Frindle

ok so muy friend is a nerd! lol and she wanted a book for her birthday i decided to purches it for her 20th birthday! she read it and told me she hated it ,and that it was probuly the most boring book she has ever read AND SHE HAS READ A LOT OF BOOKS

When my friends read this in elementary school, it was kind of a silly book about some obnoxious kid who decided he didn't like the word "pen." Now, I'm looking at a list of recent Merriam-Webster additions, and thinking about the uproar that comes every time they add something like "dumpster fire" or "FOMO" or "blockchain" -- or when someone uses "they" as a singular pronoun.

Yeah, the book is funny, it's silly, but Clements absolutely thought through every single result of this little word-experiment: an entrepreneur trademarks the word, Nick second-guessed his later ideas, Nick gets on the David Letterman show... None of it felt unrealistic, because even in such a [relatively] short book, every consequence of "frindle" was at least mentioned. And actually, I laughed at the David Letterman thing because it seemed far-fetched, but then I remembered Ellen, and it didn't seem so ridiculous.

I have little-to-no patience for explanation (or even buildup-to-action) in most books, and I almost deducted a star since it took quite a while for "frindle" to even be mentioned, but I do think the first several chapters were important to show Nick's character and demonstrate some of his other big ideas. (I loved the beach thing!)

All Nick's ideas -- particularly the lunch-boycott one -- were also a great, only slightly heavy-handed lesson on how kids can spark change. I guess the whole book sort of shows that, but  the town having the best school-lunch program in the state  spells it out most clearly. Besides this just being a cute book and an interesting read (even for an adult!), that message is why my hypothetical future children are probably going to read Frindle too.

Surprising no one but myself, I got a little bit emotional at the end of this book, too. The last lines... I can't. There could not have been a more perfect ending to this book.

Since my review is threatening to be longer than the book, I'll end it there, but: yeah. Read this book, even if you're a Real Adult who doesn't care about "kids' books."

This school-based (realistic?) fiction starts off slowly. It begins to get more interesting by Chapter 6. For several additional short chapters the reader experiences a senseless but tense tussle between students and teachers at Lincoln Elementary--all started by fifth grader, Nick Allen, who has been a class clown (from grade four) and a student-crowd manipulator and challenger of school authority. He manages to raise the ire of his strict teacher, Mrs. Granger, with whom he locks horns over what may seem a silly issue to many readers. By Chapter 14, near the end of this tale, both Allen and Granger seem to have mellowed. Chapter 15, though is the surprise: Both former adversaries come to greatly appreciate each other and the story ends on a positive and emotional note.

My further assessment is that Nick Allen, at worst, is a kid who likes getting one over on teachers and drawing attention to himself. At best, he's a questioner of the status quo: WHY are things as they are? One can't say for sure, but he's probably a little of both. Interest-wise, for most of the book I simply (patiently?) persisted in reading to the end, mostly because I had read another Clements book I liked, NO TALKING--also dealing with school-student-controlled behavior. This volume is not a strong candidate for reading aloud, but can certainly be recommended as a solo read. The best chapter is the last one--a turnaround of sorts for the characters--almost tempting me to rate the book higher than a C+. Almost.

The Creative Teacher: Activities for Language Arts (Grades 4 through 8 and Up)

This book was a great little read. It came as a recommendation from another blog. I do not recall reading any books by Andrew Clements, and most of his books were written after 1995 when I started keeping track. But there was something familiar about the story. The writing is highly entertaining.

Nick Allen is a very intelligent boy, and he seems to have a knack for stirring up trouble even though he does not intend to be a troublemaker. This book focuses mostly around his fifth grade year. Without intending to he ends up in a battle with Mrs. Granger. This is a war that goes on from the first day of school until the end of the year. And it is a war or words, or more specifically a war about words. After giving a report, an extra assignment, on dictionaries Nick comes up with the plan to eliminate the word pen and replace it with Frindle.

The characters are well done. One can't help cheering for Nick and wishing against the Granger. And once words are set loose they cannot be taken back and that is what happens to Nick. By the time his parents become aware of the situation he cannot take the word back, it has a life of its own. The story gets more and more complicated, spreading from Nick's class to all grade 5's, to the whole school and soon the whole nation.

This was a wonderful book to read. I have put it to the top of the summer reading list for my oldest to read with her, and then to have her read to her younger siblings. It is the type of story that teaches a great lesson, has some fun but also looks at the seriousness of our actions and the consequences they can have. This book was so good I have already picked up a few others by Clements to read with the kids. I highly recommend this book.

Frindle is the winner of twenty-two state awards, including the Christopher Award. How does it relate to writing? Frindle stars a teacher who is fanatic about words and a student who tries to invent a new word.

What do I like about Frindle? I feel sympathy for Nick, who didn’t plan to start a fad that would gain statewide attention but instead simply wished to waste enough time in class that there would be no time for assignments. Nick is not a good kid or a bad kid but just a kid with penchant for trouble because of all his creative ideas. The rest of the characters are just as true to life too, in that young people like to make up words, group together, rebel against rules, and follow fads. I can easily believe that Nick’s classmates would agree to stop calling the object we write with a “pen” and instead to start calling it a “frindle”. When their initiative leads to disciplinary action, I can also easily accept that Nick and his classmates would rebel against this perceived unfairness and insist on using their new word to the bitter end. I also enjoyed the portrayal of the fifth-grade teacher, whose love of structure led her to forbid the use of the word “frindle,” despite her being the one who students to fall for words in the first place.

Is there anything I don’t like about Frindle? No, but I will caution that the story requires a suspension of disbelief, in that Nick’s actions not only leads to a revolution in all the local schools but catches the attention of businesses and the media. Also, the resolution doesn’t happen until after Nick graduates, and is fabulous but also larger than life.

Genre: Realistic Fiction Day Published: October 1996 Author: Andrew Clements
in the story Frindle a boy named Nick Allen replaces the word pen with frindle. His teacher Mrs. Granger gets mad at the students that say the word frindle so if someone had said the word frindle they would get a detention. Then one day a reporter makes an article in the newspaper about Nick and the word frindle. Then the news comes to Nick and Mrs. Granger’s house. Soon Nick becomes famous and makes lots of money off the word frindle. Finally, ten years later, Mrs. Granger sends a package to Nick with a dictionary in it. There is a note on the dictionary that says turn to the page with words that start with fr. Nick goes to the page and finds the word frindle.
I like the book because it is funny and at the end it is very cute. I don’t like the book because in some parts Mrs. Granger is very rude. Those are the reasons that I like and do not like the book Frindle.

My name is Gabby Major I'm in 4th grade and I'm 10 years old. But that's not the point. Frindle in my opinion is a great book, if you want to have a laugh. Well Nick was a jokester a trouble maker and a curious mind and this is his story. When Nick was in 3 grade he made a classroom paradise. The teacher liked it and so did the kids, but not the principal Mrs. Chatmin.

Then, in 4th grade it was reading time and he was reading about birds and he thought his teacher looked like a hawk. So he let out a peep like a bird. The teacher thought it was Janet. Janet is Nicks friend. At recess Nick told Janet that he made that peep, Janet wasn't mad. Janet and Nick shared making peeps. The teacher started to get mad. The teacher never fond how did it.

Then, 5th grade came around. The roomers were true, Mrs. Grander gave that look like she's looking into your sole. Nick tried to stall to get no homework but Mrs. Grander knew what he was doing. Mrs. Grander loved dictionary's so Nick asked how did all those words get in the big dictionary. She sad "that's a good question Nick do you all want to know "yeah" then Nick you can do a report about it and bring it in tomorrow. To find out more information

I think you should buy the book I recommend it.

Tony Alan

Ms. Shine

3rd Period

May 12, 2017

An Amazing Book

Frindle by Andrew Clements is a must read! It is a fiction book that has you hooked throughout the book. The plot is exciting when you meet Nick, his friends, family and his teacher. And the reader gets to know what Nick likes to do in his free time. Nick is the older brother in his family and he's the prankster in the school.
There are lots of things in this book a kid would understand. The first thing is strict teachers like Ms. Granger. “Everyone was sure that Ms Granger had X-ray vision. Don’t even think about chewing a piece of gum 50 feet of her. If you did, Miss. Granger would see you and catch you and make you stick the gum onto a bright yellow index card. Then she would safety-pin the card to the front of the shirt, and you would have to wear it for the rest of the school day after that, you had to take it home and have your mom or dad sign the card, and bring it back to Ms. Granger the next day.” (page 8) She scares all the kids even the ones reading the book!

The second thing kids will understand is the long boring homework assignments.”Nick had to do a little report the next day. Plus copy out all the definitions for thirty five words. For Ms.Granger.” (page 17) This shows how much each night's homework will be for Nick and it makes the reader feel sorry for him.
The third thing kids will understand is his friends. “ Later when Ms. Granger left the classroom for a minute Nick and all his friends went and turned the classroom into a beach. The floors were covered in sand there was a volleyball net made out of boys shirts and all the kids changed into their swimming suits. There was girls doing the hula hoop, but when Ms. Granger walked in she was happy and surprised and wanted to hula hoop.” This shows Nick and his friends having fun and the readers reading the book.
In conclusion this book was a 4 out of 5 star book because it had everything I expected But the reason it didn't have 5 stars was because in the beginning it wasn't that interesting to me but that's just my opinion.

A fun story! I admire the author's skill to take such a simple sounding idea and make such a fun and entertaining story. I thought Mrs. Granger was wonderful as the book's villain and then hero. The description of her grey and her blue uniforms cracked me up. I loved the part where Nick thinks of his mother as his white queen in his game of strategy with Mrs. Granger. I loved it that Nick had real repercussions from the episode and that Mrs. Granger helped him escape that trap with some kind and thoughtful words. I thought it was very funny that Nick's dad was overwhelmed by the whole thing and just made a deal he didn't fully check out first. It was fun to read about how Nick spent his money later and how generous he was with his family and Mrs. Granger as well as what he bought for himself. I would love to read another story about Nick in high school or college or in his first job. I am sure he won't find another mentor as talented as Mrs. Granger. Maybe Mrs. Granger deserves her own second story? Well worth the time invested to read. Fun for parents and kids.

