BIRMINGHAM, Ala.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--School’s out for summer! Warmer weather is here, and kids will soon be out for summer vacation, which means the Books-A-Million Summer Reading Adventure Program is back! Students are invited to keep their minds sharp by practicing reading and writing from May 12 through September. Participants who complete the program will receive a prize from this year’s summer reading program ambassador, “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” author Jeff Kinney!
“Books are magic,” said Kinney. “They can take you away to places you’ve never been and introduce you to characters who will stick with you for the rest of your life. I’m happy that Books-A-Million picked me to be their Summer Reading Program Ambassador, because I discovered so many great books in the summertime when I was a kid.”
To participate in the challenge, students must read any four books from the designated list and write about them in the Summer Reading Adventure journal, available for pick up at all stores. Those who bring the completed journal to any Books-A-Million store will receive a FREE “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” drawstring backpack!
“Diary of a Wimpy Kid” books are published in 73 editions in 61 languages. More than 200 million copies of the books in the series have been sold globally. Published in 2007, the first book was an instant bestseller and has remained on the New York Times bestseller list since its publication and through the release of the 13th book for more than 655 weeks total. The series is also a fixture on the USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Publishers Weekly and IndieBound bestseller lists. The “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” spinoff book “Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid” was published in April 2019 and was an instant No. 1 New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestseller in the US, and reached No. 1 in multiple countries across the world. The 14th book in the “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” series will be published in fall 2019.
Kinney is a No. 1 New York Times bestselling author and six-time Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Award ‘Favorite Book’ winner for his “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” series. Kinney has been named one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World and is also the creator of “Poptropica,” named one of Time’s 50 Best Websites. He spent his childhood in the Washington, D.C. area and moved to New England in 1995. Kinney lives with his wife and two sons in Plainville, Massachusetts, where they own a bookstore, An Unlikely Story.
For more information on the Summer Reading Adventure Program, visit booksamillion.com/summeradventure.
ABOUT BOOKS-A-MILLION
Books-A-Million, headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, is the second largest chain of bookstores in the United States. Books-A-Million got its start in 1917 as a magazine stand in Florence, Alabama and now operates over 200 stores in 32 states as well as an online store at booksamillion.com. While Books-A-Million’s presence has grown, the goal has remained the same: to serve each community with the best selection of books, toys, games and entertainment, all at great prices. Find the nearest Books-A-Million at booksamillion.com/storefinder. Follow Books-A-Million on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest to discover shelf inspiration, new releases, gifts and more.
