Jeff Kinney

Jeff Kinney is an American author and cartoonist. He was born in Fort Washington, Maryland, in 1971. He created the wildly popular Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. The books follow a middle school student named Greg Heffley and his funny adventures.

Early Life

Kinney dreamed of being a newspaper cartoonist when he grew up. He drew comics for his college newspaper. After college, he worked on the idea for Diary of a Wimpy Kid for almost eight years. He first published it online before it became a book.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

The first book came out in 2007 and was an instant hit. The series mixes handwritten text with cartoon drawings. Kids love the books because Greg's problems feel familiar and funny. The series has sold over 275 million copies and been made into several movies.

Fun Facts

• Jeff Kinney was named one of Time magazine's most influential people in the world.
• He also created the website Poptropica, a game for kids.
• Kinney owns a bookstore called An Unlikely Story in Plainville, Massachusetts.

Did You Know?

Jeff Kinney originally wrote Diary of a Wimpy Kid for adults, not children. He was surprised when kids became the biggest fans.