A clever fifth grader invents a new word for pen, and it spreads across the whole country
One new word, one big idea
Nick Allen is a fifth grader full of clever ideas. His language arts teacher, Mrs. Granger, loves the dictionary and insists that people, not dictionaries, decide what words mean. To test her, Nick invents a new word, frindle, to mean pen, and persuades his friends to use it. Mrs. Granger fights back, and soon the battle over one little word becomes much bigger than anyone expected.
Who will enjoy it
Readers aged about eight to twelve, teachers and parents who enjoy funny, clever school stories with a heart.
What you will get
A funny, clever and heartwarming school story about the power of words and ideas, with a teacher and student who are more alike than they think.
Frindle Facts: Pages, Genre and Setting
Genre
Children’s Books · School · Words · Humor
Length
112 pages · ≈ 3 h
More about this book
Nick is known for livening up dull lessons with clever schemes, and Mrs. Granger is known for her strict rules and her love of vocabulary. When Nick asks where words come from, she explains that people make them up and agree on their meanings, and the idea of frindle is born. Nick and his friends take a solemn oath to use the new word, and soon kids all over the school are saying it. Mrs. Granger keeps students after class for using it, which only makes it more popular.
A local reporter writes a story, then national newspapers and television pick it up, and frindle spreads across the country. A businessman begins selling frindle merchandise, and Nick learns about fame, money and responsibility. Meanwhile, Nick and Mrs. Granger develop a surprising mutual respect. The final chapters jump ten years ahead and reveal a secret that shows the teacher in a whole new light, giving the story a warm and moving ending. Brian Selznick's drawings add to the fun.
Short, funny and inspiring, a favorite in classrooms. About 112 pages in the Atheneum paperback.
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