Alan and his Perfectly Pointy Impossibly Perpendicular Pinky

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Alan and his Perfectly Pointy Impossibly Perpendicular Pinky is based on Justice Alan Page’s real-life experience reading at local elementary schools. Justice Page’s finger was repeatedly injured during his career as a defensive tackle in the NFL, and it eventually quit functioning. It is indeed, perfectly perpendicular, and a continual source of fascination for the students to whom he reads. But that is just part of the story:

Today is an exciting day at Market Elementary School. Minnesota Supreme Court Justice and NFL Hall of Famer Alan Page is visiting. The teachers and students have been busy planning Justice Page’s visit for weeks. All the students are prepared to use their best manners. But a little boy named Booker, who has a knack for asking inappropriate questions at inappropriate times, just can’t hold onto his question any longer. When he finally shouts, “What happened to your pinky?” everyone groans and rolls their eyes. But not Justice Page, who surprises everyone with a smile. Readers of all ages will delight in how one special little boy finds something in common with a big man with an even bigger heart.

This playful story is a reminder to honor our childhood curiosities and keep asking questions.

The book was written collaboratively between Justice Page and his daughter Kamie Page, a second-grade teacher at The Blake School in Minneapolis, and was illustrated by Minneapolis artist David Geister. One hundred percent of the book’s revenue will be used to directly support the Page Education Foundation, which is celebrating 25 years of providing financial support and encouragement for students of color facing incredible barriers to attaining their educational dreams.

About Alan Page and Kamie Page

Alan Page is an Associate Justice on the Minnesota State Supreme Court. He was elected to the Court in 1992 and reelected in 1998, 2004, and 2010. He is currently the Court’s senior justice. Alan was a defensive tackle with the Minnesota Vikings and the Chicago Bears from 1967 through 1981. He was selected as the NFL’s Most Valuable Player in 1971 and elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1988. Alan is an ardent defender of equal education for all children. He is the founder of the Page Education Foundation, founded in 1988, which has awarded more than 8 million dollars in scholarship grants. In 1981, Alan was named one of America’s Ten Outstanding Young Men by the United States Jaycees, and in 1991, he received the National Education Association’s Friend of Education award.

Kamie Page is a second grade teacher with a a bachelor of science in communication from Northwestern University and a master of arts in childhood education from New York University. Outside of the classroom, she spends most of her time with her husband Ben and their two bright and spunky children, Otis and Esther.

About the Page Education Foundation

The Page Education Foundation, started by Alan and Diane Page in 1988, helps Minnesota young people of color in two ways: Page Scholars get financial help for their post-secondary education, and in turn they spend at least fifty hours each year working with schoolchildren as real-life role models for success. Students at all levels of academic achievement can qualify for a Page Scholarship, which is awarded based on an applicant’s educational goals, willingness to work with children, and financial need. Every student has potential, but many need support to realize their dreams. To learn more about the Foundation, visit www.page-ed.org.

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