Clarence's big secret
(Book)

"A powerful story about the importance of reading, and how it is never too late to learn something new Clarence Brazier has a secret. One big enough to keep for almost one hundred years. When Clarence was a boy, he was smart and hardworking and always lots of help on the family farm. He was excited when he turned six and had his first day of school. But, being tall for his age, he was mistaken for a third grader and asked to spell his name in front of the whole one-room school. Of course, Clarence didn't know how to read or write yet and, embarrassed by the other children's teasing, he ran out of the school, all the way home. He didn't go back, and didn't learn to read. That was Clarence's big secret. Clarence's smarts and good work ethic meant he always had a job, but still, his secret held him back. Whenever he was offered a promotion that would require reading and writing, he would quit and change jobs, afraid that his secret would be exposed. His wife Angela was the only person who knew his secret, and she did all the reading and writing for the two of them. Angela died when Clarence was almost 100 years old. Heartbroken over his loss, and unable to manage tasks that require the ability to read, such as shopping, Clarence decided it was finally time to make a change. He revealed his secret to one of his daughters, a former schoolteacher who offered to teach him to read, and declared him the best (and oldest!) student she ever had. For the remaining years of his life, Clarence read and read and read. He became a literacy advocate, visiting schools and talking to kids about the importance of reading. He proved that it's never too late to learn something new, even something so big."--,Provided by publisher.

650L,Lexile