a b Kantor, Emma. "Jeff Kinney to Expand 'Diary of a Wimpy Kid' World". Publishers Weekly . Retrieved 29 March 2019. In an interview on the official Wimpy Kid YouTube channel, Kinney described that he noticed "the audience [...] always rooting for Rowley" in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid movies. [10] This inspired him to write a novel from Rowley's point of view. [11] On the subject of the book's illustrations, Kinney said that he liked how his art style is still recognizable even though Rowley "draws like a five year-old." [11] He stated that he enjoyed writing the book and that it is his favorite book in the series, [12] because he likes how Rowley is unable to keep the book's focus on Greg. [11] When asked if the series would change to focus entirely on Rowley, Kinney confirmed that he will continue to write main-series books, but that he would also "really like to write more Rowley books," because "it's a lot of fun, and I think it's really fresh, and [Rowley] can write in lots of different styles about lots of different genres. So I'd really like to get to there, where Rowley is authoring lots of books." [11] The following year, a follow-up to Rowley Jefferson's Journal, titled Rowley Jefferson's Awesome Friendly Adventure, was published. Rowley Jefferson's Awesome Friendly Spooky Stories, another sequel, was released in March 2021. Throughout their adventures, Rowley's endearing personality, loyalty, and genuine nature shine through, making him an indispensable part of Greg's life and the heart of their enduring friendship.

This is the third book to not have the word "Diary" in it, with the first being The Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself Book and the second being Rowley Jefferson's Awesome Friendly Adventure. Rowley's immaturity and naivety occasionally leave him susceptible to Greg's manipulation, but his charming and innocent nature makes him popular, particularly among his fellow students, especially the girls. Their friendship, while sometimes challenging, holds genuine affection. In the movie adaptations, their bond is even more developed compared to the books, though they remain true friends in both versions. In Rowley's entry about "the time when Greg created a special award just for me," Greg gives Rowley a "good boy award" for cleaning Greg's garage. Greg gives Rowley more awards for doing his chores, and after Rowley says that they aren't special anymore because he has so many, Greg makes a "point system" instead, with Rowley's reward for getting 50 points being a basket of dirty laundry. Born in 1971, Kinney lives in Plainville Massachusetts with his family (wife Julie and sons Will and Grant). Early Career Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid: Rowley Jefferson's Journal is a spin-off of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney. [4] Unlike the main-series books, which are written from the perspective of Greg Heffley, Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid is written from the perspective of Greg's best friend, Rowley Jefferson, acting as Greg's biographer. [5] The book was released on April 9, 2019. [4] [2] A sequel, titled Rowley Jefferson's Awesome Friendly Adventure was released on August 4, 2020, [6] delayed from an initial release date of April 7, 2020. [7] [8] Plot [ edit ]But Rowley has agreed to tell Greg's story along the way, too. (After all, Greg says one day he will be rich and famous and the world will need to know how he managed it). Given estimates made based off of illustrations of him, Rowley Jefferson is most likely between 4' 11" (149.86 cm) and 5' 1" (154.94 cm) tall. However, this is only conjecture, as his height has never been stated definitively within the series.

Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid: Rowley Jefferson's Journal on Waterstones" . Retrieved 29 March 2019. Rowley's best friend Greg Heffley has chronicled his middle-school years in thirteen Diary of a Wimpy Kid journals. Now it's Rowley's turn to give his side of the story. Rowley is an immature boy in several ways. For example, he sleeps with his stuffed toys, he likes his Dinoblazer Action Figures and he even quit writing his popular comic, Zoo-Wee Mama!, because he needed time to play with his Dinoblazer Action Figures. He also likes a singer called Joshie, whose audience is young children, mainly girls. On Christmas, he gets many childish things, even giving Greg childish toys like a Big Wheel. In the second film, he got very scared after watching a horror movie called " The Foot," and had to get his parents to take him home. Rowley starts his diary by explaining that he started writing in one because his best friend, Greg Heffley, owns one as well. In the second entry, Rowley shows his diary to Greg, who accuses Rowley of copying him. Greg then comes up with the idea that Rowley's journal should be Greg's biography. Rowley complies, and changes the title of his diary from Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid to Diary of Greg Heffley by Greg Heffley's Best Friend Rowley Jefferson. He is the main character of his own spin-off called Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid, which also had two sequels called Rowley Jefferson's Awesome Friendly Adventure and Rowley Jefferson's Awesome Spooky Stories.Get ready for a whole new look into Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid! Introducing the newest Wimpy Kid author—Rowley Jefferson! Rowley possesses a pure soul and deeply believes in the underlying affection Greg has for him. He also shares a close relationship with his parents, and disappointing them weighs heavily on him. Despite his good-natured spirit, Rowley has had a few run-ins with his parents, like causing a mess in the basement during a Halloween attraction, spending extravagantly at the country club with Greg, and wandering off without informing his parents, resulting in early bedtime.

Anderson, Porter (2019-01-10). "Jeff Kinney's First Departure: A Buddy Book for 'Wimpy Kid' ". Publishing Perspectives . Retrieved 29 March 2019.His journal in Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid is most likely a different one from the second book. Kinney is right up there with J K Rowling as one of the bestselling children's authors on the planet'- Independent Grab a flashlight, crawl under the covers, and dive into the twisted, unexpectedly hilarious world of Rowley Jefferson’s imagination. You’ll meet zombies, vampires, ghosts and much more in these comically terrifying tales. He appears in all of the books and all of the movies, and the online version as well, to date, but he only made a small appearance in Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Getaway, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Deep End' Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Big Shot and Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Diper Överlöde.

Despite his quirks, Rowley's good heart and innocence shine through. His parents' overprotectiveness may be hindering his growth and preventing him from experiencing new things. However, Greg could also benefit from being more considerate of Rowley's feelings and not dragging him into trouble. Ultimately, with better communication and understanding, both Greg and Rowley could improve their friendship and grow as individuals.

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For many, Rowley (Want to come over to my house and play?) Jefferson, Greg Heffley’s best friend, is the real hero of the series. A character shaped by his over-protective parents who are certainly not fond of Greg, Rowley is a skilled manipulator who often gets others into trouble while craftily avoiding the blame himself. Initially coming across as somewhat of an immature idiot, he often displays Jekyll and Hyde-like characteristics, being able to move effortlessly from antagonist to caring peacemaker. At first sight the overweight and overly-protected innocent, first impressions prove deceptive, as he often shows real strength of character when in stressful situations. Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2007 print book, 2010 movie) In the German translations, Rowley's name is Rupert. Coincidentally, Greg alludes to this in Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid: Rowley Jefferson's Journal when he says he will change Rowley's role into a made-up kid named Rupert who is an overexaggerated parody. He is Jeff Kinney’s favorite character, which is what part of what inspired him to write Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid: Rowley Jefferson's Journal. Rowley then brings up an anecdote in which he and Greg draw their own superheroes. In the penultimate diary entry, Rowley has a sleepover at Greg's house, where they sneak out to bounce on a trampoline. Greg's parents get mad, his mother divides his and Rowley's room in half. Greg draws an "invisible forcefield" that "zap"s Rowley if he tries to pass through it. Greg prevents Rowley from using the bathroom, and he pees out the window in the morning. The sleepover ends with Greg flushing one of Rowley's action figures down the toilet.