Hey I am a 10 year old 4th grader who read this wonderful book with my friends. We were in a wonderful book club. This book is about this boy name Nick has a strict teacher who has the name of Mrs.Granger. In 4th grade Nick didn't enjoy his 4th grade year so he did something bad. He pored 10 cups of sand in his class room. I'm am just sad that I finished this great book. At picture the class made the teacher shocked and a little mad that they used the word frindle instead of cheese. When Nick was in 5th grade he changed alittle. When he got out of the zoo he went to class and then pictured his teacher with a bird nose. I pictured it a little funny. It was a cool, great, and a friendship book. The teacher at first did not like the word frindle then she loved it. She was happy at the end that she received a wonderful gift from the kids that were in her class.

This was our latest audio book in the car. After listening to all five of the Gregor the Underlander books it was time for something shorter and less involved. This one was less than two hours long, but told an engaging story that had my children thinking and asking questions and was a nice change of pace. Nick Allen has a reputation for questioning authority and getting other students interested. He is also very good at getting teachers off track. When he tries this with his new fifth grade language arts teacher it backfires on him and he ends up with an extra report to do before the class about the topic of his question. When he decides to invent a new word it spirals out into the community and the country in ways he never could have imagined.

My children loved that "frindle" meant pen and my two year old repeated it every time we heard it in the story. Even though the age range was 8 to 12, my four year old had no trouble following the story. I'm thinking part of the age range is the age of child who would be able to independently read the book, not comprehend it. Part of what captivated my children so much was that someone not much older than they are could do something that would be noticed by the whole country. I think it is hard for children and even adults to imagine doing something worthy of national attention, as Nick's creation of a new word was. News stories were done locally and then blossomed to national news. He became famous for using what he learned in school to create a new word.

In college I read one of Clements books for a class, The Landry News, and I recall enjoying it. But I never got around to reading any of his other books. I think I am going to have to look for them since my children enjoyed this one so much.

I decided to read this as a 'freetime' book, and after the greater part of an hour, I had finished the book. It draws you in like bait to a fish. I loved every second of it, but when I put down the cover I realized something: Where was the twist? This kid just gets to become a millionaire just because of saying 'frindle' instead of 'pen'... where's the obstacle? All I could see were business tycoons making deals and little Nick becoming rich. It's a success story with no real successes to account for.

Is th book worth buying? 100%. But I think you'll find that as you go along, Nick really is in Candyland after all.

Also, this book came out a year before Harry Potter did, so don't think Mrs. Granger is just a sick rip-off of Hermione.

well the way i found this book was simple
i was in grade 4 and had to find books at my lexile reading level so my mum downloaded some books at the right level and that i had to read them all i read this book third becaus i thaught that it would be boring but when i had finished the chapter i coul not stop reading it was so exiting this is how the story goes

a boy in 5th grade called nick is a troublemaker and he makes up a new word frindle this word is used insted of pen hi engelish teacher does not like the word inxthe end the word "frindle" is added to the dictionary
when he gets older he becomes a very rich and famous man

this is a great novel
Lucy Bryden age 10 grade 5

Why exactly I picked out this book?
The cover looks interesting enough and of course, the word Frindle was the decision maker of why I've picked up this particular book without second thoughts. I really wanted to know what Frindle is actually as well.

My Thoughts
Nicholas 'Nick' Allen has alot of ideas, most of them is to avoid getting homework from his teachers. Come to fifth grade where he finally meets his match, Mrs. Granger, who can't be budge from her intentions of giving them homework and assignments.

Sprouting an idea, Nick decided to test the waters on word play, unintentionally fuel by Mrs. Granger. He started calling pens 'Frindle'. He got his close friends to join him on this particular task. Mrs. Granger doesn't seem to like the idea, and decided to challenge him. The word however has a life of it's own. Much later, Frindle run all over the town,. Nick has no power to stop it in any other way. His experiment was a success but it brought him trouble.

This is a great story for anybody would would like humor and sort of a challenge. Nick definitely promotes great ideas to improve life and actually find ways to make it work. That would give out any encouragement for anybody that good ideas, if initiate properly, with good planning, and of course with long thoughts would end up as a success!

I would love to see this book add up as a reading requirement for any reading list for any schools. It is fun, I actually laugh out loud at some parts and of course, motivate anybody who read it.

Librarian Muse
Ok! Dear fellow librarians, get a copy of this book or recommend this book to your students and fellow teachers! This would actually be a one of the popular read amongst your student if you actually promote this book to them

My daughter's 4th grade class read 'Frindle' which is how I 'discovered' it. Now why I didn't know about it before, I can't say. I mean this book has won over 20 awards world-wide.

The story is about 5th Grader, Nick Allen. He's an imaginative small town boy, but that doesn't lead to trouble until he invents a word-- Frindle. A 'frindle' is just another word for pen but it's invention sets off a battle of will with Nick's grim teacher, Mrs. Granger -- a woman seriously devoted to the dictionary. Matters between them escalate as news of the new word spreads and matters get seriously out of control. As the conflict escalates, Nick has to figure out whether he will stick up for what he believes or cave to the pressure that is put on him. He and various other people in the small town also need to determine how they will deal with all the press.

Talking Points:::
Frindle is an amazing book that has changed my whole perspective about what can be accomplished by a book for elementary aged kids. I'm afraid I've read so many books for this age group that basically little more than shallow adventures or chicklit for smallfry. But here is a book that not only has humor and light human drama, but also gives kids insight into how The 4th Estate (the Press) works, and how words originate and evolve.

The writing is easy and the plot moves ahead speedily. There's a good deal of humor, and I thought it was particularly funny that Nick ended up on the Tonight Show. The ending with Mrs. Granger and Nick is touching and sweet.

The characters are fleshed out and interesting.

The age range for this book will depend on the child, of course. It's written at AR (accelerated reading) level 5.6 It can be read to younger children.

Pam T~
mom and reviewer at BooksforKids-reviews
(1060)

My name is Evelyn from Chalker Elementary School. I am doing this review for my ELA extension activity. I loved the book Frindle. I thought in the beginning that Nick would do bad things in school the entire book, but it turns out that he just made up a silly word that turned into a international word that everyone used. I couldn't believe when he was in college 10 years later and Mrs. Granger had sent him the envelope and a gift. I was shocked. One way I felt while reading was surprised. I felt surprised when ALL of the kids at Lincoln Elementary School was using the word 'frindle' and over 200 kids stayed after school for using the world. I also felt emotional at the end when he was all grown up, in college and Mrs. Granger gave him a gift and the envelope he signed 10 years earlier. Also, I felt emotional when he sent a Christmas gift to her when she was about to retire and he was in college. So emotional! That's how I felt while reading Frindle and how I felt about the book in general. :)

I enjoyed this book because it has some action and some calm spots. I would recommend this book to another classmate because I would like to know their opinion about this book. I thought Nick and Mrs. Granger were really good characters. My favorite part was the beginning when Nick had a substitute teacher in 3rd grade. Nick threw a beach party and that teacher got in trouble. I liked the ending because Nick and Mrs. Granger were happy and because Mrs. Granger sent Nick a letter. Then Nick sent a letter to Mrs. Granger. I liked it when Nick and Janet were playing the game Who could last the longest on the curb. Then Janet found the pen on the ground. Nick named the pen Frindle when he picked it up. I liked a chapter name, it was called And the winner is...
I liked it because I think it is a cliff hanger. I liked one page for a picture because there was a sign behind Mrs. Granger that said, "Use a Dictionary!" I liked that Mrs. Granger has a word of the day for L.A. One chapter I loved because Nick thought the word war was over, but Mrs. Granger said it wasn't. Nick said, "It isn't?" That cracked me up. I liked how on the last chapter it skipped through Nicks teens. I liked another chapter name, it is called, "Mightier than the Sword".
This book kept me entertained throughout the whole thing. I would recommend this book for ages 9-12.

Things. Ideas. Words. Dictionaries. How do words for ideas and things get into the dictionary? The answer is Mrs. Granger's enduring lesson for forty-five years of students, with one student standing out above the rest--Nick Allen who invents the word "frindle."

Parents, this is a great gift idea for your child's teacher. If she is a good teacher, she will feel complimented. If she lacks, she will wonder what message you are conveying. Every child needs a Mrs. Granger--strict, demanding, rule-bound, perhaps a bit boring, but challenging. It's the challenge that gifted children like Nick Allen need.

"Frindle" is the story of a challenge, of a gauntlet thrown down--respectfully--and picked up by Mrs. Granger. It is a contest, fair and courteous, between wills. Can Nick use the word "frindle" for pen, or not? When Mrs. Granger tells the class that "we"--everyone--put the words in the dictionary, Nick decides to create his own word. What results is one of those things with a life of its own--once released, it grows exponentially each time it hits a new medium.

This book is a prime example of teaching critical thinking, of thinking outside the box--way outside, so outside that it becomes one of those rolling balls that grow and grow and grow. Well, you get my point?

One little old lady teacher, one very bright fifth-grader work at odds with each other and the result is huge changes that neither anticipated.

Ambiguity is the order here to prevent spoilers. How that one word, frindle, becomes a life-altering dynamo is the stuff dreams are made of. Or classic books.

Very highly recommended for all ages!

Frindle by Andrew Clements is a fast moving book that you can read in a day. I loved this book and even laughed out loud at some of Nick's antics. He would be a blast to have in class, but I am not sure that all the teachers out there would enjoy it in quite the same way. Although Nick likes to get into a little trouble, he really just likes to have a good time. I thought he was easy to relate to as the book progressed because he is smart and has some very imaginative ideas. Frindle is a book that can be enjoyed by boys and girls from third grade through sixth grade. I think older kids and adults may find this book to be entertaining, especially if they like the English language and vocabulary words. I am amazed at how the author created such a unique term! I liked that the book was full of surprises all the way up until the end. The drawings that were included throughout the book also helped to make the story come to life and I had a great time examining them. Pick up this book and you will not be disappointed!

TO KIDS looking for a great book: My eight- to eleven-year-old grandchildren say this is the best book they've ever read! It's about a typical fifth grade boy, full of imagination, who matches wits with a strict, elderly teacher who loves words and dictionaries. When he asks her who decides that the word "dog" means the thing that wags its tail, her answer is "You do." Nick then leads his friends in a plan to change the word "pen" to "frindle." Soon all the kids at his school say they are using "frindles," not pens. The word "frindle" catches on beyond Nick's school, and "frindle" soon spreads across the country. What happens to Nick, who attracts a lot of attention, and Mrs. Granger, the teacher who opposes him in the "frindle" plan, is funny, exciting, and different from anything you've ever read.

