With book 13 in his wildly popular Wimpy Kid series due out on October 30, author-illustrator Jeff Kinney is setting out on an eight-city East Coast bus tour fit for a middle-grade rock star. “Wimpy Kid Live: The Meltdown Show” is arriving in Boston and Plainville, Mass.; Rhinebeck, N.Y.; Madison, Conn.; Princeton, N.J.; Washington, D.C.; Raleigh, N.C.; and Decatur, Ga. At each of the tour stops, Kinney will perform a live, interactive show in celebration of The Meltdown.
As part of the tour, Kinney will visit retailers in three additional U.S. cities: Books-A-Million in Scranton, Pa.; Costco in Pottstown, Pa.; and Barnes & Noble in Charlotte, N.C. The author will also be appearing at five elementary schools in the cities where he is hosting public events. The following eight international countries are also part of the fall tour: Denmark (a new stop for Kinney), the U.K., Germany, Finland, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Canada.
Kinney said in a statement, “I’m incredibly excited to hit the road and tour this fall, visiting some of my favorite bookstores on the East Coast. We’re doing something really different and daring this year by creating an interactive stage experience. It’s a whole new way of connecting with fans, and I hope they enjoy the show!”
More than 200 million copies of the Wimpy Kid books have sold around the world. The first book in the series, which was released by Abrams’s Amulet imprint in 2007, has remained on the New York Times bestseller list through the release of the 12th book, for more than 640 weeks total. The new book takes place during a snowstorm, when hero Greg Heffley’s school is closed and his friends and neighbors wage a dramatic snowball battle.
Along with book 13, Abrams will publish a new boxed set containing the full Wimpy Kid series, including The Meltdown and the Wimpy Kid 2019 wall calendar. In addition to the tour, publicity plans for the new book include national advertising and television spots, social media campaigns, retail promotions, and a Wimpy Kid balloon at the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
