Andrew Clements

Andrew Clements (May 29, 1949 – November 28, 2019) was an American writer of many children's books. His debut novel Frindle won annual book awards determined by the vote of U.S. schoolchildren in about twenty different U.S. states. In June 2015 it was named the Phoenix Award winner for 2016 as the best book that did not win a major award when it was published in 1996.

Clements grew up in Camden, New Jersey and Springfield, Illinois, US. As a child, he enjoyed summers at a lakeside cabin in Maine where he spent his days swimming, hiking, water skiing, and his evenings reading books. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Northwestern University and a Masters of Arts in Elementary Education from National Louis University, he worked as a teacher sharing his love of reading with elementary, middle, and high school students. (During his senior year at Springfield High School his English teacher handed back a poem he’d written.Two things were amazing about that paper.First, he’d gotten an A—a rare event in this teacher's class.And she’d also written in large, scrawnyred writing, “Andrew—this poem is so funny.This should be published!” His only response was dammmm.-Andrew Clements)

He worked for several publishing companies where he published, acquired, edited, marketed, and developed quality children's books. In 1985, Clements added his own work to the market with a picture book entitled Bird Delbert. His first novel was the award-winning Frindle, which has won sixteen state book awards, as well as the Christopher Award.

Clements lived in Maine with his wife Rebecca until his death. He had four sons- John, Nathaniel, George, and Charles. George and Charles are in the new acoustic bluegrass group The Lonely Heartstring Band.

Frindle The Children's Literature Association named Frindle the best English-language children's book published in 1996 that did not win a major contemporary book award, thus making it the winner of the Phoenix Award for 2016.

Contemporary Awards

• 2001: Utah Children's Choice Award
• 1999–2000: Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award
• 1999: Texas Children's Crown Award
• 1999: Pacific Northwest Library Association Young Reader's Choice, (WA, OR, MT, AK, ID, AB, BC)
• 1999: South Dakota Prairie Pasque Award
• 1999: Sasquatch Children's Book Award, (WA)
• 1999: Rebecca Caudill Young Readers Award, (IL)
• 1998–1999: Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award, 4–6
• 1998–1999: Young Hoosier Book Award, (IN)
• 1998–1999: North Carolina Children's Choice Award
• 1998–1999: Nevada Young Readers' Award
• 1998–1999: Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award, (AR)
• 1998–1999: Maud Hart Lovelace Award, MN Youth Reading Award
• 1998–1999: Georgia Children's Book Award
• 1998–1999: William Allen White Children's Book Award, (KS)
• 1998–1999: Massachusetts Children's Book Award
• 1998: Prize Cento, Cento, Italy
• 1998: Rhode Island Children's Book Award
• 1997–1998: Great Stone Face Book Award, (NH)
• 1997: Judy Lopez Memorial Honor Book (L.A.)Award
• 1997: Christopher Award
• 1998-1999 Georgia children's book award

Nominations and runners-up

• 1999–2000: Nutmeg Children's Book Award, (CT)
• 1999–2000: Land of Enchantment Book Award, (NM)
• 1999–2000: California Young Reader Medal
• 1999–2000: Iowa Children's Choice Award
• 1999: Garden State Children's Book Award, (NJ)
• 1998–1999: Wyoming Indian Paintbrush Book Award
• 1998–1999: Sunshine State Young Readers Award, (FL)
• 1998–1999: West Virginia Children's Book Award
• 1998–1999: Virginia Young Reader's Book Award
• 1998–1999: Sequoyah Children's Book Award, (WA)
• 1998–1999: Arizona Young Readers’ Award
• 1998–1999: Texas Bluebonnet Award
• 1998–1999: Nebraska Golden Sower Award
• 1998: Battle of the Books Reading List, (NM)
• 1998: NENE Award, (HI)
• 1997–1998: Kentucky Bluegrass Award
• 1997–1998: Dorothy Canfield Fisher Book Award (VT)
• 1997–1998: Maine Student Book Award

Listings and recommendations

• 1999: Capitol Choices list, best books for ages 7–10
• 1998: Chicago Public Library's Best of the Best
• 1997–1998: Indiana Read-Alouds Too Good to Miss
• 1997: Horn Book Magazine Fanfare Book
• 1997: Parents' Choice Honor Book
• 1996: New York Public Library One Hundred Titles for Reading and Sharing

Other

• 2004: California Young Readers Medal, The School Story
• 2004: American Library Association Schneider Family Book Award, Things Not Seen
• 2007: Edgar Allan Poe Award for best juvenile book, Room One: A Mystery or Two