High Five Books and BOMBYX Center for Arts & Equity Present:

Wimpy & Wumpy: A Spooktacular Evening! with Jeff Kinney & Tony DiTerlizzi

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. 

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. 

Where/ How Tickets Can be Purchased:

Tickets will be available to purchase from July 31st,2026.

Purchase online at any time of the day using the button on the top of the page.

You can also visit or call our box office at 413-584-9032 ext.105.
Box Office Hours are 3pm – 6pm, Tuesday – Friday. 

Ticket Prices:

$8.25-$25.20 after fees

(Free tix are available to families in need by contacting High Five Books.)

Service fees are applied per ticket to ALL transactions, including purchases by phone and in person.

We charge service and processing fees on each ticket sold to support the staffing and running of the box office. Some renters add an artist fee to some shows as well. As a non-profit entity, the Academy strives to keep the cost of our tickets as low as possible. We appreciate your support as we continue to provide convenient box office services and keep your community theater a vibrant venue.

 All Sales are final. If you have any questions about accessibility, please contact the box office at boxoffice@aomtheatre.com or (413) 584-9032 X105.