“If you asked the kids and the teachers at Lincoln Elementary School to make three lists–all the really bad kids, all the really smart kids, and all the really good kids–Nick Allen would not be on any of them.”

From Andrew Clements’ Frindle.

Much to his teachers’ dismay, young Nick’s constant desire to make his classmates laugh with his newest plan has never dulled all through his time in elementary school.  Now entering fifth grade, Nick learns that his English teacher will be the stern Mrs. Granger, and he knows that he’ll have to move quickly to pull off a fun prank before she cracks down.  Nick decides to ask Mrs. Granger about each and every word in the dictionary, but Mrs. Granger responds by assigning Nick to write an essay on the dictionary instead.  While working on his special assignment, Nick learns how words are created and entered in the dictionary, and after finding a cool pen, he decides to create a word of his own: frindle.  Abandoning the use of the word pen for frindle, Nick quickly influences his schoolmates and frindle only grows in popularity.  Mrs. Granger and even the school principle try to stop kids from using frindle, but it quickly grows beyond Nick’s control receiving national recognition.  While Nick tries to figure out how to move forward with the prank that grew into such a big movement, he must decide how far he’s willing to go to protect frindle against the world.

Clements’ is well-known as a master storyteller, and his first juvenile chapter book is no exception, which is evidenced by how popular it has stayed over time.  The story will appeal equally to both children and adult readers with elements that are unexpected, fun, and captivating.  An unforgettable story, Frindle is a must-read for anyone looking for a solid, quick read.