Most Popular Books by Andrew Clements

Phil is on a mission. His absentminded little brother forgot his lunch money. All kinds of thoughts are running through Phil''s mind as he searches for Jimmy in the throngs of fourth and fifth graders crowding the school hallway:...if I''m late for math today, then I might not be allowed to take the test -- and then I could flunk math! I might even flunk sixth grade and get left back! Then Phil spots Jimmy''s one-of-a-kind jacket and rushes to the corner of the hallway. Except the person wearing it isn''t his brother; it''s some black kid Phil''s never seen before -- wearing Jimmy''s jacket! Phil makes an accusation, tempers flare, and both kids wind up in the principal''s office. How will Phil react when he finds out how Daniel came to be the owner of this unique jacket? Will Daniel be able to forgive Phil for an accusation that was based on racial prejudice? What will each boy learn about the other, and most important, about himself?

As the end of sixth grade nears, Jordan Johnson, unhappy that she is only average in appearance, intelligence, and athletic ability, reveals her special skills when disaster strikes her central Illinois elementary school.

"You have the right to remain silent." However... The fifth-grade girls and the fifth-grade boys at Laketon Elementary don''t get along very well. But the real problem is that these kids are loud and disorderly. That''s why the principal uses her red plastic bullhorn. A lot. Then one day Dave Packer, a certified loudmouth, bumps into an idea -- a big one that makes him try to keep quiet for a whole day. But what does Dave hear during lunch? A girl, Lynsey Burgess, jabbering away. So Dave breaks his silence and lobs an insult. And those words spark a contest: Which team can say the fewest words during two whole days? And it''s the boys against the girls. How do the teachers react to the silence? What happens when the principal feels she''s losing control? And will Dave and Lynsey plunge the whole school into chaos? This funny and surprising book is about language and thought, about words unspoken, words spoken in anger, and especially about the power of words spoken in kindness...with or without a bullhorn. It''s Andrew Clements at his best -- thought-provoking, true-to-life, and very entertaining.

Ted Hammond learns that in a very small town, there''s no such thing as an isolated event. And the solution of one mystery is often the beginning of another. Ted Hammond loves a good mystery, and in the spring of his fifth-grade year, he''s working on a big one. How can his school in the little town of Plattsford stay open next year if there are going to be only five students? Out here on the Great Plains in western Nebraska, everyone understands that if you lose the school, you lose the town. But the mystery that has Ted''s full attention at the moment is about that face, the face he sees in the upper window of the Andersons'' house as he rides past on his paper route. The Andersons moved away two years ago, and their old farmhouse is empty, boarded up tight. At least it''s supposed to be. A shrinking school in a dying town. A face in the window of an empty house. At first these facts don''t seem to be related. But...

It isn’t that Abby Carson can’t do her schoolwork. She just doesn’t like doing it. And in February a warning letter arrives at her home. Abby will have to repeat sixth grade—unless she meets some specific conditions, including taking on an extra-credit project to find a pen pal in a distant country. Seems simple enough. But when Abby’s first letter arrives at a small school in Afghanistan, the village elders agree that any letters going back to America must be written well. In English. And the only qualified student is a boy, Sadeed Bayat. Except in this village, it is not proper for a boy to correspond with a girl. So Sadeed’s younger sister will write the letters. Except she knows hardly any English. So Sadeed must write the letters. For his sister to sign. But what about the villagers who believe that girls should not be anywhere near a school? And what about those who believe that any contact with Americans is . . . unhealthy? Not so simple. But as letters flow back and forth—between the prairies of Illinois and the mountains of central Asia, across cultural and religious divides, through the minefields of different lifestyles and traditions—a small group of children begin to speak and listen to one another. And in just a few short weeks, they make important discoveries about their communities, about their world, and most of all, about themselves.

Andrew Clements’s latest novel, about mentors, role models, and choosing friends, examines the fine line between good-humored mischief and dangerous behavior—and how everyday choices can close or open doors. There’s a folder in Principal Kelling’s office that’s as thick as a phonebook and it’s growing daily. It’s filled with the incident reports of every time Clayton Hensley broke the rules. There’s the minor stuff like running in the hallways and not being where he was suppose to be when he was supposed to be there. But then there are also reports that show Clay’s own brand of troublemaking, like the most recent addition: the art teacher has said that the class should spend the period drawing anything they want and Clay decides to be extra “creative” and draw a spot-on portrait of Principal Kellings…as a donkey. It’s a pretty funny joke, but really, Clay is coming to realize that the biggest joke of all may be on him. When his big brother, Mitchell, gets in some serious trouble, Clay decides to change his own mischief making ways…but he can’t seem to shake his reputation as a troublemaker. From the master of the school story comes a book about the fine line between good-humored mischief and dangerous behavior and how everyday choices can close or open doors.

