Dennis and Judy are members of the New Trier class of 1963.  We learned of Dennis's passing from classmate Mary Seifert who also lives in Evanston.

Dennis Fradin 1945-2012

CPS teacher became award-winning children's book author

September 10, 2012|By Joan Giangrasse Kates, Special to the Tribune

As a Chicago Public Schools teacher, Dennis Fradin made up stories to capture his students' imaginations.

"He wrote one story about a little red crayon, which had to figure out a way to make it on its own after melting on a hot summer day," said his wife of 44 years, Judy. "It was such a hit with the kids that he sent it off to a publisher, and an editor loved it and gave him a call."

Soon after, Mr. Fradin was asked to do a prototype for a series of books that publisher was thinking of doing on each state in the United States. He submitted one on his home state of Illinois, and they immediately signed him up to write about the other states.

"He did a stunning job on Illinois, which launched his full-time professional career as an author," his wife said. A writer herself, Judy Bloom Fradin collaborated with her husband on many of his hundreds of nonfiction books that are aimed at children and young adults.

"We liked writing about remarkable African-Americans — particularly African-American women, whose lives were little-known," she said. "Everyone knows Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks, but there are so many others that people should really know about."

Mr. Fradin, 66, a longtime Evanston resident and an award-winning author, died after a yearlong struggle with bone cancer on Wednesday, Aug. 29, at Evanston Hospital.

"Dennis was a brilliant thinker, a vivid storyteller and a lovely human being," said Nancy Feresten, senior vice president of Kids' Publishing and Media at National Geographic Society. "He brought all of these qualities to his nonfiction for children, which was crisp, informative, and, most important of all, moving. It's been a joy and a privilege to work with him."

Born in Chicago, Mr. Fradin was raised in the Rogers Park neighborhood and Wilmette. From an early age, he showed an intense interest in writing.

"He started making up stories when he was about 6 or 7 that his mom would type up," his wife said. "Even then, he had dreams of becoming a writer."

Mr. Fradin's aunt was a novelist and his uncle a cartoonist for the New Yorker, and both supported him in his writing. Yet outside of his own family, everyone seemed to discourage him from becoming a writer, including one of his teachers, his wife said.

"But I knew how determined he was, how stubborn he could be," she said. "He was confident in his own talent."

A graduate of New Trier High School in Winnetka, Mr. Fradin earned a bachelor's degree in English in 1967 from Northwestern University in Evanston. After college, he landed a job teaching second-graders at Faraday Elementary School on the West Side.

"He learned quickly that telling stories was a surefire way to get a child's attention," his wife said.

Even though he left teaching after his writing career took off, Mr. Fradin returned to the classroom, often with his wife, to talk about his work.

"It was a way to promote his books, but also a chance to stay in touch with the children who read them," his wife said.

Mr. Fradin's works were lauded for both their meticulous research and accessibility to young readers, and he delved into subjects ranging from natural disasters ("Earthquakes: Witness to Disaster,") to the American Revolution ("Samuel Adams: The Father of American Independence," "The Boston Tea Party" and "Let It Begin Here! Lexington & Concord: First Battles of the American Revolution").

He also wrote about African-Americans in his books such as "My Family Shall Be Free! The Life of Peter Still," a story about a former slave, as well as "Ida B. Wells: Mother of the Civil Rights Movement," which earned him the Society of Midland Authors Award for young adult nonfiction in 2001.

"I like that he brought to light the stories of so many black American men and women whose lives made such a difference," said longtime friend and neighbor David Bradford, who is African-American. "Dennis was just an extraordinarily well-read man, who you could converse with on any subject."

Mr. Fradin is also survived by two sons, Anthony and Michael; a daughter, Diana Richard; a sister, Lori Polster; and seven grandchildren.

   
Inline Image Not Displayed