Andrew Clements has written a number of books for children, including three novels about school life. He taught in public schools near Chicago for seven years before moving east to begin a career in publishing. The idea for Frindle grew out of a talk that he gave to second graders. He says that "Frindle is about discovering the true nature of words, language, thought, community and learning, and about the life that surges through the corridors and classrooms every day." Andrew Clements now writes full-time and lives in central Massachusetts with his wife and their four children.