When was andrew clements first book published

Meeting Andrew felt to me like meeting E. White, or at least the E. White of my imagination. Partly because I always pictured him puttering around his house in Maine. But mostly because Andrew had such an innate wisdom and gentleness about him, a calmness and kindness and a sense of honor and moral clarity that were palpable. He knew everything about the day to day of the publishing business and loved talking about it, and he had hilarious stories about being a Chicago public school teacher and about starting a family in Manhattan while trying to make it in a folk band.

But no matter how grounded he was, he also seemed to operate on a slightly higher plane. Having worked as both a publisher and a teacher before he became a writer, he understood the business of publishing as well as he did the craft of writing.

He was also a musician, which I think helps explain the source of his pitch-perfect prose. He wrote about children with lively imaginations who liked to challenge the status quo as well as the teachers who helped nurture their creativity and guide them towards making a positive impact. A man of rare integrity, grace, and wit, he will be greatly missed.

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New to PW? He began his writing as a senior high school student in Springfield High School. His journey as an author had not been a one day event. At a tender age, he had become accustomed to reading many books. This was part of his activity during summer times together with his family where they used to spend time in a cabin in a lake in Maine. During these days, he spent his nights reading after busy fishing during the day.

These quiet moments helped him to start thinking like a writer and consequently he began to read more and more. Additionally, the teacher went further to lavish praise on his piece of writing and even suggesting that it should be published. This was a fuel of inspiration which carried him through to Northwestern University making him to trust in his own writing ability. Occasionally at Northwestern University, he would get encouragement from his professors on his writing.

He began to write on his own aside from class assignment. He took a literature major where he faired high in essays and poetry. Clements took interest in writing songs and poems, and learned how to play a guitar while in Northwestern University.

However, he wrote when he felt like and did not write without an inner go-ahead spirit. He viewed writing as a hard work, which he admits even now. Andrew Clements taught creative writing in a series of summer high school workshops. This was an avenue for him to practice as a teacher and describes it as a bitter-sweet experience with the hard work and the fun involved too. Clements graduated from Northwestern University and took one extra year for preparation as a teacher.

For seven years he taught English in public schools north of Chicago where he taught for two years in fourth grade, three years in eighth grade and another two years in high school. This was invaluable time for him to establish yearlong relationships with student and kids and a joyous moment interacting with funny bright kids.

He also had the opportunity to read more and more and develop on his ideas and grow as an all-rounded writer. In his first year as a teacher, Andrew Clements got married to his wife who had a career in professional theater. They acquired their first home and then their second, in which they had their son. In his teaching, Clements was fired and rehired several times in a rollercoaster of events. With the recurrent hire and fire, he moved together with his wife and two and a half year old son to New York where he looked for a dependable job.

He wanted a stable career as a singer-song writer. It did not work out as he had wanted, but this was an invaluable opportunity for him to sit down, think and come up with great ideas as a writer. He acknowledges this as a vital discipline for any writer. He got a publishing job in a small publishing company which specialized in how-to books where the books had photos with informative captions below the photos.

His name appeared in print for the first time in a book A Country Christmas Treasury where his name appeared in the acknowledgements section as among the craftspeople of the book. You don't have to do everything at once. You don't have to know how every story is going to end.

You just have to take that next step, look for that next idea, write that next word. And growing up, it's the same way. We just have to go to that next class, read that next chapter, help that next person. You simply have to do that next good thing, and before you know it, you're living a good life. Below are some of the awards my books have received. Frindle is my most awarded work, receiving more than 35 literary awards and nominations.

Awarded for Things Not Seen. Nominated for Frindle. Awarded for Lunch Money. Awarded for Dogku. Awarded for Extra Credit.

Awarded for The Map Trap. Noted for Frindle. Awarded for No Talking. Awarded for Frindle. Nominated for A Week in the Woods. Awarded for The School Story. Nominated Intermediate for The Losers Club. Awarded for The Losers Club. Nominated for The Losers Club.