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Andrew Clements

Andrew Clements. Teacher, Editor, Author. Overview. Personal History Progression of Books Picture Books Easy Reader/Reading Program Books Beginning Chapter Books Middle Grade Novels Philosophy on Reading. Personal History. Born in 1949 in Camden, New Jersey Parents were avid readers

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Andrew Clements

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  1. Andrew Clements Teacher, Editor, Author

  2. Overview • Personal History • Progression of Books • Picture Books • Easy Reader/Reading Program Books • Beginning Chapter Books • Middle Grade Novels • Philosophy on Reading

  3. Personal History • Born in 1949 in Camden, New Jersey • Parents were avid readers • Reading independently in kindergarten • First trip to the school library in kindergarten

  4. Classics A. A. Miline & Robert Louis Stevenson Mysteries Sherlock Holmes & Hardy Boys Adventure Stories Robinson Crusoe & Swiss Family Robinson Biographies Favorite Childhood Stories

  5. Clements never really dreamed of being an author but often thought, “Ah, I wish I had written this.”

  6. College • B.A. from Northwestern Univ. in 1971 in English Literature • Wrote a lot (poems and song lyrics) • Teachers really enjoyed his papers • M.A. from National Louis Univ. in 1972 in Elementary Education

  7. Career • Taught in Illinois for seven years • loved being with kids, conversing with kids and reading to kids. • Editor • Worked for various publishing companies • Learned what good writing sounds and feels like • Author

  8. Author • Career as an author began when he was 35 years old. • First book was a picture book: Bird Adalbert • Latest book is a middle grade novel: Things Not Seen

  9. Current Repertoire • Picture Books • Easy Reader Books • Reading Program Books for Schools • Beginning Chapter Books • Middle Grade Novels

  10. Picture Books • Double Trouble in Walla Walla • Lulu has trouble speaking and passes on to others • With the help of school personnel, they are able to return to normal

  11. Picture Books • Bright Christmas: An Angel Remembers • The first Christmas from an angel’s perspective • Historically accurate illustrations

  12. Picture Books • Workshop • Illustrations by David Wisniewski • Explains how individual tools work • Shows what happens when tools work together

  13. Easy Readers • Pets to the Rescue Series • Ringo Saves the Day: A True Story • Brave Norman: A True Story • Dolores and the Big Fire: A True Story • Tara and Tiree, Fearless Friends: A True Story

  14. Beginning Chapter Books • Jake Drake, Bully Buster • Jake Drake Know-it-All • Jake Drake Teacher’s Pet • Jake Drake Class Clown

  15. Transition from Picture Books to Chapter Books • His first chapter book, Frindle (award winning novel), began as a picture book • Several editors encouraged Clements to transform it into a chapter book • Expanded ideas so that paragraphs and sentences became chapters

  16. School setting Familiar Conflict between student & teacher Believable Resolution = learning experience Comfortable Plot Driven Exciting Typical Characteristics

  17. Trelease’s Views When adults want to read for pleasure they don’t want an “issue driven novel or complex study of human character.” They want a good plot-driven page turner. Kids are the same!

  18. Frindle • Clements’ breakthrough book • Nominated for more than 30 awards • Won the 1997 Christopher Award

  19. Other School Story Novels • The Landry News • A 5th grade girl starts a school newspaper. • Due to her editorial comments, her teacher’s passion for teaching is reignited.

  20. Other School Story Novels • The School Story • A 12 year-old girl writes a great story. • Her determined friend helps trick the girl’s mother into publishing it.

  21. Other School Story Novels • The Janitor’s Boy • A 5th grade boy is embarassed by his father, the school janitor. • When he becomes the janitor’s helper, he learns a lot about himself and his father.

  22. Latest Novel • Things Not Seen • Not a typical middle grade novel • Main character is a 15 year-old boy who becomes invisible. • Problem is not school centered.

  23. Clements on Reading “When we read, we decide when, how long and about what. One of the few places on earth that it is still possible to experience an instant sense of freedom and privacy is anywhere we open up a good book and begin to read.”

  24. Wisniewski on Clements Children’s lives today are so pre-programmed with activities that they have little sense of freedom or privacy. Reading Andrew Clements’ familiar, believable, and comfortable stories, provides them with both!

  25. In closing… Kids love Clements’ comfortable School stories

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