Frindle
Frindle
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Aladdin
Annotation: An imaginative tale about creative thought, a boy, his teacher, his classmates and the power of words.
 
Reviews: 7
Catalog Number: #110726
Format: Perma-Bound Edition
Teaching Materials: Search
Special Formats: Chapter Book Chapter Book
Common Core/STEAM: Common Core Common Core
Publisher: Aladdin
Copyright Date: 1996
Edition Date: 1998 Release Date: 02/01/98
Illustrator: Selznick, Brian,
Pages: 105 pages
ISBN: Publisher: 0-689-81876-9 Perma-Bound: 0-605-60807-5
ISBN 13: Publisher: 978-0-689-81876-9 Perma-Bound: 978-0-605-60807-8
Dewey: Fic
LCCN: 95026671
Dimensions: 20 cm.
Language: English
Reviews:
Horn Book (Mon Apr 01 00:00:00 CST 1996)

Nick's teacher explains that a word means something only because people decide it does. And thus is born 'frindle', Nick's new name for 'pen', promising and delivering a classic student-teacher battle. The battle assumes the proportions of a tall tale, and although outrageous and hilarious, it's all plausible, and every bit works from the premise to the conclusion.

Kirkus Reviews

Nicholas is a bright boy who likes to make trouble at school, creatively. When he decides to torment his fifth-grade English teacher, Mrs. Granger (who is just as smart as he is), by getting everyone in the class to replace the word pen'' withfrindle,'' he unleashes a series of events that rapidly spins out of control. If there's any justice in the world, Clements (Temple Cat, 1995, etc.) may have something of a classic on his hands. By turns amusing and adroit, this first novel is also utterly satisfying. The chess like sparring between the gifted Nicholas and his crafty teacher is enthralling, while Mrs. Granger is that rarest of the breed: a teacher the children fear and complain about for the school year, and love and respect forever after. With comically realistic black-and-white illustrations by Selznick (The Robot King, 1995, etc.), this is a captivating tale—one to press upon children, and one they'll be passing among themselves. (Fiction. 8-12)"

School Library Journal

Gr 4-6--Nicholas Allen, a sharp, creative, independent thinker starts fifth grade looking for a way to sabotage his Language Arts class. The teacher, Mrs. Granger, is a legend, and he believes her when she states that it is the people who decide what words go into the dictionary. Picking up a dropped pen triggers a brilliant idea. He coins a new word for pen-frindle. It's all for fun, but frindle catches on and Nick finds himself on the "Late Show" and "Good Morning America" explaining his new word. Readers will chuckle from beginning to end as they recognize themselves and their classrooms in the cast of characters. A remarkable teacher's belief in the power of words shines through the entire story, as does a young man's tenacity in proving his point. Outstanding and witty.--Pamela K. Bomboy, Chesterfield County Public Schools, VA

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Trying to aggravate a tough language-arts teacher, a fifth-grade boy invents a new word for pen: """"frindle."""" Soon, the whole country is using it. """"Dictionary lovers will cotton to this mild classroom fantasy,"""" said PW. Ages 8-12. (Feb.)

ALA Booklist (Sun Sep 01 00:00:00 CDT 1996)

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

Reviewing Agencies: - Find Other Reviewed Titles
Horn Book (Mon Apr 01 00:00:00 CST 1996)
Kirkus Reviews
School Library Journal
Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
ALA Booklist (Sun Sep 01 00:00:00 CDT 1996)
Wilson's Children's Catalog
Word Count: 16,232
Reading Level: 5.4
Interest Level: 4-7
Accelerated Reader: reading level: 5.4 / points: 2.0 / quiz: 16637 / grade: Middle Grades
Reading Counts!: reading level:4.8 / points:5.0 / quiz:Q04243
Lexile: 830L
Guided Reading Level: R
Fountas & Pinnell: R

From bestselling and award-winning author Andrew Clements, a quirky, imaginative tale about creative thought and the power of words that will have readers inventing their own words.

Is Nick Allen a troublemaker? He really just likes to liven things up at school -- and he's always had plenty of great ideas. When Nick learns some interesting information about how words are created, suddenly he's got the inspiration for his best plan ever...the frindle. Who says a pen has to be called a pen? Why not call it a frindle? Things begin innocently enough as Nick gets his friends to use the new word. Then other people in town start saying frindle. Soon the school is in an uproar, and Nick has become a local hero. His teacher wants Nick to put an end to all this nonsense, but the funny thing is frindle doesn't belong to Nick anymore. The new word is spreading across the country, and there's nothing Nick can do to stop it.


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