TO ADULTS looking for good kids' reading: Not only is this a terrific story, sure to capture the imagination, it is also a story which teaches important ideas about words, dictionaries, communication, and how the mass media of national TV, newspapers, and magazines influence the acceptance of words and ideas. As "frindle" spreads rapidly throughout the country, it begins to be used in marketing and advertising, and kids reading the book see indirectly how these fields depend on trends--and the latest and most popular words--to sell products. The personal relationship of Nick and Mrs. Granger, his teacher, is presented sensitively, and a follow-up at the end, when Nick is an adult, gives a grand conclusion to this creative and delightful story about learning and communication. Mary Whipple

Clements always gets a lot of thought provoking ideas into his books, but this one really is sort of amazing. In a few pages we learn about how fifth graders think, how good teachers think, how school administrators circle wagons, how parents offer or withhold support and encouragement, how fads propagate, and how middle school works.

You can quibble about individual characters - why is Dad so weak, why is the businessman who cashes in on frindles so generous, why is Nick so glib, and so on, but those are quibbles. This is a book that can just be read and enjoyed as a school days chapter book, or it can be a taking off point for discussions about academic freedom, respectful conflict with authority, civil disobedience, friendship, parenting, or any number of other issues.

How can you ask for more from a chapter book? (Oh, by the way, the the store spell checker highlighted "frindles" as not a word.)

Frindle tells the story of what happens when you take an average, unremarkable, fifth grade boy with "plenty" of ideas and put him in a class with a dictionary-loving language-person teacher. After Nick Allen's class-time-wasting, homework-dodging-plan bombs during Mrs. Granger's Language Arts class, he thinks back to his toddler days when everyone understood that the word, "gwagala," in Nick jargon, meant "music." While considering the possibilities, "frindle" pops into his head (and out of his mouth) as a prospective synonym for "pen" as he picks up a dropped ballpoint version and hands it to a classmate. His friends are ready and willing to jump on the new-word-using bandwagon, promising en masse to use his word and encouraging others to do the same. The harder he pushes the new word, the more Mrs. Granger digs in her heals, assigning detention for anyone who uses the word so that they can write one hundred times, "I am writing this punishment with a pen." She goes so far as to write and seal a letter that he's to receive in the future, whose purpose appears to be to confirm that she was right about the word not being dictionary worthy. Much to Mrs. Granger's chagrin, Nick becomes a local celebrity.

To summarize without spoiling, Frindle is an original story for kids with a not-to-be-missed ending, about a persistent boy, a savvy teacher, friendship and the power of words. Put it on your reading list in ink, and use a frindle!

Nick Allen isn't a troublemaker, he isn't extremely bright or extremely dumb, either. But he DOES have a fertile imagination and an uncanny gift to "stump the dummy" as we say in educational circles: ask that PERFECT question at JUST the right time during class that will make the teacher go off-track and waste time.
Well, that is, he's able to do that until he meets up with Mrs. Granger, the language arts teacher of his elementary school. Mrs. G. is something of a filtration system, or perhaps a gatekeeper: you want to go to middle school? You've got to go through HER and her class!! An early attempt to get The Lone Granger off-task and into the proverbial weeds (in an attempt to avoid getting a boring homework assignment) by asking her how words get into the dictionary only succeeds in earning him a research project on the very topic. Mrs. G is not a force to be trifled with.
In another attempt to derail the rushing train of language arts education, he asks WHY words mean what they do?? Very simple: words mean what they do because collections of people AGREE that they have that meaning. On a walk home from school, inspiration strikes: what if one was to call a pen something else... Something like "frindle"?? What would happen then??
You can, of course, just imagine. Like most catchy slang, "frindle" spreads like a virus among the 5th grade, and within a couple of chapters, the school, the town, the state and even the NATION is calling pens frindles. What's even MORE important is that no one seems to REMEMBER the word "pen" anymore, and most folk don't care, either.
"Frindle" incorporates all of the fine elements of young adult fiction: it's believable enough to draw readers in immediately; it's got the conflict of Good vs. Evil (Nick vs. his teacher, ol' Mrs. G); and it has the Clever Kid who Puts One Over On the Stodgy Grownups.
Of course, what's more is that "Frindle" can oh-so-easily lend itself to Serious Discussion about etymology, slang, and word usage. English is perhaps one of the most vivid, fluid and fastest growing of the world's spoken tongues, and yet most students find the study of it dry, tasteless and booooring. "Frindle", in addition to being a fine read, is a great way to get kids thinking!!
Read this book!!

Frindle is a great book, I gave this book 5 stars because I just fell in love with it, I fell in love with it because there is a teacher named Mrs.Granger and she can't stand a word Nick made up "Frindle" but she actually loved it the whole time because ten years later when Nick was in college she sent him a letter and a pen with the word frindle writen on it, if you want to know what frindle means and the rest of the story you will have to read this wonderful book. Oh and I almost forgot ther's a huge suprise in the middle.~Cookies N' Cream

I give this book five stars because I couldn't stop reading it. I loved this book especialy because Mrs.Granger loved the word in fact she cherished it but never told. Nicholas Allen made up this funny word. If you need an inspiring book you should read Frindle. It's the dictionary that tells Nick about making up a word and it is Mrs. Granger that fights him every step of the way. There is a fun suprise 10 years later from Nick's 6th grade teacher Mrs. Granger. Now you must read this book! The author did a great job making me want to read on he created a page turned with this book. P.S. A frindle is a pen. ~Lilly

I am a College student who is going to school for Early Childhood Education. My Literature for Children class assigned me this book and I had a great time reading it and creating a project to present to my class about this novel. Pretty easy read for a college senior but none the less I laughed at all the right places and wanted to be in tears by the end. I definitely look forward to reading it to a future group of students.

I read this book to my Kindergartner who is a bit of a word-junkie. She just loved it. I thought the tension between the characters was really well-done, and unlike previous negative reviews, I didn't think there was a glaring lack of consequences for Nick. He was really a genuinely inquisitive kid who was a little bored with the hum drum of every day school. So he spices things up a bit with his little stunt.

Mrs. Granger, Nick's teacher, does not appreciate Nick's deviations and so, a 'war' ensues. But, it is one in which both sides have respect for their adversaries. Mrs. Granger's character is particularly well done and the reader finds him/herself admiring her pluck as well as her respect for the use of language and ultimately, the education of her charges.

I read some reviews that criticize the apparent lack of consequencess and I thought they were short-sighted. Nick, through this experience, is shaped and groomed and finds the one teacher who impacts him more than any other in his educational career. You can almost hear him tell stories to his kids and grandkids about Mrs. Granger and their battles.

I have purchased this book several times for gifts and will probably continue to do so. It has some good talking points, and is extremely creative. I haven't read other books by this author yet, but plan to do so in the near future.

The first time I read this book was actually as a graduate student in a children's literature class. At the time, I was still familiarizing myself with children's trade books, and this is one whose appeal eluded me. Frindle is the story of a kid who all of a sudden one day decides words are arbitrary and begins calling a pen a frindle. Soon all of his friends and all the kids in school are calling pens frindles and it snow balls from there. At the heart of the story is his teacher, who is against the whole thing and forbids use of the word in her classroom. The story follows the kid all the way into adulthood, and the best part of the book does not come until the end, when he has a final interaction with his teacher.

Note to the reader: this review has made-up words.

Have you ever wanted to change your school? Your community? Or the world? Well, if you have wanted to, then you should DEFINITELY read the book "Frindle." This 105-page book by Andrew Clements will not "boredom" you because it's totally "unexpectable." Nick is a 5th grader who gets into a word war with his glaring grey-eyed teacher, Mrs. Granger. The 2 main characters battle over Nick's rebellious attitude and Mrs. Granger's strict rules. It will blow the minds of anyone 2nd grade or higher! We hope we've encouraged you to put your "Frindle" away and read this book.
(Written by Mrs. L's Grade 2 Class)

Clements writes a funny and fast-paced story about a 5th grader named, Nick Allen. Nick Allen is a typical, �class clown,� always trying to distract his teachers. One day, Nick�s Language Arts teacher, Mrs. Granger, teaches the students about the dictionary and the origin of words. This strikes Nick�s interest in coming up with his own word. Nick begins to call a ball point pen a frindle, and before long his friends are using the word. The word, frindle, does not stop there; instead it spreads like wild fire among the school and even the town. The teachers are outraged by the popularity of the word that Nick made up. Even Mrs. Granger gives out detentions because of the word, frindle. Mrs. Granger and Nick continue to butt heads throughout the book, until finally they learn to appreciate one another. Will the popularity of the word, frindle land it a spot in the dictionary?
I enjoyed Clements clever and witty book, �Frindle.� Children would find this book hard to put down, like I did, with its constant and easy to understand humor. They can read about a boy who takes on his teacher, his school and the world in a way, with his word invention. He is a student that is ordinarily seen as the class clown, who chooses to go against the grain. Although, he may have invented the word out of pure orneriness, he did prove to be very determined and persistent in keeping the word in circulation. This book will encourage the reader, no matter what their role is in the classroom.
Although some of the situations in the book seem wild and highly unrealistic as an adult, kids would be easily captivated by them. The majority of the book seems very realistic and also very easy for children to relate to. A good number of children have probably tired to invent a word or an object at some point in their life, so this story will hit home for them. If not, the mischief and ornery nature of Nick Allen will indeed hit home.

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.

Frindle by Andrew Clements is a powerful children's novel for a different reason than most other children's books I've read recently. This book proves the power of authentic learning for students. It is about a boy named Nick who is a class clown and loves to challenge teachers. Nick unintentionally makes a huge impact on his class, school, community and eventually his country based on a silly prank. It was hard for me to engage myself with this book at first because the storytelling is straight and to-the-point without much of a challenge in terms of language and vocabulary (even at the intermediate elementary level). The powerful message that the book encompasses makes the reading of this novel worthwhile. The novel empowers students to understand that it is possible to make a difference in this world. I think this would be a great book for a student to read as a "break" from character studies, figurative language studies and many other academic purposes, just to allow them to focus on and appreciate the author's message.

A new favorite at our house! Very engaging, and enjoyed by our children ages 5,8,10, and 12. We prefer the version narrated by John Fleming, but any format of Frindle is s good one.
Parent, homeschooling mom notes:
-I liked the balance of standing for something without being disrespectful or ugly.
-Makes the dictionary a new and interesting topic.

