Steve Lipkin

Charlie's Lessons Steve Lipkin

In the early1960s, before the counter-culture kicks in ... ... Charlie Hastings in most ways is a pretty normal kid, with one big exception-he can do math like it was a language he was born with. His ability to solve math mysteries helps him not at all, though, when it comes to the much harder problem of figuring out his feelings for Claire Hopkins. He finds the hardest problem he has to solve is to get the love of his life to love him back. Charlie's crush on Claire begins at their fourth grade recital. A would-be clarinet player, Charlie believes Claire's ability to play the flute makes her the real deal. That's when she gives him her ID bracelet to keep because it interferes with her fingers on her flute. For Charlie, at least, this connects the two of them profoundly and permanently. But does Claire feel the same way? Having Claire's ID helps Charlie through the obstacles that threaten his connection with her. He turns shy when she's close, he has to compete with other guys who aren't shy at all, and then personal tragedy changes Claire and leads her to quit her music. When Charlie agrees to help his older sister's best friend pass her math classes, the threat of competition for Charlie's time and interest pushes Claire to act on the feelings for him she has tried to deny.