++ THIS EVENT TAKES PLACE AT THE ACADEMY OF MUSIC THEATRE ++
Two bestselling author-illustrators, one frightfully fun fall night! Join megastars Jeff Kinney and Tony DiTerlizzi on stage at the historic Academy of Music in Northampton, MA, for Wimpy & Wumpy: A Spooktacular Evening! on Thursday, October 8, produced by High Five Books and BOMBYX Center for Arts & Equity.
From 6-7pm, young readers are invited to the reveal of two creepy new middle-grade books: The Wump by Tony DiTerlizzi, whose Spiderwick Chronicles books have sold more than 20 million copies, and Rowley Jefferson's Awesome Friendly Spooky Stories 2 by Jeff Kinney, whose Diary of a Wimpy Kid series have sold millions of copies worldwide.
On stage, watch for: Competitive draw-offs! Family games and gross surprises! A photo line will follow from 7-8pm for all interested guests.
Free tix are available to families in need by contacting High Five Books.
ABOUT ‘THE WUMP’ BY TONY DITERLIZZI
From the co-creator of the #1 New York Times bestselling Spiderwick Chronicles series comes a deliciously dark supernatural middle-grade coming-of-age story, with two-color illustrations throughout.
Timothy's grandpa has a saying: the best way to deal with bullies is to wump 'em. But Timothy would never hurt a fly—and not just because he genuinely loves bugs. He's always been a good kid...until a shadowy monster appears and begins feeding on his darkest thoughts.
Facing bullies both at home and at school, Timothy cocoons himself in the monster's shadows, where he is consumed by a desire for revenge. But how much of himself can Timothy give up before he is completely transformed? The Wump releases September 29, 2026.
Award-winning author-illustrator Tony DiTerlizzi stuns in this creepy, brilliantly illustrated, and poignant reflection of the darkness—and light—inside of all of us.
DiTerlizzi has been enchanting readers for over 25 years with his richly imagined stories and distinctive artwork. From whimsical picture books like The Spider & The Fly—a Caldecott Honor winner—to timeless tales like Kenny & The Dragon, DiTerlizzi’s work blends classic charm with boundless creativity.
The Spiderwick Chronicles inspired a major motion picture and was recently reimagined as an Emmy Award-winning television series for the Roku Channel. His bestselling science-fiction trilogy, WondLa, has also made the leap to the screen in another Emmy-winning series, adapted by Skydance Animation and streaming on Apple TV+.
ABOUT ‘ROWLEY JEFFERSON’S AWESOME FRIENDLY SPOOKY STORIES 2’ BY JEFF KINNEY
Rowley Jefferson is back with another book in his Awesome Friendly series--Rowley Jefferson's Awesome Friendly Spooky Stories 2--which is even more hilariously terrifying than the first!
Fans of Greg Heffley and the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney get a chance to dive into the twisted, unexpectedly hilarious world of Rowley's imagination.
In this second tome of Rowley Jefferson's Awesome Friendly Spooky Stories, you'll encounter monstrous insects, the Grim Reaper as a boy, and a lost pinkie that's searching for its owner. But reader beware--while these stories are sidesplittingly funny, they'll still give you a delightful fright!
Jeff Kinney is a #1 New York Times bestselling author, a six-time Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award winner for Favorite Book, and one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the World. He spent his childhood in the Washington, D.C., area and later moved to Massachusetts, where he and his family own a bookstore called An Unlikely Story.