You should read Frindle because it's a really good book and you could not stop reading cause it's a great book. The main character is Nick Allen and he made up the word frindle. There were some twists and turns in the story that i just want to read more. I like that always Nick annoys his teacher. Like he says the word frindle to annoy his teacher and he put sand on the floor. Mrs. Granger was always on Nicks side. I recommend this book. It is a every funny book and I really liked this book Frindle. If you read it you will fall in love with it.

Frindle Book Review

Frindle is a funny and inspiring book. It tells a story of a fifth grade boy named Nick. Nick just wants something to happen in his small town. Then, he and his friends form a group to fight their teacher for fun! This book makes readers feel like they can start a revolution like Nick. You can relate to Nick a lot because he wants to pursue his dreams like anyone else. Andrew Clements is an inspiring author and does a great job of relating to kids through his books. Will Nick find something to change his town? Will his revolution last? Read Frindle to find out!

At long last! An early reader chapter book designed to give full all-encompassing glory to language itself! Sort of. I first heard about "Frindle" some five years ago when it was burning up the bookshelves across the country. Kids couldn't get enough of the semi-raucous tale of one boy's attempt to make a contribution to the English language. Cleverly, author Andrew Clements has created a book that doesn't fall back into the old good vs. bad/teacher vs. student riff we all know so well. Though a book that is written with fairly young readers in mind, it successfully renders huge themes in bite size portions.

Nick Allen is used to getting great ideas. Who could forget his fabulous third grade attempts to turn his classroom into a sunny tropical isle in the dead of winter? Or his successful utilization of bird calls to annoy a fourth grade prof? But now Nick has come across a real challenge and her name is Granger. Mrs. Granger. As the woman in charge of the elementary school's language arts, Mrs. Granger is a true aficionado of the wonders of the dictionary. After tangling, and losing, with the clever teacher, Nick springs upon a brilliant idea. Why not add his own little word to the world's vocabulary? The idea comes to him in a flash, and before you know it he's grabbed the nearest pen and renamed it "frindle". As Mrs. Granger retaliates, defending (what in her mind is) the perfectly serviceable and already existing word "pen", frindle's popularity and publicity grows and grows. Yet in the end, it seems as though Nick was playing into Mrs. Granger's hands all along.

Accompanied by the really well wrought and beautifully designed illustrations of Brian Selznick, the book is just a low-key amusing look at how words affect people. Clements includes an array of interesting facts and ideas, some of which even adults will find themselves astounded by. For example, the book states that in 1791 a Dublin theater manager made up the word, "quiz" on a bet and that this word was (until the creation of "frindle") the only word in the English language made up for no particular reason. I tried to ascertain if this was true by glancing through my impossibly old Webster's Third New International Dictionary. When I looked up "quiz" I hit the following sentence: Unknown origin. That's proof enough for me, though I'm sure a glance through the OED would clear everything up. And how many books written with middle readers in mind give you such clever facts couched in an interesting story? I was delighted with the characters in this book. From clever Nick and his ideas to Mrs. Granger, an adult who is truly an intelligent match. Any villainy this book presents later turns out to be no more than a clever ruse. So kudos for giving teachers the credit they deserve at last! Kudos indeed.

A good pairing of books of this reading level with similar protagonists would be "Frindle" and the slightly more recent Lois Lowry offering "Gooney Bird Greene". Both books observe the use of language and how it affects us and both have clever red headed protagonists that defy all expectations. I doubt you could find two better books to present to kids with the hopes of getting them involved in reading. I give "Frindle" an especially warm recommendation and I am sure kids will be inspired by it. Go! Read! Enjoy!

A review for this book says that if there's any justice, Clements has something of a classic on his hands. That's certainly an understatement. If there's any justice, this book will be remembered forever and will be a staple of school cirriculums.

In "Frindle," a boy finds himself tired of the same old school routines. The boy, Nick, always has great new ideas that don't break the rules, but always stir up controversy and interest. He calls them "thought-grenades." His biggest comes when a stiff English teacher tells him that words come about because people simply accept them as meaning what they do. He then invents a new word, frindle, to use instead of the word pen. It stirs a huge controversy that even he can no longer control. But the rewards are well worth the risk.

This book has important ideas about free speech, learning and taking the right action. An inspirational story for all who want to make a difference.

The Book
Nick Allen was one of those kids that loved to "mix things up." He did when he invented the word, "fringle". (I had to add the fringle to my online dictionary.) When 5th grade teacher Mrs. Granger made life tough for Nick and his new word, fringle became a new fad.

My Thoughts
This is a great book to get kids to step out of their own space and create something new. At least that's the message I took away from the reading of this interesting and fun read. Nick is a whitty and fun character.

Mischievous Nicholas Allen, a fifth grader, invents the word "frindle as a replacement for "pen" when his teacher explains that words become words because we all decide what goes into dictionaries. To his teacher's dismay he convinces his friends to swear off the word "pen" and use "frindle" instead everywhere. His teacher unsucessfully tries to stop this with penalties. Despite his teacher and his principal's efforts "frindle" catches on and soon the whole school is defiantly using that word exclusively. The word spreads around town when a local paper picks up the story. Eventually the whole country hears about this new fad as Nick ends up on national broadcast television talking about frindles.
"Frindle" is a heartwarming and funny little book. I read the book in one sitting, with a smile on my face the whole time. Yes, this is a children's book, but adults will love it as well.

What is the Frindle? Well you’ll find out when you read the book. The Frindle is about a kid in 5th grade and he makes a new word, Frindle. His new teacher, Mrs. Granger is all about grammar and people saying things correctly by their word. So the kid, Nick, made the new word Frindle and his teacher gets all mad about it. Mrs. Granger gets annoyed and said that anybody who used the word would stay after school. That only made everybody say it. But I don’t want to spoil it so read the book to see what other punishments go around. It’s a great book and has a great ending. I suggest it for all the people out there. (reviewer is 9 year old boy.)

Frindle by Andrew Clements is a great book. It is so fun and imaginative. I have read it five times because it's so good. In the book a boy stands up to the principal and does not stop using the word frindle ( for pen ). Later on the word is in the dictionary. I think this is truly an extraordinary book. I love Andrew Clements books about school life with wacky or cool kids. I think everyone should read this book and recommend it to others.

This is a wildly creative kids book. I have read many of Andrew Clements books and this is one of my favorites.
In the book we meet, Nicholas a strongly independent 5th grader who decides to push the limits of the English language.
He single handedly changes the name of a common everyday object, a ballpoint pen, to "Frindle". In turn everyone around him begins to call it that... the word takes on a life of it's own and really catches on.
The action of the story comes from the conflict between Nicholas and his English teacher, Mrs. Granger. It is a battle over the sanctity of words and reality. This book is as I said, Wildly Creative!
Andrew Clements seems to know kids like no other children's author. He especially knows quirky kids.
This book is a fun, quick read and will have you laughing right along with Nicholas.

This book is fun and very well written. My 9 year old loved it so much she asked me to read it like 50x. She was so persistent that I had put down my own book which I don't often do, to read her book and see what had moved her so much. It was just a great story. Well written and in no way obnoxious like some of the other kids books who's characters have to be brats to be interesting. I cringe sometimes but accept it as what has to be ignored to keep my child reading something fun. Well this book raises the bar. It was fun and yes educational! The kids wee smart and good and polite! It was all that a children's book should be. It's the kind of book that inspires them to love reading and a mother can approve of.

Clements' most popular book! My first introduction to the writing of Andrew Clements was Things Not Seen, which I highly recommend. Although Frindle was written for a younger audience than the "Things" series, I still enjoyed the story and I appreciate the lesson it teaches. Everyone has the ability to make changes happen in the world, no matter how insignificant their impact may seem.

It really is hard to get people to accept a new word when they already have been using another word for the same thing. Reading Frindle, I couldn't help but remember my own language project to eliminate the descriptor "Handicapped" (otherwise known as "the H-word") in reference to people with disabilities. Unlike Nick Allen, I wasn't really trying to replace an existing word but rather eliminate it because it was unnecessary (my main focus was on parking and other signage). Just like Nick, when my letter to the editor was published in our local newspaper, it got responses such as: "show more respect for the dictionary", "stop trying to change our language", "there is no valid reason" etc.

I applaud Andrew Clements for showing that we do indeed create our language, that our language changes and IT'S OKAY! Not only that - I love that Nick tested what he was taught! Very well done!

I needed a gift for a child of friends I didn't know very well. So, many children's books included religious topics, violence or other touchy subjects, bad language or were otherwise inappropriate. To be sure I didn't offend, I was determined to read the full book at the library before making a purchaset. This book was the winner! It is a delightful story I enjoyed as an adult, with nice life lessons and a happy ending. I will need to read more stories by Andrew Clements.

There is nothing objectionable in this story (no bad language or anything), but it is just not that entertaining. It's an interesting idea, but it seems like all the humor is missing. It's not difficult to read - the students in the story are fifth graders, but surely fifth graders will be fairly bored by the book. My third grader read it in a couple of hours. And he liked it, don't get me wrong.

So, the plot: a smart-aleck child gets a big idea to start calling his pen by a new noun - FRINDLE. He gets his friends to do the same, and it spreads through his grade. His language arts teacher is not a bit happy about this, and bans kids from saying Frindle. So of course, it becomes all the rage. News articles, TV reports, a patent on the word, and always the teacher in opposition. Because words mean things, and word meanings are important cues for language and cognition. Cute ending.

Actually, I tend to come down on the side that words mean things. A large part of the disagreements about "food insecurity" and "homosexual marriage" and "racism" and "civil discourse" and "a living Constitution" and "undocumented immigrants" and "terrorism" is due to the fact that America has become sloppy about what words mean.

Andrew Clements displays his world of Westfield, New Hampshire where a young Nicholas Allen comes up with a word "Frindle" instead of using pen after he learns that people make up words for centuries in the dictionary.

The year he entered Mrs. Granger's class, he was prepared for her demand of dictionary knowledge. Some might describe her as obsessed. Well, it's a healthy obsession. So one day he comes up with the word, "Frindle," and slowly it takes off, it's an easy read.

It's charming, funny, and delightful. Perfect for elementary school kids. There are questions for the teachers if they use the book in their classroom plans.