When fifteen-year-old Bobby wakes up and finds himself invisible, he and his parents and his new blind friend Alicia try to find out what caused his condition and how to reverse it.

Nora Rose Rowley is a genius, but don''t tell anyone. Nora''s managed to make it to the fifth grade without anyone figuring out that she''s not just an ordinary kid, and she wants to keep it that way. But then Nora gets fed up with the importance everyone attaches to test scores and grades, and she purposely brings home a terrible report card just to prove a point. Suddenly the attention she''s successfully avoided all her life is focused on her, and her secret is out. And that''s when things start to get really complicated....

Twelve-year-old identical twins Jay and Ray have long resented that everyone treats them as one person, and so they hatch a plot to take advantage of a clerical error at their new school and pretend they are just one.

From bestselling and award-winning author Andrew Clements, a quirky, imaginative tale about creative thought and the power of language that will have readers inventing their own words—now available in a deluxe paperback edition! Is Nick Allen a troublemaker? He really just likes to liven things up at school--and he''s always had plenty of great ideas. When Nick learns some interesting information about how words are created, suddenly he’s got the inspiration for his best plan ever...the frindle. Who says a pen has to be called a pen? Why not call it a frindle? Things begin innocently enough as Nick gets his friends to use the new word. Then other people in town start saying frindle. Soon the school is in an uproar, and Nick has become a local hero. His teacher wants Nick to put an end to all this nonsense, but the funny thing is frindle doesn’t belong to Nick anymore. The new word is spreading across the country, and there’s nothing Nick can do to stop it.

Twelve-year-old Natalie Nelson has written a powerful school story. It''s a short novel called "The Cheater," and her best friend Zoe is certain it should be published. All Natalie has to do is give the manuscript to her mom, an editor at a big publishing house. However Natalie doesn''t want any favors from her mom. Still, Zoe won''t drop the idea. Spurred into action, Natalie invents a pen name for herself and Zoe becomes a self-styled literary agent. But if the girls are to succeed, they''ll need support from their wary English teacher, legal advice from Zoe''s tough-talking father, and some clever maneuvering to outwit the overbearing editor in chief of Shipley Junior Books. Andrew Clements, the best-selling author of Frindle, The Landry News, and The Janitor''s Boy, delights his audience with this story of two irrepressible girls who use their talent, ingenuity, and a little cunning to try to make a young writer''s dream come true.

A fabulous school story about fads and friendship from the bestselling author of Frindle. This is war. Okay--that''s too dramatic. But no matter what this is called, so far I''m winning. And it feels wonderful. Grace and Ellie have been best friends since second grade. Ellie''s always right in the center of everything--and Grace is usually happy to be Ellie''s sidekick. But what happens when everything changes? This time it''s Grace who suddenly has everyone''s attention when she accidentally starts a new fad at school. A fad that has first her class, then her grade, and then the entire school collecting and trading and even fighting over . . . buttons?! A fad that might get her in major trouble and could even be the end of Grace and Ellie''s friendship. Because Ellie''s not used to being one-upped by anybody. There''s only one thing for Grace to do. With the help of Hank, the biggest button collector in the 6th grade, she''ll have to figure out a way to end the fad once and for all. But once a fad starts, can it be stopped? "A fun, charming story about fads and the friendships that outlast them."--Booklist "On-point."--Publishers Weekly

Meet Greg Kenton, billionaire in the making. Greg Kenton has two obsessions -- making money and his long-standing competition with his annoying neighbor, Maura Shaw. So when Greg discovers that Maura is cutting into his booming Chunky Comics business with her own original illustrated minibooks, he''s ready to declare war. The problem is, Greg has to admit that Maura''s books are good, and soon the longtime enemies become unlikely business partners. But their budding partnership is threatened when the principal bans the sale of their comics in school. Suddenly, the two former rivals find themselves united against an adversary tougher than they ever were to each other. Will their enterprise -- and their friendship -- prevail?

A big, ugly fish has trouble making the friends he longs for because of his appearance--until the day his scary appearance saves them all from a fisherman''s net.

