Frindle

Book: Frindle

Author: Andrew Clements

Summary: Nick Allen doesn't like his English teacher. So he invents a new word and tries to get all of his friends and the school to use it as well as his teacher.

Evaluation: This book shows students what you can do if you set your mind to something and want to accomplish it. Nick never gives up in the book despite all the opposition he faces. This book would be under contemporary realistic fiction because it is a story that could actually happen. Everything is realistic and nothing is far fetched.

Motivational Activities:

Create a dictionary: Each student would create a new word for a classroom object. They would have to come up with the word and a reasonable reason as to why they named it that. Then the teacher would put together a classroom dictionary of all the words.

Interviews: The students would interview their families to find out what kinds of words they used as babies. The next day the teacher will list them on the boards without meanings and the students will try to guess what they meant.

Personal Comments: I've always loved this book. I would always have so much fun reading it when I was in class. I think its a great book to teach children determination.

Questions:

1. What words did you use as a baby?
2. Why do you think the teacher put up such a fight against the word?

References:

Clements, Andrew, and Brian Selznick. Frindle. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster for Young Readers, 1996. Print.