Jeff Kinney……yes, that Jeff Kinney…was sitting two rows ahead of us on the bus that was pushing its way out of the heart of vibrant Boston and headed for a 45 minute drive to the, shall we say, more reserved town of Plainville, Massachusetts.
Why leave the throng for the burg? Well, at the end of the ride, when the bus door opened, we were headed into the beautifully crafted world of An Unlikely Story, also known as Jeff Kinney’s bookstore.
It’s a gorgeous two-story building built out of things that smell good. That new wood smell was in the air and there were twinkling lights and inviting, general store-looking shelves and displays all around. You were in the land of books and things to love.
Upstairs in this wonderful spot is a large room with hidden depths. A dinner buffet was laid out for us, there was a bar toward the back of the room, and the stage was set it turned out for karaoke.
So, as thrilled as we were to see the back of Jeff Kinney’s head on the bus, you can imagine how we felt when he sat down at the empty seat at our table with his plate from the buffet. Yep, we were having dinner with Jeff. My eight year old grandson is going to look at me through new eyes.
One of the first things he said to us was, “Does the name Plainville, Mass. sound as bad as I think it does?” Everyone pretty much shook their heads yes. He nodded and said, “Yep, I thought so.” It was hilarious.
Let us just say the karaoke was memorable in many ways. There was a disco ball. There were some authors and librarians who could really sing and there were other librarians who got into the spirit of the thing and were willing to- shall we say -bust a move on a dimly lit stage in Plainville, Mass.
Independent bookstores are very special places and the people who own them have courageous hearts. It’s a hallowed space.
So, here’s a huge thank you and a hug to Jeff Kinney who has created something truly remarkable … a series of books for reluctant readers and a space dedicated to celebrating the truth that everyone of us can take the chance and risk… a little karaoke and a whole lot of making our own unlikely stories into dreams that come true.
Thanks , too, go to Jason Wells of Abrams Books for Young Readers for giving us this night to remember.