Granger and the school princpal's interactions with Nick's parents. However, I'm on the fence with this because of the portrayal of Mrs.

It can be viewed as promoting free thought and imagination. On the one hand, I reckon I can see how this book would have 'educational appeal.' I can see that this book is clearly intended to cause children to think about the words they use. The media catches the hype and the word frindle explodes. A local entrepreneur decides to market the word. Granger, tells him words have the meaning that they do 'because we say so.' (More or less -that's what she says.) As an experiment, Nick tries to change the word 'pen' to 'frindle.' (Hence the title of the book.) Soon all the fifth graders in the school are referring to their pens as frindles. His English teacher assigns him some homework which sparks some inner curiosity about how words come to have the meaning that they do. This is the story about a fifth grader named Nick who is something of a manipulative class clown. Because it's a quick read - I'd say read it for yourself and you can form your own conclusions well enough.

Although I read it fast I have yet to come to a conclusion over whether or not I liked it. It's a quick read so I finished it immediately. I never did find it at the library, but found a copy at Goodwill on a weekly shopping trip so I quickly chucked it in the cart. This book was recommend to me long, long ago and I finally stumbled across a copy.

Chronicles of Narnia Reading Challenge (74).

It would make a great read-aloud to 7-8 yr olds. I can see why it is a favourite of so many people, young and old. I learnt about this book in the Kid’s Lit Quiz (An International Reading Competition run by Wayne Mills NZOM). Nick’s word soon becomes a HUGE deal, with run-away results. But is it against school rules? Is it offensive? Is it really such a big deal? Nick decides he’d like to change a word and begins calling a pen a Frindle. Mrs Granger loves her dictionary and insists they all have their own personal copies for their homework. But something she says in class triggers an idea. She is a 5th grade (Year 6 in NZ and UK) teacher, and at first his intended trick backfires. He uses stalling tactics, or time- wasting questions to trick teachers into not setting homework, or to avoid more work in class.īut Mrs Granger is different. Nick has a reputation in school for making class interesting.

Frindle novel