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Meet Gregory Heffley, aka Greg, aka "Wimpy Kid."

Greg is a middle child, middle-school student with an older brother, Roderick, who delights in torturing him. And then there's his little brother, Manny, who gets whatever he wants. Greg, on the other hand, rarely gets what he wants. Instead, he always manages to find a whole lot of what he DOESN'T want.

T.R.O.U.B.L.E.

Greg also happens to be the main character of the wildly popular and very funny "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" series for young readers. Its author, Jeff Kinney, will be at Kennedy Junior High School in West Valley City on Tuesday to promote his newest title, "Diary of a Wimpy Kid:  Double Down."

When asked to describe Greg using one word (not including "wimpy"), Kinney says his character is pragmatic. After all, Greg is always looking for ways to solve his problems. In "Double Down," for instance, he tries to figure out how to acquire a stash of candy before Halloween. He also looks for ways to be invited to a party hosted by the school's most popular girl. And of course he must devise a plan to stop his mother from commandeering the controller to his beloved video games. But while Greg may be pragmatic, his solutions are anything but practical — which is the ongoing source of the series' high humor.

Now meet kids throughout the state (and the country!) who love everything from football to gymnastics to MineCraft to Star Wars to pet Guinea pigs to video games. Many of them also happen to be huge fans of the Wimpy Kid series. Why is the character Greg so popular with older elementary school students? Because he makes them laugh. And they are attracted to the easy-to-read diary format.

The diary format, in fact, leaves plenty of "white space" on a page, which can encourage the reluctant young reader to keep turning the pages. When asked why he originally chose the diary form to tell his stories, Kinney says, "I think it's a good way to see inside of Greg's head. Also, it's a great way to tell a story that's a little messy. It's not a traditional narrative."

The diary format also provides a natural space for Kinney's distinctive cartoon illustrations. According to his website, Kinney originally wanted to be a cartoonist. While attending the University of Maryland, he published a cartoon strip in the campus newspaper, hoping he could syndicate it after graduation. When that didn't happen, Kinney created the Wimpy Kid series, which ran online and eventually landed him a hard-copy book deal with Abrams in 2006.

Eleven books and 180 millions copies in print later, the series is still going strong. Fans will certainly be seeing more of Greg over the years, although Kinney notes that there is no high school in the character's future. "Greg is stuck in middle school forever!"

Why is the series so popular? Kinney says the books are like comic books, a fact that makes them immediately accessible to young readers. "When I was growing up, I read Donald Duck comics and Calvin and Hobbes collections, and I could never get enough."

And although the situations Greg finds himself in are extreme, he's the kind of fictional kid to whom real kids can easily relate. Kinney admits that Greg bears a certain resemblance to himself at the same age. "He's full of flaws," Kinney jokes, "and so was I!"

Kinney enjoys examining the chaos of youth and maintains it's one of the ways he keeps the series fresh, for his readers and for himself. "Each book is a challenge to me. It's fun trying to come up with aspects of childhood I've never explored before."

In addition to writing books, Kinney is committed to selling books — his own, as well as books written by others. He and his wife, Julie, have opened an independent bookstore called An Unlikely Story in their hometown of Plainville, Mass. The historic space in the heart of Plainville used to be a general store. While still honoring the feel and structure of the place, the Kinneys have turned it into a space where customers can enjoy books and conversation, as well as a drink or a meal.

"I think an independent bookstore is vital to a community. I think brick-and-mortar bookstores will survive, because the people who operate them are committed to the mission of putting books into people's hands." Building An Unlikely Story from "the ground up," Kinney says, is "the best decision we have ever made."

Long live An Unlikely Story. Long live Jeff Kinney and Greg. And long live wimpy kids everywhere! —

'Double Down'

Jeff Kinney will discuss his new book — the 11th — in his Wimpy Kid series, "Double Down" (Amulet Books, $13.95), in an event sponsored by The King's English Bookshop.

When • Tuesday, Nov. 15, 6-8 p.m.; doors will open at 5 p.m.

Where • Kennedy Junior High School, 4495 S. 4800 West, West Valley City

Tickets • Customers will receive two tickets for each copy of "Double Down" they buy through the King's English Bookshop in Salt Lake City. All books will be signed before the event. Tickets and presigned books will be available for pickup at the event. For tickets and books, call 801-484-9100 or visit http://www.kingsenglish.com.