Frindle

Who says a pen has to be called a pen? Why not call it a frindle? That's what Nick Allen does. As the idea spreads, his teacher, Mrs. Granger, becomes more and more exasperated. What will happen?

Discovery Questions

After your child receives and reads this book, Discuss one or more of the following questions to help him/her make connections and build comprehension.

• Mrs. Granger challenged Nick to a word-game war. When have you challenged someone? What was it over? How did it end? Discuss this with a parent.
• Mrs. Granger asks Nick to research how words are chosen for a dictionary. The assignment has unforeseen consequences, however, when Nick invents a new word. What other idea, in another story, started out as a good idea, but had unforeseen consequences? Compare the two using a Venn diagram.
• There are names for things that are different in different regions. For example, in the south, a water fountain is called a "bubbler". In England a coat is called a "topper". What harm could there possibly be from inventing a new word for something? Talk about this with a parent or adult friend.
• When Nick turns 21 and receives his royalties for inventing the word "frindle", he is a very rich man. Pretend you won the lottery, and suddenly became quite wealthy. Write the story of how you decide what to spend your money on, and how you would spend it. Share your story with a parent.

Book Details