Diary of a Wimpy Kid Author surprises Berkhamsted Pupils on World Book Tour

Prep pupils at Berkhamsted School had the unique opportunity of meeting bestselling author Jeff Kinney, as he visited the School for his final UK stop on tour to promote his new book, ‘Partypooper.’

In keeping with the book’s surprise party theme, Kinney’s visit was kept a secret from the pupils, making his appearance all the more exciting.

‘When he first appeared on stage, everyone was super excited and so shocked,’ a pupil expressed. ‘A real-life author was there, in front of our eyes!’

The visit featured an engaging show where pupils and teachers were invited on stage to play party games and compete for prizes. He promoted the importance of reading and encouraged pupils to embrace their creativity. As Year 4 teacher Rachel Willis commented, the visit was ‘about encouraging the joy of reading.’

When interviewed about the show, Kinney commented, ‘When I was a kid, I never really met any authors, and I didn't envision myself in that profession. So, I hope that today there'll be a kid whose career ambitions are sparked from this event.’

The event was hugely popular: Willis further explained, it’s hard to express the volume of excitement that we experienced today.’

‘This will have felt incredibly special for the children- I think we were one of only two schools in the country who were having a visit!’

One parent expressed, ‘[My daughter] was so elated when she returned home from school to tell us about her Wimpy Kid experience. She described it as, “truly the best day ever”!’

We were also pleased to share our visit with St Thomas More Catholic Primary School. They commented,

‘On behalf of everyone at St Thomas More, we would like to express our enormous gratitude for inviting us to your Diary of a Wimpy Kid event. It was truly an iconic, exciting, and unforgettable experience for all our pupils and staff. Your warm welcome and wonderful organisation made our Friday afternoon incredibly enjoyable. Our students were buzzing with excitement long after the event ended, and it’s clear that experiences like this help inspire a lifelong love of reading.’

Berkhamsted Schools Group is committed to creating opportunities for our pupils to build their love of learning, bolstering in-class academic enrichment with exciting co-curricular opportunities such as Jeff Kinney’s visit. This is in pursuit of our desire to develop remarkable people through a child-centred approach.