9-year-old Alex Olin's guide to being "Cool in Elementary School"
TRAVERSE CITY -- Chapter 21: Girls "There really isn't anything special to making friends with girls that is different than boys... Except girls don't like things that are gross, so you have to be sure not to be gross."
Alex Olin, 9, is a fifth grader at Eastern Elementary school in Traverse City. Since he skipped third grade, his elementary school experience will be shorter than most kids, so Alex decided to leave a few "awesome" tips to future students.
Alex's debut book is called "How to Be Cool in Elementary School: A Fifth-Grader's Guide to Fitting in, Making Friends, and Being Awesome." Alex covers everything from bullies to keeping a positive attitude to standing out and, of course, he includes an "awesome" chapter on girls.
Other than writing, Alex plays piano and studied acting at Interlochen Arts Camp. He is a member of his school's cross country and track teams, and runs 5K races. Alex is a history buff (specializing in U.S Presidents) and loves telling political jokes.
Chapter 13: If You Can't Win, Be Funny Instead "If you're not the best at something, you can find other ways to stand out," Alex writes. "Try to think of a way to be interesting."
After second grade, Alex switched schools. At the end of Alex's fourth grade year, Alex's parents were pleasantly surprised to learn from their son's teachers, that Alex had become quite the "rockstar" of the fourth grade. So, they asked Alex how he managed to go from the "new kid" to being "awesome" and popular. This book was Alex's response.
To see Alex's charming interview, click on the video above.
If you'd like to purchase Alex's book "How to Be Cool in Elementary School," go to Amazon.com! It's available for just $6.99!
