The bestselling author behind the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" book series is coming to the Hudson Valley.

Jeff Kinney launched his online cartoon about a middle-school weakling named Greg Heffley back in 2004. Almost 30 years later, Kinney's "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" franchise is known around the world and has spawned over 20 bestselling books and six movies. The cartoonist and author has been credited with getting even the most resistant schoolchildren hooked on books and fostering a love of reading.

When Kinney's first book was released in 2007, the class of 2023 was just beginning elementary school. Many graduating seniors have spent their lives reading the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" books and watching the series of movies based on Kinney's stories.So, you could imagine how excited students were to hear that their favorite childhood author was going to be speaking at graduation.

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Dave Kotinsky
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It was announced on Tuesday that children's author, Jeff Kinney, will be addressing the Marist College Class of 2023 on May 20. This isn't the first time that a beloved childhood hero has taken the stage at a Marist College graduation. Back in 1999, Mr. Rodgers was chosen as the commencement speaker and even serenaded the crowd with his famous "Won't You Be My Neighbor" song.

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Kinney has a strong connection to Marist, as his wife, Julie, was a member of the class of 1990. During the pandemic, Kinney's wife was able to get her famous husband to appear in an exclusive online chat with the Marist Community to discuss his newest book, Big Shot, when it was released in 2021.

Marist College
Marist College
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Kinney said that he's "thrilled" to be speaking at this year's Marist College commencement.

It will be an honor to share my own perspective and experience with a motivated group of students who will become future leaders and innovators in this country.

The 2023 commencement will take place at 11am on Saturday, May 20 on the campus green. A live stream of the event will be available on the Marist College website.

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