School protectors Ben, Jill, and Robert leap at a final chance to save their school from being torn down to make room for a seaside amusement park, a demolition that is supported by dastardly janitors Lyman and Wally.

The beloved New York Times bestselling author of the modern classic Frindle celebrates books and the joy of reading with a new school story to love! Sixth grader Alec can’t put a good book down. So when Principal Vance lays down the law—pay attention in class, or else—Alec takes action. He can’t lose all his reading time, so he starts a club. A club he intends to be the only member of. After all, reading isn’t a team sport, and no one would want to join something called the Losers Club, right? But as more and more kids find their way to Alec’s club—including his ex-friend turned bully and the girl Alec is maybe starting to like—Alec notices something. Real life might be messier than his favorite books, but it’s just as interesting. With The Losers Club, Andrew Clements brings us a new school story that’s a love letter to books and to reading and that reminds us that sometimes the best stories are the ones that happen off the page—our own! Winner of the Rhode Island Children''s Book Award (2019) Winner of the International Reading Association and Children''s Book Council: Children''s Choices List (2018) Winner of the Garden State Children''s Book Award (2020) 2021 Grand Canyon Reader Award Nominee A Kansas William White Master List Selection (2018 & 2019) An Arkansas Charlie May Simon Children''s Book Award Nominee (2019) A California Young Reader Medal Nominee (2019) A Nebraska Golden Sower Award Nominee (2019) A Virginia Young Readers Program Award Nominee (2019) A Minnesota Maud Heart Lovelace Award Nominee (2019) A Missouri Mark Twain Award Nominee (2019) An Oregon Reader’s Choice Award Nominee (2019) Praise for The Losers Club! * "Clements’s latest is engaging and funny. A laugh-out-loud first purchase for all middle grade collections, and a solid read-aloud choice for classrooms."—School Library Journal, Starred Review "Clements is out to celebrate reading in all its obsessiveness, and...tosses in shout-outs to a passel of other writers. [The Losers Club] gives fried bookworms everywhere the satisfaction of knowing that friends may desert them (if only temporarily) but books never will. "—The New York Times Praise for Andrew Clements! “Clements is a genius.” —The New York Times “We have never read an Andrew Clements book that we haven’t loved.” —The Washington Post

A fifth-grader starts a newspaper with an editorial that prompts her burnt-out classroom teacher to really begin teaching again, but he is later threatened with disciplinary action as a result.

Mark didn''t ask to move to New Hampshire. Or to go to a hick school like Hardy Elementary. And he certainly didn''t request Mr. Maxwell as his teacher. Mr. Maxwell doesn''t like rich kids, or slackers, or know-it-alls. And he''s decided that Mark is all of those things. Now the whole school is headed out for a week of camping -- Hardy''s famous Week in the Woods. At first it sounds dumb, but then Mark begins to open up to life in the country, and he decides it might be okay to learn something new. It might even be fun. But things go all wrong for Mark. The Week in the Woods is not what anyone planned. Especially not Mr. Maxwell. With his uncanny knack to reach right to the heart of kids, Andrew Clements asks -- and answers -- questions about first impressions, fairness, loyalty, and courage -- and exactly what it takes to spend a Week in the Woods.

It was an ordinary Monday morning in Walla Walla—until Lulu walked up to her English teacher''s desk. "Mrs. Bell, I feel like a nit-wit. My homework is all higgledy-piggledy. Last night it was in tip-top shape, but not it''s a big mish-mash." With those few words, things become not so ordinary after all, for it seems that Lulu has opened up a super-duper, helter-skelter WORD WARP. Luckily for Lulu and the rest of the English-speaking world, the school nurse has an idea about how to handle this hodge-podge of topsy-turvy chit-chat. Will it work? Zig-zag through the jibber-jabber and the yakety-yak to find out!

A day spent with a young child at the beach is filled with many minor dramasa lost shoe, a ball that floats too far out into the water, a drippy ice-cream cone. These can be frustrating events for both child and parent, but the daddy in this book finds a way to fix each problem, lovingly and patiently. Why? Because he loves his little girl, of course This spot-on pairing of words and images is a warm, reassuring, and humorous tribute to dads everywhere."

Ordinarily, no one would have imagined that Jack Rankin would vandalize a desk. But this was not an ordinary school year for Jack.... When Jack Rankin learns that he is going to spend the fifth grade in the old high school -- the building where his father works as a janitor -- he dreads the start of school. Jack manages to get through the first month without the kids catching on. Then comes the disastrous day when one of his classmates loses his lunch all over the floor. John the janitor is called in to clean up, and he does the unthinkable -- he turns to Jack with a big smile and says, "Hi, son." Jack performs an act of revenge and gets himself into a sticky situation. His punishment is to assist the janitor after school for three weeks. The work is tedious, not to mention humiliating. But there is one perk, janitors have access to keys, keys to secret places....

