Today Show: Al's Book Club
Al Roker actually does a good job in these book club interviews. Maybe this year they will give him the Newbery/Caldecott interviews???
Camera pans the children in the "club" reading the book in the teaser shots leading up to the segment.
Gotta love the kid who is holding the book upside down (on purpose) and checking out the camera to see if he is "on."
Stuff I did not know: Kinney began writing Diary for a Wimpy Kid as a book for adults. Got the "good news/bad news" call--they were taking the book BUT as a kids' series.
Interesting what is considered the "bad news."
Kinney: Writing and illustrating is a tough process.
Kinney: Can take 5 hours to write one joke
The process: It is all hard/drawing and writing
A good portrayal of how he remembers his own childhood.
He is happy when the writing is over. The illustrations come easier then.
Good questions from the kids. Do they give the them the questions to ask the authors? No one has asked "where do you get your ideas from?" which is usually the first or second question kids ask.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid website
-------------------------
I know that Kinney's books are the most requested books at the circulation desks where I work and one copy per library is not enough.
Perpetual question: "Do you have any Diary of a Wimpy Kid books?" "Well, what about on the shelving cart?"
Overheard in line at mega-bookstore while perusing gift cards: "Hey there's Diary of a Wimpy Kid [giftcard] ... can I get that one?"
Update:
Ah yes, the Today Show continues the "Ann Curry tradition" of getting the author's name WRONG --
From the Today Show website:
I guess "Greg Heffley," the character IS the fictional author...are they being funny?Kids read ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid’
Jan. 16: Greg Heffley, author of “Diary of a Wimpy Kid,” talks to TODAY’s Al Roker and the kids of his book club about the young adult book series.
Professional journalists at work here.
Sad, so sad.