"If you asked all the kids and the teachers at Lincoln Elementary School to make three lists - all the really bad kids, all the really smart kids, and all the really good kids - Nick Allen would not be on any of them. Nick deserved a list all his own, and everyone knew it.

"Was Nick a troublemaker? Hard to say. One thing's for sure: Nick Allen had plenty of ideas, and he knew what to do with them."

And so begins the tale called "Frindle," a story written by Andrew Clements and quite the engaging narrative. Clements weaves his yarn around the main character, Nick, who happens to be a fifth-grader.

"Fifth grade was different," notes Nick. "That was the year to get ready for middle school. Fifth grade meant passing classes. It meant no morning recess. It meant real letter grades on your report cards. But most of all, it meant Mrs. Granger."

Though a tiny little woman, Mrs. Granger practically radiates fierceness when it comes to teaching. She's not harsh or mean (she can, according to other students, be quite funny at times), but she does demand a lot of her pupils. And because she is the only Language Arts instructor for their fifth-grade year, but she holds a monopoly.

"Nick was an expert at asking the delaying question - also known as the teacher-stopper, or the guaranteed-time-waster. At three minutes before the bell, in the split second between the end of today's class work and the announcement of tomorrow's homework, Nick could launch a question guaranteed to sidetrack the teacher long enough to delay or even wipe out the homework assignment."

During his very first class with Mrs. Granger (whom many students refer to as The Lone Granger), he can practically smell a homework assignment looming on the horizon. So he decides to put his excellent time-wasting skills to the test. He pops a question about her famous dictionary ("One of those huge dictionaries with every word in the universe in it, the kind of book it takes two kids to carry.") guaranteed to halt Mrs. Granger in her tracks.

Only his plan backfires. Big time.

It seems that Nick's notorious (although not mean-spirited) reputation has preceded him. She deflects his teacher-stopper without breaking a sweat. And not only does the class still get stuck with homework, but Nick also gets a second assignment, an oral report about the history of the dictionary, due at the beginning of class the next day.

-----

"I still don't get the idea of why words all mean different things," says Nick the following day in class after giving his report. "Like, who says that d-o-g means the thing that goes `woof' and wags its tail. Who says so?"

And Mrs. Granger takes the bait. "Who says `dog' means dog? You do, Nicholas. You and I and everyone in this class and this school and this town and this state and this country. We all agree. If we lived in France, we would all agree that the right word for that hairy four-legged creature was a different word - chien - it sounds like `shee-en,' but it means what d-o-g means to you and me. And in Germany they say `hund,' and so on, all around the globe. But if all of us in this room decided to call that creature something else, and if everyone else did, too, then that's what it would be called, and one day it would be written in the dictionary that way. We decide what goes in that book.

"Who says `dog' means dog? You do, Nicholas."

Nick is still thinking about this while walking home from school later that day with his friend, Janet Fisk. He's so lost in thought, he accidentally bumps into her, making her drop the gold pen she was holding. He bends down to pick it up out of the street, handing Janet the pen.

And that's when it happens. Nick doesn't say "pen." Rather, he says, "Here's your . . . frindle."

Frindle was a real word. It meant pen.

Who says frindle means pen? "You do, Nicholas."

"It was there at the corner of Spring Street and South Grand Avenue, one block from home on a September afternoon. That's when Nick got the big idea."

-----

"Frindle" is the first in a number of school stories ("The Janitor's Boy" and "The Landry News" and "The Report Card" being a few examples) written by Andrew Clements, and it presents the author in tip-top form. There is cleverness springing from almost every page in the story, and the roller-coaster ride doesn't end until the final sentence.

But this is not just a one-trick pony. Behind the goofiness of the narrative, there is also a sincerity to the events happening, as well as moral issues at play. For example, not one person in the story is made out to be the villain. All those involved in the wake of this frindle business booming out of control are only trying to do what's best given the situation. That Clements can make his characters real, and that he doesn't stereotype them, deserves distinct credit. Readers will find themselves rooting for everyone in the story, not just Nick and his new word.

"Frindle" was lauded by critics and has won many awards, as well. This is one story that you will not regret purchasing. A book such as this doesn't have to be a Newbery Medal Winner to be considered classic children's literature. Andrew Clements' tale will, indeed, stand the test of time.

It has universal appeal. And, according to Mrs. Granger, she would agree: "So many things have gone out of date. But after all these years, words are still important. Words are still needed by everyone. Words are used to think with, to write with, to dream with, to hope and pray with."

Congratulations, Mr. Clements, on a job well done.

First of all, this is a great book for kids. It tells an engaging story about a child who takes on the grown-ups and wins--and what child won't enjoy that sort of a story?
There's more to it than just that, though. For example, I use this book as a supplemental text when I teach college courses on the history of the English language--it's useful for sparking discussions of why language changes and the attitudes people have toward language change. The ending also brings up a really important issue for studies of language change: At what point can we say that a change really has taken place? Does the change have to make it into dictionaries and grammar books, or does it happen earlier?
Of course, unless you're taking one of my courses, don't spend so much time worrying about these sorts of questions--just buy this book, spend an enjoyable evening reading it, and enjoy a well-written story.

I don't like the idea of blurring truth because you feel like calling something different than what it really is. If I feel like a unicorn today, does that make it okay to call myself a unicorn and truly believe I am one? No. Truth is truth and I don't like books that encourage my kids to blur those lines.

I' m fifteen years old, and I loved this book. It was in my home because my mom teaches reading--I picked it up while I was sick in bed, and really enjoyed it.
All the other reviews tell you what this book is about, so I'll skip that bit: It has a fast pace and an interesting plot line, so all the younger kids will stay actively involved. I really shouldn't have cared about little Nick Allen since I'm a highschooler, but I couldn't resist this story. What can I say?
I should be educating myself about the classics...but, as soon as I finish my homework, I'll admit that I can't wait to see what else author Andrew Clements has created.

So, how many frindles do you have in your desk drawer? Do you have a favorite frindle? Andrew Clements is such a talented writer. This was the first of his books that I have become familiar with and it is my favorite. It is a short read and is an excellent selection to read aloud to the classroom. It answers the age old question, Where do words come from? and adds humor along the way. It is a must have for any middle and upper elementary classroom library.

This is a story that contains some mischief by a little boy who wants to make the word "frindle" a permanent word. Even though it seems his determination is frowned upon by his teacher initially, her fight to keep "frindle" from becomming a new word is what helps Alan accomplish his dream in the long-run. This story has a beautiful ending that nearly made me cry and will touch everyone's heart who reads it. It sure is a refreshing book to read with no violence. Highly recommended for aggressive readers in 3 - 4 grade. Also appropriate for a parent to read to a slightly younger child as well.

Andrew Clements has penned an excellent book to read aloud to a classroom of elementary school students between 2nd - 5th grade. The storyline is simplistic enough to be enjoyed by the younger children, while the older children will quickly cotton to the ideas the book puts forth as to the power of people to make changes. The chapters are short, the characters are engaging, and the storyline is captivating.

Highly recommended!

Teachers: If you read this be prepared to allow your students an opportunity to take part in their own 'frindlization' experiment!

What a great story with excellent examples of characterization and theme for young readers. My fourth grade students are currently reading this one with their ELA teacher, and it is already a favorite for many of them. It is very relatable, with a main character who is a typical 'kid,' with a mischievous personality and a good heart. I love Frindle's themes of the power of words, the power of perspective, and the power of kids!

As an elementary school librarian, I can say that "Frindle" is one of the finest books for intermediate grades I have read in a long time. I only regret that I didn't read it years ago, so I could've been recommending it to teachers to read-aloud and to students who would like a humorous, yet thought-provoking, story.
Like most successful books for kids, "Frindle" works on many different levels. It's funny, fast-paced, and while the main character, Nick, is kind of a class clown, he has qualities that even a mean teacher like Mrs. Granger would like. And even though Mrs. Granger has a reputation for being strict, she also earns the respect of children and parents. While some situations are a bit far-fetched, this story is still quite realistic. We get a glimpse how a seemingly insignificant event at a small town elementary school through a media-frenzy becomes an international phenomenon. Can anyone say "fad?"
3rd through 6th grade teachers should consider reading this book about the invention of a new word, "frindle," to their classes. Both teachers and students will enjoy it.

Have you ever thought of a new word coming out? Doesn't that idea seem so weird? In the book Frindle there is a boy who invents a new word. He creates the word frindle instead of the word pen. There are 112 awesome pages. This very talented author's name is Andrew Clements.

Frindle is a book about an ordinary boy. He changes the world by inventing a new word which starts a trend. The boy's name is Nick. As the story begins, he is just starting fifth grade. Everyone at school knows that once you are in the fifth grade one of your teachers is Mrs. Granger. She is an extremely strict teacher. She is not happy when someone uses a word that is not in the dictionary and considers the dictionary the law. When Nick decides to invent a new word it frustrates Mrs. Granger. Each time a student uses the word frindle at school, she makes them stay after school and write "I am writing this sentence with a pen" one hundred times.
My favorite part of the book is when it is Nick's first time in Mrs. Granger's class and he tries to stall Mrs. Granger from giving them homework. Nick asks her "Where do all of the words come from?" Mrs. Granger said "Well then Nick why don't you give us an oral report on it". Nick was stuck with the homework everyone else received plus an oral report on where all the words come from.
The most important thing that I learned from this book was that anything is possible. A normal fifth grader changed the world as we know it, by just starting the trend of calling a pen a frindle.
Other books by Andrew Clements are the Laundry News, No Talking, Things Not Seen, The Report Card, and a Week in the Woods. Andrew Clements is a very talented author and I enjoy all of his books.
I recommend this book to anyone that wishes to be entertained because it is written well. It also has a very good life lesson that little ideas can cause big changes.

This book is about a boy named Nick who always wanted to know everything about different words, like how they're created, how they came to be that word, why are they called that? Well, his fifth grade teacher, Mrs. Granger, loves dictionaries, and hopes that it helps children with words of any kind. Nick became so interested in it, and on accident, he called a pen, " Frindle". No one knew what it meant, until all over the world, people knew about this boy named Nick, who created this new word. When he got older, everything was pretty much to normal, and still famous for his word, " Frindle" that everyone uses now, instead of " pen".

