Midmorning With Aundrea - November 20, 2020 (Part 4)

(Part 4 of 4) Jeff Kinney's "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" books have sold a stunning 250 million copies and generated four movies.

Now Kinney is out with his fifteenth book in the series.

Th the man who seems to have taken the mantle from j-k- rowling and harry potter..

As the voice of the next generation of readers.

Jeff kinney's "diar of a wimpy kid" books have sold a stunning 250- million copies..

And generated four movies.

He is currently out with his 15th "wimpy kid" boo along with a slew of off-shoots.

Jeff glor met kinney on his latest tour... a socially-distanced one& though no less fun.

Try finding another author who will hand you a book with a pool skimmer.

Or chuck a water balloon at your car& with your kids inside.

Literally those are my kids.

Such is the life and touring schedule of jeff kinney - the most popular children's author in the world.

Jeff glor: why did you do this?

Jeff kinney: i think that kids really need something fun right now.

I think kids need to have something physical, something to look forward to, something that's not canceled.

So we're trying to-- give kids a little feeling of joy during a really difficult time.

The "deep end virtual pool party - based off his most recent book - continues jeff kinney's commitment to not just writing prolifically, but engaging with fans non-stop& even at their homes.

Jeff kinney: in august i went out on the road and it was just me, a van, a mask, and a six foot trident.

And that's how we handed off books.

And i was really surprised by how happy-- parents were to have something to do, to give their kids something to look forward to.

So we decided to really amplify it this time around and make it a drive-through pool party.

I just wanna see how far we can push it.

I love this feeling that parents have an event to look forward to, that-- that it's something that, you know, doesn't stink about 20.

Kinney long dreamed of writing comics but wasn't able to publish the first wimpy kid book until 2007, eight years after he began writing down a diary of the rough middle school experiences of a fictional character named gregg heffley.

Jeff kinney: i think i'm stuck in this middle school world just like greg heffley is.

Greg is right at the edge of adulthood, you know?

He's st-- he's still a boy.

He's not really becoming a man yet.

And i like-- the situations that those kinds of kids find themselves into.

I'm not as interested in-- the high school years or the college years when things get more serious.

I like things that are right at the edge of childhood's end.

Nat from movie: have a great day sweetie pie kinney's first book quickly became a smash hit, and almost immediately movie studios were calling.

Jeff kinney: i was really scared when i was first approached about a movie, because my second book hadn't yet come out.

It felt like too soon.

I hadn't gotten my feet underneath me.

And i started getting those calls.

And when you start getting those calls, you have to make a decision really quickly.

You're under the gun.

And so i was-- it-- it was scary to me to take this thing that i'd worked on for eight or nine years, and then to get into a more collaborative situation.

I'm used to being in control as an author, and a movie experience is really different.

The live action "diary of a wimp kid" movie wa followed by three more.

"the deep end" kinney's 15th in the wimpy kid series - all of them mega best sellers.

He produces at least two a year, doing both the writing and illustrating.

He writes the jokes first& then constructs the story around it.

The pages are full of bathroom humor, inept adults, and confused, striving kids.

Sort of, normal life.

Or as normal as life gets these days.

Jeff glor: kids are really good at rolling with things, but i do think when we look back years from now, this is gonna be a moment that they're really gonna remember.

Jeff kinney: yeah, i'm worried about the imprint that this is going to make on kids' lives, you know?

When we watch films right now, you see two actors get close together without masks and you say, y-- you know, "bac off"-- yeah.

An what's that gonna do to kids, you know, who are gonna live through a year and a half of this or a year of this where they're being conditioned not to go near people, not to interact with people, not to go into crowds?

So i'm worried about it.

I'm worried about kids' mental health.

Jeff kinney: i'm really just trying to give kids a laugh, you know?

I've found myself in this position where that's my job right now, and it feels like a good job to have.

I feel really privileged.

I have an audience.

And i think laughter is need now more than ever.

Jeff glor: but the books aren't fun for you to write.

Jeff kinney: the books aren't fun for me to write, they are awful.

In addition to the books and movies, kinney has used his now vast fortune to open ÁanÁ independent bookstore in his adopted hometown of plainville, massachusetts.

It is called "a unlikely story."

Jeff glor: what's the future of independent bookstores?

Jeff kinney: i hope that the future for independent bookstores is bright.

I think we're living through a time right now that's quite difficult for independent bookstores.

I know that some won't survive.

But i think the importance of independent bookstores has become abundantly clear.

And i hope that when we enter into our new world, we treasure things like independent bookstores, that we need to treasure.

& thirteen years after his first book, the deep end is another best seller for kinney - no surprise for his readers, who see themselves in the pages of his stories jeff kinney: 10:27:49 yeah.

For some kids i think diary of a wimpy kid is-- is-- is really special, that they feel like i'm writing about them.

The book for those kids is a mirror.

And sometimes that-- that moment is really special, when-- when we meet each other and see eye to eye.

Of course, now our faces are covered with masks and there-- there are a lot more barriers.

So i'm looking forward to a day when we can connect again more personally.

Jeff glor: do you ever see yourself getting tired of this?

Jeff kinney: i hope not.

I'd like to get to at least 20 books.

I'm a real position of privilege where if i write something, whether it's good or bad, it's gonna reach millions of kids around the world.

And it's really hard to walk away from-- from that.

We we'll be right back to wrap things up.

A lot on tap for monday's show, so set your dvr.

Special guest host andrew harrison will be in the chair.

He's talking to our ob-gyn, dr. pamela