BRONX, N.Y., March 4, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- A junior high nerd longs to go to the school dance with the beautiful, popular girl of his dreams, but he thinks he needs a style overhaul to get her attention. Curtis Easley and sixth grade illustrator Corey R. Easley tell a fun story about identity and acceptance in a new book for young readers, The Coolest Nerd (now available through 1stBooks).
"The Coolest Nerd presents an extremely valuable lesson to its preteen and adolescent readers. Youth in this age group struggle with the problem of identity and whether or not they will be accepted by their peers. In the case of The Coolest Nerd, readers will see that accepting one's self leads to the acceptance of others," author Easley said.
The Coolest Nerd follows the exploits of Chuck, an intelligent seventh grader who is picked on and bullied on a daily basis. When he is not avoiding bullies, his mind is focused on Shannon, a pretty girl with braids in his class who is on the student council with him. He thinks she is too pretty and popular to ever go on a date with him, but when the school plans to hold a dance, he sees this as a perfect opportunity to make his move. His friends, however, think he is out of his mind. They believe she is out of his league, and they make him a bet that he can't win a date to the dance.
He accepts the challenge, but, in his mind, he agrees. In the hopes of wooing her, he changes his style to fit one he thinks she would like better. Taking ideas from television, Chuck tries to urbanize his speech and his wardrobe, which mainly consists of plaid and high water slacks. The new Chuck tries to play it cool, but he keeps striking out. However, he has to do something soon before the girl of his dreams ends up on another boy's arm.
With detailed illustrations by Corey R. Easley, The Coolest Nerd is a fun and relevant story that teaches readers about the value of self.
Curtis Easley was born and raised in the Bronx and always found listening to people more intriguing than talking. He has a strong interest in filmmaking and works as a fifth grade teacher in the Bronx, where he finds inspiration daily.
"There are many stories that unfold before my eyes during the course of a normal day. As a writer, I am very fortunate to be in such a fertile place," he says.
The Coolest Nerd is his first book.
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