San Anselmo, CA

If you want to read a really good book, read Frindle. It is funny, exciting and entertaining. I give it 10 out of 5 stars. When Nick Allen enters the fifth grade, his Language Arts teacher, Mrs. Granger, loves dictionaries, words and their meanings. Nick is very creative and has a reputation for wasting time to get out of homework. One day in the beginning of the school year, Nick asks Mrs. Granger a question, she catches on to his trick and tricks him instead, by making him write a report to answer his own question. This is the start of the Word War.

After Nick learned from Mrs. Granger, that people create language, he creates a new word to replace the word "pen". That word is "frindle". This begins a Word War between Mrs. Granger and Nick Allen. The war involves Mrs. Granger's efforts to put a stop to the use of the word before it gets out of hand. When Mrs. Granger tries to stop the use of the word, it just makes Nick and the rest of the kids in the school want to use it even more. Eventually, the story of the Word War makes it to the National News. The word "frindle" then becomes used all over the World.

Years later Mrs. Granger sends Nick a package that includes a pen/frindle, a dictionary and a white envelope. In the dictionary on page 541 he finds the word "frindle". From the letter, he understands that Mrs. Granger was never against the word, she was just trying to help it spread, by making the kids want to say it even more.

Frindle
by Andrew Clements
Reviewed by Kristen B. Brown, Emily Sneed, and Marianne Daino
Has anyone ever asked you if they can borrow a frindle? My guess is that you have never heard of the word before, but for Nick Allen and his friends, frindle is the most popular new word at Lincoln Elementary School in New Hampshire. Nick is a fifth grader with a reputation, not a good or a bad one but one of being notoriously creative and someone who likes giving his teacher's and fellow student's "a good jolt once in a while." In this book, Nick Allen is causing a big `jolt' in his school, town, and even around the world by putting his creative and imaginative mind to work. The importance of inventiveness, persistence, and the power of words are shared in Andrew Clements' book, Frindle.
In the third grade, Nick decides to turn his whole classroom into a tropical island. Miss Deaver, his third grade teacher loves the idea until the principal follows the trail of sand to the classroom. The trip ends after that. In fourth grade, Nick decides to chirp like a blackbird because he had watched a TV show about blackbirds and learned that they had a very distinct chirp, and decided he would try it out in his classroom.
Now Nick is in the fifth grade. He has a new idea in store for everyone this year. It all starts one day in Ms. Granger's classroom. Ms. Granger is the language arts teacher at Lincoln Elementary, and she loves the dictionary. Nick being himself tries to waste time before the homework is assigned in his seventh period language arts class but this did not work with Ms. Granger. Instead, he has to write a report on where all the words in the dictionary come from. Still, after doing his extra assignment he doesn't understand where all the words really come from until Ms. Granger says that we make up the meanings of words.
While walking home after school that day Nick's new idea comes to life when he really understands what that strict old lady said, and this is where the story really begins....he begins calling a pen a frindle. What Nick and everyone else do not realize is how well it will catch on.
Nick decides he needs to test his new idea and does so at the local convenience store with five of his friends. When Nick first uses his new word on the cashier, she looks confused. Once he points to the pens and has five other friends ask for a frindle, the cashier only asks if they want blue or black. The test is a success! Now it is on to test it in Ms. Granger's class!
As one will expect of any teacher, Ms. Granger doesn't like the idea because of the disruption it causes in her class. She asks Nick to stop, but since it has caught on with everyone else he can't do anything about it. Ms. Granger then decides to take an approach and have Nick sign and date an envelope with a letter inside that he will get once the frindle business is over. However, before it is over there is a lot that goes on! Bad guy, Ms. Granger gives detention to everyone who speaks the word everyday by writing sentences. Hundreds of students are staying after school. This brings attention to the principal, Mrs. Chatham, who decides to talk to Nick's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Allen, who respectfully support Nick's idea. Mrs. Chatham wants it all hushed up to keep the school board officials happy, but news reporter Judy Morgan gets a hold of the story and things just escalate from there, the word frindle becomes globally known! Nick makes the news and also signs a trademark with a local businessman.
Frindle is a realistic fictional book, where all the characters come to life in the reader's mind. The reader hears Nick's mischief, yet intelligent youthful voice, Ms. Granger's serious and determined tone, Mr. and Mrs. Allen's supportive and caring parental roles, and don't forget the other character's voices that support the book, too!
Take on the book, Frindle, to find out what happens ten years after Nick leaves Ms. Granger's class. He receives a package with the white envelope he signed and dated so many years before; the letter he was told he would receive after the frindle business was finished. What could Ms. Granger have to say that would mean anything now? Could she have been the mastermind all along? How could that be possible? I promise you won't be disappointed after the last page is read! "Mrs. Granger, I forgot my frindle."

Why did Andrew Clements write this book?
Andrew Clements got the idea for the book Frindle when he was doing a visiting author series in elementary schools for his picture book Big Al. He was explaining to a group of first and second graders the importance of words, how to use them, and how people like him and the students create the words that are in the dictionary. He pulled a pen from his pocket and on the spot referred to it as a frindle, making the children giggle. After visiting various other schools and telling this same idea he then decided to make a story out of it and Frindle became a best selling book.

Linguistics, the study of language and language patterns, is an intimidating subject to many adults, but this book makes the field accessible to everyone, including children.

By deciding to substitute the word "pen" with "frindle", 5th-grader Nick Allen stumbles on the very arbitrary nature of words. True, words may have a history of associated meanings, but words by nature are arbitrary. Nothing about the object filled with ink which one uses to write with signifies that it should be called p-e-n. It may have a historical derivation of "pen" from "pinna", but why that specific object and that combination of letters are linked is arbitrary. Especially since the human mouth at birth is capable of producing dozens of sounds not found in the English language. However, arbitrary is not synonymous with random.

Mrs. Granger, a seemingly prescriptivist linguist, states that, "There is no reason to invent a new and useless word." However, the English language is full of redundancy. A carbonated beverage, regardless of brand, is known as a soda, pop, soda-pop, coke, or tonic, depending on one's geography. Clements's invention of the word "frindle" is another case of redundancy. One could argue that having 5+ terms for the same beverage is unnecessary, just as "frindle" was to "pen". But how do we choose which term to use as the standard?

Clements captures this debate in the field of linguistics between prescriptivists, who try to preserve the "proper" language, and the descriptivists, who describe how language is actually used, and develops his story around it. Frindle is a good starting point for kids who are curious about words and language, where they come from, and why certain combinations of letters are acceptable and others not.

My teacher gave me this book for reading class. First Nick makes the word frindle. Then he got in trouble for saying frindle in front of his teacher. He and his friends made oath to say frindle instead of pen. His friend found a gold ballpoint pen. It was funny because Nick kind of has a girl friend. It was kind of slow. It was kind of slow.

The book friendle may sound cheesey but the book is a really good one! Yes this is a fairly short book about 100 pages but it is very packed in it. Now lets unpack it! Andrew Clements sets the scene will and gives many physical traits and character traits for Mrs. Granger at least. Nick who is the main character does not get physical traits at all the only way to get the trait is from the pictures!! The pictures are wonderful black and white but still good. So that is the review of friendle good book no bad words a awesome read

I love how this book opens to Nick Allen being described as rather ordinary which sets up the tone of the entire book. Inspirational for kids the same age since they are allowed to see the possibilities of what they can achieve if they are not afraid to try and also a triumph for teachers. Next to a supportive, nurturing family - there is nothing more important than a teacher that provokes and inspires children to explore their possibilities. It genuinely was sad to read the last page of this book - it was an enjoyable read.

Frindle

The fifth grade Language Arts teacher, "Dangerous Grangerous," has lots of surprises for Nick - including becoming a celebrity. How does Nick do that?
Frindle. This book is all about words, or should I say new words. The battle rages between Nick and Mrs. Granger.
Nick says, "Frindle."
Mrs. Granger says, "No".
As Frindle changes so does Nick. Frindle isn't just his word anymore- it's the worlds. You see action is Nick's middle name, but now he has to keep his action-packed fun-filled ideas to himself. Is this how Nicks life will stay? Will it go back to normal? Or will it take yet another turn?
Nick is all jazzed up for this fantastic story. Andrew Clements has here, the best, book, ever! Hmmm... Frindle or pen? What will Mrs. Granger say?
-Shawn Dizwallia

Clements' First: Frindle vs. Pen

Andrew Clements' first school story, Frindle, is about one kid, Nicholas Allen. He has always had interesting ideas. Nick does a report on how words are made. With this information, and a ballpoint pen found on the street, Nick launches anew word, Frindle [it means pen]. It quickly spreads across the nation like wildfire. And his English teacher? Completely against it. With a surprising ending, this is probably Clements' greatest. For more Frindle info, visit [...]

-Louise Stakay

Frindle
Sure to enrapture teacher, student, and parents, this adventure with Nick at Lincoln Elementary wills you to read on.
Nick is an ordinary boy in 5th grade. Well an ordinary boy with lots of interesting ideas. All it takes is a teacher who loves the dictionary and a gold ballpoint pen for him to think of the greatest idea yet. A whopper idea: "the Frindle."
"Why does a pen have to be called a pen? Why not a Frindle?" Once he gets his friends to use the word, then the whole state, and then country starts using "Frindle" And Nick wonders if this is what he really wants...
- Jessica Cleabow

hey you should read this book" It is about a boy named Nick Allen and his new fifth grade teacher mrs Granger. Nick is a big trouble maker. Nick is always trying to delay class. So to mess around with his fifth grade teacher he made up this word frindle whitch means pen. It gets to his teachers nerve because she loves the dictionary. beacause this word is not in the dictionary she will not allow her kids to use this word so she puts up a singn that says if you use that word you will stay after school a write i am writing this with a pen 100 times! read this book to find out the big twist at the end of this book! (Kim)

I would say Frindle is a perfect book for a kid trust me I read it.Someday I hope I can be as good at w riting as Andrew Clements.

