Module 7: Frindle

Book Cover Image

Summary

Nick is the mastermind of his 5th grade class. By the end of Frindle, Nick becomes the mastermind of the country. It all begins with Mrs. Granger's English class. She's known for her love for the dictionary and her two plain suits, which she wears everyday. After being told words are made up by humans and can become a word when a person says they are word, Nick's master plan to change the word pen to frindle spreads like wildfire. Even a local town businessman has begun making pens named Frindle's. But, Mrs. Granger will not allow it. It becomes like a game. Only one can win. Mrs. Granger or Nick and all the others now calling a pen a frindle. Finally, once all the hype has died down and 10 years have passed, Nick is rich and a resolution between he and Mrs. Granger have come to the surface. 

APA Reference

Clements, A. (1996). Frindle. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Edition. 

My Impressions

I read this one to my 3rd grade class this year. They now call a pen...yep...you guessed it. A frindle. I love the comparison to a chess game. It evoked a great deal of conversation with my students as some are in the chess club on campus. This book show's students that they have the potential to make changes in the world no matter what their age is. I loved the connection to college, as he had his fund available by the time he was 21 years old. Frindle shows Nick having good character even when he started a revolution in which all who take part do not always show good character. 

Professional Review

Ten-year-old Nick Allen has a reputation for devising clever, time-wasting schemes guaranteed to distract even the most conscientious teacher. His diversions backfire in Mrs. Granger’s fifth-grade class, however, resulting in Nick being assigned an extra report on how new entries are added to the dictionary. Surprisingly, the research provides Nick with his best idea ever, and he decides to coin his own new word. Mrs. Granger has a passion for vocabulary, but Nick’s (and soon the rest of the school’s) insistence on referring to pens as “frindles” annoys her greatly. The war of words escalates--resulting in after-school punishments, a home visit from the principal, national publicity, economic opportunities for local entrepreneurs, and, eventually, inclusion of frindle in the dictionary. Slightly reminiscent of Avi’s Nothing but the Truth (1991), this is a kinder, gentler story in which the two sides eventually come to a private meeting of the minds and the power of language triumphs over both. Sure to be popular with a wide range of readers, this will make a great read-aloud as well. (Reviewed Sept. 1, 1996)— Kay Weisman

Weisman, K. (1996). Booklist.

Library Uses

Students can create words or learn more about the origin of words.