A young woman and her husband are glad that they gave a stray kitten a home when it saves their lives by alerting them to a gas leak.

Ben and his friend Jill find themselves in danger when they discover the secret history of their Massachusetts school and set out to derail a developer''s plan to level the building to make way for an amusement park.

Publisher Description

Learn facts about numbers, and see one million dots!

A haiku poem about a lovable dog.

Beginning readers will love reading the true story of Norman, a heroic dog who saved a girl at the beach. This Level 1 Ready-to-Read is sure to be a hit with pet lovers! Norman is a dog who cannot see. One day, he is at the beach when he hears a girl in the water calling for help. Can Norman lead the girl to safety? Read all about the heroic rescue in this nonficton Level 1 Ready-to-Read!

Sixth-grader Alton Barnes loves maps, and when his portfolio of secret maps is stolen, he begins getting notes with orders that he must obey to get the maps back but, with the help of a popular classmate, he just might succeed before his teacher, principal, or someone else learns he has been studying and mapping things about them.

Book two in the riviting and mysterious series by the master of the school story, Andrew Clements

As Benjamin Pratt and his friends Jill and Robert continue their efforts to save their school, they find themselves dodging two evil janitors, Lyman and Wally, but their team has also grown and now has a secret fund of millions of dollars.

An angel who was present at the birth of Jesus remembers that very special night, graced by heavenly light and an angelic song like the smile of God.

As every child knows, grandparents are special. Why? Because they love their grandchildren in their own unique way. Although the boy and girl in this story often make mistakes, their grandparents never lose patience, but help their grandchildren and cheer when they get things right. Lyrical, soothing words are paired with warm and humorous pictures in this tribute to the unconditional love every grandparent and grandchild share.

For use in schools and libraries only. When Jim falls through the ice while walking with his two dogs, Tara and Tiree, Tiree tries to rescue him and ends up falling into the frigid water herself. What will happen if Tara tries to help them both? A true story.

When a little boy and his mom go camping, mini-disasters abound, and there are lots of opportunities for Mom to step in and fix everything. But instead, with a loving touch, this mommy shows her child ways to do things for himself, going far to encourage her child’s independence. And there is still plenty of opportunity for snuggling under the stars. This warm and humorous testament to all the loving things a supportive mom does each day is every bit as heartwarming as its predecessor and is sure to become a favorite for families everywhere.

In the long-awaited follow-up to the beloved classic Frindle, a new generation of kids discovers the power of words and imagination – and yes, even screens – to solve a mystery and change their world! “A fitting final work from a master storyteller.”—Kirkus Reviews Josh Willet is a techie, a serious gamer. Which is why Josh and his friends can’t stand Mr. N’s ELA class; it’s a strict no-tech zone. Mr. N makes them write everything out by hand, he won’t use a Smartboard, and he’s obsessed with some hundred-year-old grammar book. Then Josh discovers a secret; turns out Mr. N''s been keeping a lot more than technology from his students! Together with his best friend Vanessa, and using all the computer skills they’ve got, Josh is determined to solve the mystery of Mr. N’s past. And maybe get some screentime back, too? Andrew Clements’s final novel is a timely one—about the importance of language, the changes that come along with technology (good and bad), and how sometimes you have to challenge what you think you know. Set a whole generation later, this novel can be read on its own or alongside Frindle and is destined to become another timeless classic.

The dazzling cut-paper artistry of Caldecott medalist David Wisniewski combines with Andrew Clements''s free-verse celebration of woodworking tools to tell the story of a surprise in the making. The evocative description of each workshop tool-ruler, axe, saw, hammer, and the rest-is accompanied by a vivid, dramatically composed illustration showing how it is used in the step-by-step construction of an ornate, old-fashioned carousel. An eager young apprentice assists one craftsman after another as the project takes shape and is rewarded with a toolbox of his won. Young wood-working enthusiasts will enjoy the affectionate and knowledgeable portraits of familiar tools as well as an acclaimed artist''s vision of the magic simple tools can do.

Jake acts like a class clown in order to cheer his teacher up.

Shrimpy learns that even though he may be small, he can still make a big difference to his friend, Big Al.