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 Elementary ed. pre-service teacher review September 30, 2009
Marianne Daino
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.
Frindle August 21, 2009
This story takes place in Westfield at Lincoln Elementary School. The characters of this story are Nick Allen and Mrs.Granger. Nick Allen is a troublemaker in the whole fifth grade and his friend Janet drops a pen and he calls it a frindle. His teacher Mrs.Granger knows that there is a word pen so why sould he make the word frindle? That is all I can tell you, so you should go to www.amazon.com and check it out. I think it's a great story!
 The Amazing News Feed! August 20, 2009
This story takes place in a not so big town called Westfeid.The main characters in this story well there are not so many important characters, just Nick,and Ms.Granger are the most important. Ms.Granger is not so happy in the begining but something could change in this not so big novel. Nick creates a new word and it makes a little havoc in the town and country. So as you can see this is a great book and it has an amazing ending so buy the book and I guarantee you won't regret it.
Frindlific! August 7, 2009
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Frindle is a book about a boy named Nick who makes a new word for pen. When all the kids start to use it, their language teacher, Mrs. Granger becomes very angry and assigns them a punishment. Then a reporter from the Westfield Gazette comes to Nick's school to write an article about the new word. Because it becomes extremely popular, Frindle makes it into the dictionary that Mrs. Granger recommends for her students to use.
I loved every thing about this book. It was super entertaining! But my favorite part was when the word frindle was put in the dictionary. I highly recommend this book to who ever has a frindle.
Frindlific! August 7, 2009
Frindle is a book about a boy named Nick who makes a new word for pen. When all the kids start to use it, their language teacher, Mrs. Granger becomes very angry and assigns them a punishment. Then a reporter from the Westfield Gazette comes to Nick's school to write an article about the new word. Because it becomes extremely popular, Frindle makes it into the dictionary that Mrs. Granger recommends for her students to use.
I loved every thing about this book. It was super entertaining! But my favorite part was when the word frindle was put in the dictionary. I highly recommend this book to who ever has a frindle.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 364
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