Next time you go to a book store buy this book!! (Katie)

The most part I liked was when Nick had a great idea and made the word frindle a real word.It was also funny,happy and sad.It was about a kid and his teacher who did't like the word,but soon she did. YOU SHOULD READ THIS BOOK. (Fartum)

Is Nick Allen a turable maker?Or is it his good ideas? But one time in 5th grade his language teacher Mrs Granger had a resonce he did not like. Do you think Nick can take the challenge of finding were words were made. Read this book and find out.A note from the author I like this book so much because it is interesting,funny,and relevant for kids. (Aaron)

Kids can be insperd by this book because it can tell them a messeg to schreach there mind and be creative! The one thing I liked about this book w as the funnies that the aouthor put in the book and that was just this reguler 12year old boy who whants to mack up a word for fun and subbsituts the word "Pen" into "Frindle" and then when he is 21years old and in college hes5th grade teacher finaly sends him the letter that he was whanting in 5th grade but also she sent a new dictionary just made and a note saying to turne to a page and in the book is "Frindle" and in the letter she said that she was rooting for nick the whole time and liked the word Frindle and it became a very well well written book! I am recommending this book to all ages! (Kayla)

This young elementary novel is sure to interest children in the adventure of words. A creative boy wonders if he can start a new word - Frindle - to name a pen. The more it is resisted by his teacher, the more popular the word becomes until his new word gains mass appeal. Ultimately the boy finds that his teacher was not nearly as great an opponent as once believed and that words are truly powerful.

Its a sweet story, an easy read, and inspirational.

I think that you should buy this book.It is a very entertaining book.It is about a boy named Nick Allen.He makes a new word frindle.This is a word that is spreading like the black plauge.If you read this book you"ll never want to put it down.This is one of the best books i have ever read and I"ve ever read and i only read up to chapter 12.Nick"s teacher Mrs.Granger and principal Ms.Chatam and his mom don"t really approve.Ms.Granger made anew rule whoever says frindle.Will get sent to her room after school.I think that you should a copy of this.A.Z.

Nicholas Allen or Nick, has made a new word. Nick has always had big and funny ideas. But when Nick ended in Mrs.Granger's class,it became a lot harder for Nick's ideas to work. But Nick had an idea so big and so crazy it might work. So Nick made a new word. Frindle instead of pen. At first who ever used the word would be punish. As in writing 100 sentences. But then the word was going globe! All across the world the word frindle was being used!Then after a few years frindle became a real word in the dictionary. Well in the story anyway.

This is a very good book and the ending is pretty sad.The author did a great job explaining what was happening like how
Nick made up he's own word and how the word got so popular.theres not really anything bad about the book. I recommend this to all fifth graders!

This story was about a boy named Nick who made up a new word "Frindle." The main characters were Nick and his teacher Mrs. Granger. The problem was that Nick made up a new word that Mrs. Granger did not like. My favorite character was Nick because he was famous when he was growing up. I related to Nick because I am always adventurous. I liked the book because it was so funny. My favorite part of the book was when Mrs. Granger put the work "Frindle" into the dictionary. Any person who likes funny and adventurous books should read this story! GJ

I like this book because a 5th grader came up with an idea and put it into action. He made a totally new word. Not many people can do that!

I would have given this book a five star rating, but I think the author didn't add enough detail to create the best picture he could.

I would recommend this book to 5-11 year olds. After age eleven, it gets boring.

If this review helps you, please say so down below! Thanks!

The story Frindle was a believable story because the story made me feel like I was part of the book like one of the students. I enjoyed this book so much I couldn’t take my eyes off it! I enjoyed a lot of parts but the main part I enjoyed was when Nick made up the word Frindle because it was so cool how that one word spread through the school so fast. Another thing I liked was at the ending how it wrapped up the whole story. I also thought that the characters were believable in the story. So, I recommend this book to anyone that loves to laugh because this is a real funny book and a little serious.

Written by Zoe Horowitz

This book drags you with wonder and amazement! Once Nick thought that why could'n a pen call a Frindle? So. instead, Nick just call a pen Frindle. Later on, the word Frindle spread across villages and towns. His teacher wanted him to stop this chaos but Nick could'n do anything to stop it. I feel sad for him from could'n stopping it because now everybody is using this word. Well, it is an interesting book for me because it fills you with wonder. I hope you like it!

Frindle is one of the most entertaining kids' books out there because it encourages kids to be bold and creative and wait for big results. I love the way the fun premise turns out to be a sneaky way to teach kids about etymology and the evolution of language. This one goes to the top of the class!

When I read this book in the 5th grade while in Mr Baker's class at Mic-"MapleLawn"-der, we as a class enjoyed Frindle a lot! Mr. Baker would read the whole 45 min. every day at lunch until we were all done with it. Matthew Baker was extremely important to me and so was "Frindle." :)

While certainly a tale easily consumed by children, the ideas and themes in the story transcend every age. I read this book as a child and cite it as having shaped me. It encourages individualism, freedom of thought, altruism, and the value of foresight. I cannot stress enough how well Clements weaves fantastic ideas into the perfect children's book.

I am currently a student teacher, and was asked by my cooperating teacher to read this book to my class of very energetic fifth graders. This book kept the students listening for at least 15 minutes. When I would ask them questions, they were enthusiastic in answering them. I have never seen a group of fifth graders pay such close attention to a book, and then talk about the chapter throughout the day. The kids were inspired to create their own words. As a future teacher, this book inspired me, and showed me how much of an impact I will be having on my students' lives. This book is one that every teacher and every student should read.

"hey you should read this book" It is about a boy named Nick Allen and his new fifth grade teacher mrs Granger. Nick is a big trouble maker. Nick is always trying to delay class. So to mess around with his fifth grade teacher he made up this word frindle whitch means pen. It gets to his teachers nerve because she loves the dictionary. beacause this word is not in the dictionary she will not allow her kids to use this word so she puts up a singn that says if you use that word you will stay after school a write i am writing this with a pen 100 times! read this book to find out the big twist at the end of this book! (Kim)

Frindle is a story about a boy who thinks of the idea of making up a new word,frindle. He does anything he can to to get it used by people. Soon it became a real word. It was also published in a dictionary.

I think the book was exciting. It was exciting because every page I read I kept being curious about what was going to happen next. When Nick asked a clerk at the store for a frindle,I wondered if she would understand him.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading a book that makes you you laugh and feel happy. I would also recommend this book to anyone under second grade.

I only read this book because it was nominated for the Georgia Book Award this year, and I always try to read those books since I'm a teacher. Frindle starts out like just another book, but by the end, I was cheering--both for Nick and his teacher. This is another book I plan to use in the fall with my beginning ESOL middle school students. I expect we will have some wonderful discussions on "mean teachers". It will also be a great springboard into dictionary appreciation. I predict the students will want to create some new words themselves. What a fun book!

I found this book while volunteering at the Children's library and had 40mins of delightful reading. Swift moving and very funny, Nick will not only keep you and your kids entertained but also get you thinking about the power of one individual.

My children both read this book in 2nd grade and loved it so much they shared it with their class then the whole school. Then they created their own word and watched it fly around the school. What fun they had!!! Not to be missed!!

It is about a boy named Nick and he gets tired of the word pen . His teacher has alwaystold him that he can make a new word. one day he was with his friend were on a coner and he had found a pen. He picked it up and told his friend that he has found a frindle. When he got to school the next day he had told everyone that he had made a new word.Sothey thought it was cool.They started to use frindle instad of pen .The teachers got tired of the word used every second,so Mrs.granger started to make them stay after school and write a 100 setences every time they said it.

Nicholas Allen, the main character in this story, has always had quite a creative personality. Now he's in the fifth grade and his language arts teacher, Mrs. Granger, is a fanatic about the dictionary. Nick comes up with a plan to invent a new word just to annoy Mrs. Granger. He comes up with the word FRINDLE - which means pen. Not only does his plan to pester Mrs. Granger work but his word soon becomes used all across the country.
This is an enjoyable, easy to read story. The black and white illustrations help to enhance the humor in this story.

for my fourth grade reading class last year this was an assigned book. i thought that it was really boring. i don't know why i usally love andrew clements but this book not his best. my favorite book by him would definitly be the report card which i dont think is sold on the kindle.
~alyssa monroe pa

Of all the books I've read with my son this year, "Frindle" has been one of the most memorable. I felt the character, Nick, was a lovable guy (one my son could relate to) and the story had a message about relationships and (generally) positive behavior--albeit fun behavior. I read this book with my 8-year old son and we both laughed and cried together. I like that it spans years--into Nick's adulthood. It was a wonderful read and I recommend it to others often.

Frindle was a great book when I read it! I read it like a year ago but its still one of my favorite books! I like the pen idea and the creativity. I would recommend this book if your looking for a fun, creative, great book! I still remember everything about it even though I read it a year ago (I think even more than a year!) If I remember it even though I read it over a year ago, it must be a great book! READ IT!!!!! READ IT!!!!!! READ IT!!!!!!

This is one of the best books i read in third grade, and looking at it again, two years later, I still LOVE IT! The book is about 'nick' and he makes up a new word, and well, you'll have to read it to find out! I'm telling you, don't pass this one up in the book store!

This was a wonderful little book. My daughter and I both enjoyed it a great deal. It taught the importance of learning, sticking to something you believe in and in friendship. I highly recommend this book to others.

Frindle Review
The book is a pretty good book and it's not as hilarious as it was supposed to be from the back cover .This book was not entertaining as some other books because the main character was kind of dull .But it was probably one the funniest books I have read so far]. BUT, still I give the book rate of 4 out of 5. So frindle is a pretty good book.
Edited by john Patrick Russell nakayama
Written by john Patrick Russell nakayama

We thought frindle was a great book and we recommend it! Our favorite part of the book waswhen they got in
a word war. There were plenty of characters in the book however are favorites are Bud, Lawrence, and Nick Allen. A must read!

I bought a classroom set of this book and just finished reading it with my 3rd and 4th grade class. When I went to collect the books, half of the class asked me if they could buy the book from me. That has never happened to me as a teacher before. It is a nice, short book with many avenues for discussion and thought, a great way to get kids hooked on reading.

Nick is just a normal kid who one time calls a pen frindle than more and more people call the pen a frindle but his teacher is relly mad. The ending is very touching. I know it sounds stuiped but this book is super. I would pay $100 for this book you must buy it its not only a chldrends book adults love it also. SO YOU MUST BUY THIS BOOK.

This book is great.Okay this boy Nick he says Frindle instead of pen.It starts off his teacher mad at him for not saying pen but soon everybody is saying frindle and he can't leave his house without millions of reporters taking pictures of him and asking him questions about frindle. After I read this book I tried making up new words like frindle.

I think that frindle is a very good book. I think everyone should give reading this book a go. It is very interesting. Don't just look at the cover and not read it. lik the old saying "never judge a book by it's cover"

Frindle is a great book.It is about a 5th grade boy named Nick that decided to make a new word.The new word is Frindle for pen.Do you think people will use the new word?
Andrew Clements is a great writer. He makes you want to keep on reading and never stop.

