A personal account by the Newbery Medal- and National Book Award-winning author shares stories about the experiences that inspired her novels, from her childhood in China to her marriage to a minister and relationships with four children.

"Even as a kid, everyone thought Jeff Kinney was talented. People loved his drawings, and when he went to college, his comic strip Igdoof was so popular that it spread to other universities! Still, Jeff faced challenges. His cartoons were rejected by syndicates that claimed his art was unprofessional. Then, an idea struck: Jeff would write a journal from the perspective of a child, illustrated with doodles just like a kid might do. And so, the Diary...