York Times bestselling author who’s received numerous awards including the Printz and a Printz Honor. Kinney spent four hours Saturday morning signing books for close to 2,000 fans. In all, 125 authors gathered for the two-day celebration, which took place September 22 and 23.

The festival began Friday evening, with invited guests gathered at the Library of Congress’s Jefferson Building to hear authors such as Patricia Cornwell talk about their craft. Cornwell recalled how she  always played detective—and how as a child she would read her school library sign out cards to gather information on the reading habits of her classmates. As in past years, the crowds were filled with teachers and librarians who make the annual pilgrimage to the capital.

Caryn Levy, a media coordinator at Leicester Elementary School in Leicester, NC, traveled to the event with her colleague Vicki Kolomechuk, a school librarian at Valley Spring Middle School in Bumcombe County, NC. They arrived early to get front row seats to hear author and illustrator Bryan Collier speak on Sunday. Meanwhile, the Junior Library Friends group from Weedsport, NY, made their annual trip to the festival to meet their favorite authors and tour the Pavilion of States.

Rafael Lopez, a Pura Belpre Award-winning illustrator, created the poster for this year’s festival with vivid colorful animals, birds, and insects peering down at child readers. Festival attendees received autographed copies of the poster. (View a slideshow of how the National Book Festival poster evolved).

Check out School Library Journal’s photo slideshow from this year’s National Book Festival.  Click on Show Info (upper right) to view captions.

SCHEDULED EVENT DATE: Tuesday, November 15, 2011 – 10:00 AM ET

JEFF KINNEY PRESENTS
DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: CABIN FEVER
Broadcasting LIVE from Bank Street College of Education in New York City

Archive now available!

Sign up now! Space is limited. We encourage you to set up an assembly so all of your kids, parents and teachers can watch.

Brought to you by ABRAMS The Art of Books Since 1949, Bank Street College of Education, and School Library Journal.

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