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Bestselling author Jeff Kinney visits Berkhamsted Prep!
Surprise!
On 21 November, Berkhamsted Prep was treated to the experience of a lifetime. World famous author Jeff Kinney, known best for his series, ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid’, had come to visit them at the Centenary Theatre!
With over 300 million books sold, it is no surprise that Jeff Kinney’s books are well known amongst the Berkhamsted community. One pupil explained, ‘All of the books are really funny, and I like the jokes in them.’ Another stated, ‘The only thing about them is that you can’t put them down, so your parents tell you off for reading too late!’
This popularity made Kinney’s visit all the more exciting. Berkhamsted School, joined by pupils from St Thomas More Catholic School, marked the final leg of his UK book tour, promoting his 20th title in the ‘Wimpy Kid’ series, ‘Partypooper.’ This book recounts, in Kinney’s own words, ‘Greg Heffley’s parents forgetting his birthday-which, of course, would be every kid’s worst nightmare! Greg tries to leverage the guilt that they’re feeling into a giant party for himself, where he can maximise the number of guests, and of course, presents!’.
In keeping with the book’s theme of surprises and celebrations, Berkhamsted Prep were not told that Kinney would be visiting. This meant that when he did appear, our pupils were ecstatic. ‘When he first appeared on stage, everyone was super excited and everyone was so shocked,’ one pupil commented. ‘A real-life author was there in front of their eyes!’
This excitement only grew as Jeff introduced his show. This, of course, could be no mere book reading- instead, Prep was treated to a host of vibrant party games, exclusive videos and guest appearances. From cheesy trivia and try-not-to-laugh challenges to the ear-splittingly popular ‘teacher dance-off,’ pupils won books and merchandise to the resounding cheers of their chanting classmates.
‘It was hard to express the volume of excitement that we experienced today!’ Mrs Willis, a Year 4 teacher, reflected. They absolutely loved all the games, all the fun, all the activities. He [Kinney] brought reading to life for the children, helping them to know that reading is really fun.’
Jeff’s visit is not only a wonderful experience for our Prep pupils, but a formative moment that deepens their appreciation for the power of reading. And while cream pies flying at authors and teachers being taken away by the ‘fart police’ may not be part of a typical school day, these moments remind our pupils how exciting learning can be. Whether writing, drawing or reading, these visits encourage pupils to engage creatively with the world around them, sparking their imaginations and future ambitions.
No one understands this motivation better than Kinney himself. He shares that the show’s very aim is for pupils to ‘see a pathway to becoming an author or an illustrator themselves.’ He explained, ‘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.’
Encouraging our pupils to pursue their creative dreams, while still having fun, is essential to our development of Remarkable people. ‘I think [Kinney’s visit] really links in with our ethos at Berkhamsted Prep where we value play and we value children’s enjoyment of experiences,’ another teacher explains. ‘We want them to enjoy reading and see reading as something that can be fun and playful as it really inspires their imagination.’
We were pleased to share this experience with St Thomas More Catholic Primary School, so that more pupils could enjoy this once in a lifetime moment. 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.’
By bringing these School communities together, we shared a wonderful afternoon of fun, excitement and a healthy dose of silliness. Thank you to Jeff for choosing our School to visit, sharing with our elated pupils the absolute joy that is reading.