My daughter read this. Basically, some kids start a movement to call pens "frindles." That's the point. The sort of annoying behavior we see in real life is also annoying when depicted in pointless fiction like this. My 10-year old avid reader is a sharp and qualified critic, and she didn't like this one.

I read this book when I was 8. I am now 12 and Frindle is still one of my very favorite books. This book is very creative and the mischeif that Nick causes is hillarious! Andrew Clements is a fantastic author and I would recommend his books to anyone!!!!!!

Have you ever had a teacher who made life really tough for you? Well, Nick Allen did. When Nick was in 5th grade, he had a teacher named Mrs. Granger and she had a reputation for being tough and mean. When Nick tries to stall class by asking Mrs. Granger where words come from, she makes him answer his own question with an oral report.

Nick learns that we make the words in the dictionary. One day as he's walking home with his friend Janet, Janet drops her pen. Nick picks it up for her and accidentally calls it a "frindle" instead of a pen. He finally understands what Mrs. Granger was trying to teach him. Soon, he convinces his friends to start using the word "frindle" too. Before long, the whole school is saying it.

This makes Mrs. Granger very mad. She creates The Frindle Punishment. Anyone who uses the word must stay after school to write, "I am writing this punishment with a pen." 100 times. The students start taking this punishment as a badge of honor. This is my favorite part because the students are standing up for themselves.

Not everyone is so happy about Mrs. Granger's new punishment. A newspaper reporter named Judy Morgan learns about frindle and comes to the school to find out more. Then things really get crazy!

If you want to know what happens next, you'll have to read the book. I think you should read the book because it's realistic and funny. I like to imagine that something like this could happen to me.

This book is a delightful story, and a quick read for 4th and 5th graders. It tells the story of a young boy who stands up to his mean teacher, and develops a new word: Frindle. If you are looking for a GREAT realistic fiction book, this should be your pick. Happy Reading!

This is a wonderful book. I just finished reading it aloud to my 6 year old, and he loved it every night. Aside from being a great page turner with lots of laughs, it's a story that really shows the value of words and original thought. Add to that a poetically powerful ending. Highly recommended.

this is a good book for kids aout the ages of 8-10. one thing not to do is go up to your teacher and say do you have a frindle.they will be saying what is a frindle or do not use the word frindle.just use the word pen.some teachers may say what. so the kid says i read a book called frindle by andrew clements.

The book frindle is interesting book for kids is fun, cool
and i like because they have alot of charaters.I would like
that teachers and kids would read the story Frindle because
is about a pen that a boy was using a new word.I hope that u could read the story tell your parents that to read do and it
is to fun.

I know smart aleck kids like Nick. (Oh, but he wasn't a smart aleck! He actually respected and loved Mrs. Granger, right? Wrong. This is definitely fiction.) My sympathy lies with Mrs. Granger. How much learning went undone in fifth grade because of Nick's idiotic idea? In real life many kids who were in school to learn would detest him too, because of his hijacking of the school day with his selfish prank. I detested the ending, when Mrs. Granger capitulates. That's so phony. The entire book is phony because most kids like Nick go on to lead troubled lives, not become millionaires. Most millionaires I know are people who respected authority as kids and become authority as adults. The person with a good idea in the book is Bud Lawrence, who snatched up the trademark and made some money. If it weren't for him, Nick and his clueless dad would still be working in the hardware store.

by far the most ridiculous book i have read in my life, stupidest plot of all and last but not-definitly not least the dialogue is terrible and akward, this book is pritty retarted and i would definitly not recomend it to anybody

This book is great! It is about a boy who has teacher that loves the dictionary. So one day the boy goes home and his friend drops a pen and he doesn't say "pen" he says "frindle." Then weird things happen, but you have to read it to find out read this book.

Frindle
by Andrew Clements
The book I just read is Frindle. I think it's a fantastic book. It's fun to read because the boy in it invents the word Frindle and becomes rich. My favorite part is when nick dumps sand all over the classroom and makes a beach out of it. I highly recommend you read this book.

This is a wonderfly thrilling book that puts creativity in a boy or girls mind.It will play a follow the leaders game in thier mind,showing that since the main charactar can change the world so can they. and to top that, put tons of excitement in the

readers mind running like in a marathon, racing, racing, racing.

This is a great realistic fiction and that teaches a life lesson for those kids who are too smart for their own good. The book is funny and entertaining for all ages. My second and third grader students in the bookclub at school really loved it. They wanted to read it over and over again.

THE BOOK WAS BOUGHT AT THE LAST MINUTE AND SHOWED UP AT MY DOOR STEP IN JUST ENOUGH TIME TO BE GIVEN AS A GIFT FOR A RETIRING TEACHER. IT ARRIVED IN SUPERIOR QUALITY AND OUR TEACHER FRIEND WAS VERY HAPPY TO REC'V THE HARDBOUND COPY.
THANKS FOR EXPEDITING THE DELIVERY the store,AND FOR THE GREAT PRICE!

RAY

Nick, the main character, decides to change a word and I think that it is great! He is making a big change in America and to our English language. A few buds and I are trying to change the word "Sharpener" to phraper. It is an awesome story!

I would rate this book a definite 10.It was the best book I've read in my life. It has action,suspense,a little sad at the end. It has everything. Whoever thought that Clements was so creative about a little pen?

Harry Potter is better. If kids will read this they will belive that if they realy make a new word they will get rich. And in real life no one will make such a fuss about it! Read for the fun of reading.

Though "Frindle" is quite nicely written, a rating of one star is one star too many. If booksellers care about children's minds they will voluntarily withdraw "Frindle" from their shelves.

The first half of the story makes Nick likeable and shows how his "frindle" word emerges as a substitute for the word "pen". The second half *contrives* "frindle's" national acceptance and its eventual entry into a dictionary, and then adds a feel good ending.

The main idea is that any letter combination and sound can become a lasting "word" if a majority decides it should. This reflects the bankrupt logic that academics used in the 1990s to accept the ghetto-speak of Ebonics as a language. The tragic lesson for children: words are any noise people might make about things!

The story's only voice of resistance is Mrs. Granger. But Clements's characterization of her is a cheap smear of the view she represents. He makes her character so prim and proper that her belief in frugal language is easily dismissed as stubborn traditionalism. She does defend "pen" as having arisen from the Latin for feather (pinna). And later, she comments "There is no reason to invent a new and useless word." The vital logic to which both points hint is ignored.

Instead, Clements turns our attention to the `tide' of public acceptance that frindle acquires. He designs more media attention for the cause of "frindle" than suicide bombers get. So, Nick's new word is widely accepted, completing Clements's theme. Worse, we discover that Mrs. Granger really held Nick's view all along.

Intellectually, Mrs. Granger, and all of "Frindle", constitutes a Straw Man argument. A "straw man" is a contrived argument that seems like the one to beat, but lacks the substance of the real argument it hides. The person who creates the straw man presents his arguments to destroy it, and then claims to have won the real argument. Mrs. Granger never had a real argument against "frindle", and the child reader is left thinking the only truth is Nick's. This is a terrible manipulation of child readers.

Clements has "set children up" to misunderstand language.

His theme ignores how the history of words contributes to the interrelationships of *meaning* between words. Those interrelationships enable us to recognize variants, and quickly grasp shades of meaning, in a way that arbitrary sounds and spellings cannot. Consider "happy" and the less common "happenstance". Both come from Middle English "hap" which meant "luck" (of Dutch origin). We can see that "happy" has serious underlying implications. It takes on more importance than just a noise about a feeling. Similarly, "Pen", arising through "feather pen" and "pinna" (feather) has more *meaning* than "frindle", period. "Pen" was not an arbitrary invention and, likely, "pinna" was not either.

His theme also ignores the importance of words as two-way pointers. First, a word points to a real thing `out there' in the world -it may be an object, or an equally real abstraction such as "happiness". Words are often chosen to reflect the essential nature of the thing to which they point. This makes them more immediately comprehensible: pinna for feather pen makes sense! Second, the same word points to the mind's collection of ideas and facts about that particular thing. It directs our mind to links we have made with other words, e.g. we can picture Thomas Jefferson and a bottle of India ink.

Anyone who knows "teacup" and "poodle" can predict how small a Teacup Poodle might be, the first time they hear of it. If words were arbitrary noises, without a history, such pointer connections as these would be hard to retain, and combinations like "Teacup Poodle" would be much harder to grasp. If, as "Frindle" encourages, we were to multiply our pointers with "new and useless words' the confusion would do more damage than hinder communication. Ultimately, Clements's "Frindle" is an attack on thinking! He has written an argument that attacks the very tool he relies on. The damage to children is inestimable.

That "Frindle" was acceptable to editors and publishers suggests its theme and plot reflect their own view of language -it is no wonder few children like to read.

P.S. to E.R. Bird: OED logically rejects Clements's myth about the origin of "quiz".

I doubt if anyone has ever strung so many words together without managing to utter anything that was interesting, revealing, insightful, challenging, or thought provoking. Every "character" in this misconceived train wreck is a transparent cut-out. Every line of dialogue is hackneyed and irritating. There is no reason why anyone should ever read this book, ever. But if you are a teacher or parent just looking for anything to occupy your kids for a little while, this might work for you.

I never read an Andrew Clements book before, and I found Frindle to be quite enjoyable. It's hard to believe he could make such an entertaining read from a book about pens, but he pulled it off, thanks to his talent for capturing the mindset and dialogue of middle graders.

Ordered this for my 10 year old and he really liked this book. He read this for one of his summer reading assignments and did a book report on it that was not even required. I will pass this book along to my other children once they are older.

A new favorite at our house! Very engaging, and enjoyed by our children ages 5,8,10, and 12. We prefer the version narrated by John Fleming, but any format of Frindle is s good one.
Parent, homeschooling mom notes:
-I liked the balance of standing for something without being disrespectful or ugly.
-Makes the dictionary a new and interesting topic.

The Book
Nick Allen was one of those kids that loved to "mix things up." He did when he invented the word, "fringle". (I had to add the fringle to my online dictionary.) When 5th grade teacher Mrs. Granger made life tough for Nick and his new word, fringle became a new fad.

My Thoughts
This is a great book to get kids to step out of their own space and create something new. At least that's the message I took away from the reading of this interesting and fun read. Nick is a whitty and fun character.