Tag Archives: Jeff Kinney (writer)

What It Means To Invest In A Town

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I love what Jeff Kinney (author of the Wimpy Kid books) is doing for Plainville, Massachusetts. He has removed an eyesore from the center of town and replaced it with a wonderful bookstore, but he hasn’t stopped there.

The Attleboro Sun Chronicle posted a story today about his latest contribution to the town.

The article reports:

The Kinneys were at a book conference in Los Angeles, where Julie Kinney found a booth staffed by Write Brain Books publishing company.

The firm publishes children’s book with illustrations, but no text. Children are expected to write their own stories to go with the drawings.

Julie Kinney brought four of the books to Wood School in Plainville, where fourth-grade teacher Devon Almeida turned them into a major project for her students.

Now, their versions of the books have been published and are going on sale at An Unlikely Story bookstore in Plainville, which is owed by Jeff Kinney.

The children presented their stories to parents Wednesday at the school. Write Brain founder and CEO Meredith Scott Lynn flew in from California for the occasion.

I love the fact that the books the students wrote will be sold at An Unlikely Story bookstore. Thank you, Jeff Kinney, for all you are doing for Plainville.

 

Sharing Success

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I lived in Plainville, Massachusetts, for thirty-five years. When my family originally moved there, there was a store in the middle of town called Falk’s Market. The children in the town rode their bikes there to buy penny candy, and the growups knew that Falk’s was the best place to buy steaks to barbeque. Over the years Mr. Falk grew old and the store fell into disrepair. Eventually it was sold to someone who didn’t seem to know how to bring it back to its glory days. Then, a few years ago it was sold to Jeff Kinney, who wrote the Wimpy Kid books. Mr. Kinney knew how to bring back the glory days of the market in the center of Plainville.

The New York Times posted a story today about the bookstore in Plainville that will be opening soon.

This is what Falk’s Market looked like when Mr. Kinney bought it:

FalksMarketBefore

This is the new bookstore:

falksMarketAfterThe New York Times reports:

Now, in a risky and ambitious next act, Mr. Kinney will start selling other people’s books. He’s opening a bookstore, called An Unlikely Story, in his adopted hometown, Plainville, Mass., about 40 miles south of Boston. And while he doesn’t want the store to resemble a “Wimpy Kid” theme park, he’s willing to use the popularity of the series to draw in customers. Mr. Kinney will work at the cash register and in the cafe on occasion, and he plans to teach a cartooning workshop at the store.

Thank you, Mr. Kinney, for loving Plainville enough to build a bookstore there.