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Frindle Review
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. User Submitted Frindle ReviewsNovember 12, 2008 great book 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. October 16, 2008 Words Are Powerful! 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! October 13, 2008 One of my favorite books of all time With a wonderful plot twist not too far from the end, Frindle is an instant favorite with kids of all ages. It's not just about a new word for pen, but about the qualities of all good stories. I wish they sold Frindle T-shirts and hats and pens in the real world... I would buy them! September 27, 2008 Pen! I cannot read this book without being charmed over and over again; at my age it is a quick and delightful read that instantly shuttles me back to the golden age of elementary school and that one kid that just had to egg everyone on. Certainly, there is a lot of teacher-praising going on in this book that might be a little self-fulfilling, but I don't think that lessens the magic much, and what remains is a wonderfully clever tale of the power of determination and creativity. And over the most mundane of things: what used to be called a pen. Besides the wildly interesting story, Clements keeps up great character development as his lead wonders just what the price of fame is--gladly, it all ends happily and justly without any forced morals. No wonder this is a modern kids classic. August 27, 2008 Sneaky Etymology Lesson 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! August 23, 2008 Well . . . 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. March 23, 2008 A story to warm the heart of very child with a curious and rebellious streak This book should be a classic, it demonstrates how a child can rebel against his teachers and yet do it in a positive way. Nick Allen is a bit of a troublemaker in school; he has many "good" ideas and is always trying them out. He reaches fifth grade, and the only language arts teacher is the elderly Mrs. Granger. When one of his ideas goes astray, Nick is required to develop a presentation to the whole class. In typical Nick style, he develops a long presentation that effectively uses up the entire class period. In response to Mrs. Granger's statements about the meaning of a word being based totally on how it is used, he starts calling a writing pen a frindle. The idea catches on with the other students in the school, over the opposition of Mrs. Granger and the principal. Children are required to stay after school and write one hundred times: "I am writing this punishment with a pen." The punishment becomes a badge of honor among the students and it draws the attention of the local paper and then the news media. Once the national news media picks it up, Nick is a star and the school is forced to back down. A local businessman starts to market pens engraved with the phrase "frindle" as well as t-shirts and other merchandise. Nick becomes wealthy and the story closes with two points. The first is that Nick donates a large sum of money for scholarships and he learns that Mrs. Granger was in fact rooting for him all along. The story is charming because it is similar to many of the biographies of successful people. Even when young, they were different, often rebellious and their teachers had a difficult time with them. They were inquisitive, puzzled and always trying to do new things. By presenting this story with a very successful and happy ending, Clements gives heart to all children who are like Nick. February 22, 2008 I actually read this This is a great book. This book is about a scheming kid named Nick who loves to waste class time. So he comes up with schemes to distract teachers from their subjects. In fifth grade he gets a teacher with staring mean eyes. So he tries to trick her, it doesn't work. That trick ends up giving him a long paper to do. I have trouble finding books, but this book was great! You may think it's too short but this book packs a lot of action. January 27, 2008 Review of Frindle for RDS Schooll 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 January 3, 2008 How inventive are you? 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! For more Frindle reviews click here.
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