Frindle

By Andrew Clements

Is Nick Allen a troublemaker?
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.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
• Release date: Aug 1, 1999
• ISBN: 9780689832505

Andrew Clements

Andrew Clements (1949–2019) was the author of the enormously popular Frindle. More than 10 million copies of his books have been sold, and he was nominated for a multitude of state awards, including a Christopher Award and an Edgar Award. His popular works include About Average, Troublemaker, Extra Credit, Lost and Found, No Talking, Room One, Lunch Money, and more. He was also the author of the Benjamin Pratt & the Keepers of the School series. Find out more at AndrewClements.com.

Book preview

Cover: Frindle, by Andrew Clements

For Becky, Charles, George, Nate, and John

—A.C.

one

Nick

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. Nick deserved a list all his own, and everyone knew it.

Was Nick a troublemaker? Hard to say. One thing’s for sure: Nick Allen had plenty of ideas, and he knew what to do with them.

One time in third grade Nick decided to turn Miss Deaver’s room into a tropical island. What kid in New Hampshire isn’t ready for a little summer in February? So first he got everyone to make small palm trees out of green and brown construction paper and tape them onto the corners of each desk. Miss Deaver had only been a teacher for about six months, and she was delighted. "That’s so cute!"

The next day all the girls wore paper flowers in their hair and all the boys wore sunglasses and beach hats. Miss Deaver clapped her hands and said, "It’s so colorful!"

The day after that Nick turned the classroom thermostat up to about ninety degrees with a little screwdriver he had brought from home. All the kids changed into shorts and T-shirts with no shoes. And when Miss Deaver left the room for a minute, Nick spread about ten cups of fine white sand all over the classroom floor. Miss Deaver was surprised again at just how creative her students could be.

But the sand got tracked out into the hallway, where Manny the custodian did not think it was creative at all. And he stomped right down to the office.

The principal followed the trail of sand, and when she arrived, Miss Deaver was teaching the hula to some kids near the front of the room, and a tall, thin, shirtless boy with chestnut hair was just spiking a Nerf volleyball over a net made from six T-shirts tied together.

The third-grade trip to the South Seas ended. Suddenly.

But that didn’t stop Nick from trying to liven things up. Lincoln Elementary needed a good jolt once in a while, and Nick was just the guy to deliver it.

About a year later, Nick made the great blackbird discovery. One night he learned on a TV show that red-wing blackbirds give this high-pitched chirp when a hawk or some other danger comes near. Because of the way sound travels, the hunter birds can’t tell where the high-pitched chirp is coming from.

The next day during silent reading, Nick glanced at his teacher, and he noticed that Mrs. Avery’s nose was curved—kind of like the beak of a hawk. So Nick let out a high, squeaky, blackbird peep!

Mrs. Avery jerked her head up from her book and looked around. She couldn’t tell who did it, so she just said, Shhh! to the whole class.

A minute later Nick did it again, louder. Peeep! This time there was a little giggling from the class. But Mrs. Avery pretended not to hear the sound, and about fifteen seconds later she slowly stood up and walked to the back of the classroom.

Without taking his eyes off his book, and without moving at all, Nick put his heart and soul into the highest and most annoying chirp of all: Peeeeep!

Mrs. Avery pounced. Janet Fisk, you stop that this instant!

Janet, who was sitting four rows away from Nick, promptly turned white, then bright crimson.

But it wasn’t me . . . honest. There was a catch in Janet’s voice, as if she might cry.

Mrs. Avery knew she had made a mistake, and she apologized to Janet.

But someone is asking for big trouble, said Mrs. Avery, looking more like a hawk every second.

Nick kept reading, and he didn’t make a peep.

At lunchtime Nick talked to Janet. He felt bad that Mrs. Avery had pounced on her. Janet lived in Nick’s neighborhood, and sometimes they played together. She was good at baseball, and she was better at soccer than most of the kids in the whole school, boys or girls. Nick said, Hey Janet—I’m sorry you got yelled at during reading. It was my fault. I was the one who made that sound.

You did? said Janet. But how come Mrs. Avery thought it was me?

So Nick told her about the blackbirds, and Janet thought it was pretty interesting. Then she tried making a peep or two, and Janet’s chirps were even higher and squeakier than Nick’s. She promised to keep everything a secret.

For the rest of Nick’s fourth-grade year, at least once a week, Mrs. Avery heard a loud peeeep from somewhere in her classroom—sometimes it was a high-pitched chirp, and sometimes it was a very high-pitched chirp.

Mrs. Avery never figured out who was making that sound, and gradually she trained herself to ignore it. But she still looked like a hawk.

To Nick, the whole thing was just one long—and successful—science experiment.

And Janet Fisk enjoyed it, too.

two

Mrs. Granger

FIFTH GRADE WAS different. That was the year to get ready for middle school. Fifth grade meant passing classes. It meant no morning recess. It meant real letter grades on your report cards. But most

Reviews for Frindle

[Mae Desmond · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

3.5 Nostalgic book. I enjoyed the story very much, but not sure how to rate it. Child me would probably say it is a 5 star.

[Sarah Stabenow · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Heart warming! Sweet little boy! I tried this at my school, and it worked! Family friendly!

[flamingoflapr · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

My favorite part in the book was when the teacher getting mad

[Benjamin Starr · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Oh my gosh I love this book! It is so smart and funny I one-hundred percent recommend this book.

[scribd092722 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

B o r i n g L o n g.

[Deo Madrid · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a nice and fun book to read! I will be reading this again.

[Jennifer Meyer · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

It is stupid and I don’t like how it was about a pen that’s dumb

[Ronda Enarson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

THIS BOOK IS SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
CUTE!!! ( I am writing this with a FRINDLE!)

[Julie Knouse · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It was an interesting book that my kids found interesting. We loved learning about the trouble-maker of the school. It really thought my kids not to be ever a trouble-maker for their whole life. Great book!!!! Good job Andrew Clements!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[James Kim · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Is Nick Allen a troublemaker?
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.

[Dean · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Idk it funny and it has a good plot ?

[Michelle Shifflett Galli · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I think Frindle is a not just fine book its a fantastic book i think the author of this book is very talented he has many great books and this is one of them.

[Henry Walker · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Best book by Andrew Clements, would definitely read again. ?

[nicole lowe · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Very good, my 7yo was actually enthralled with his first chapter book.

[renee0leggott · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Frindle.... Nuf said

[jljaina · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Did you ever question why something is called what it is? Nick here does. He decides a pen is not a pen, but a Frindle. Apparently, everyone likes the idea and it catches quick. Unrealistically quick, but this is a middle grade book so taking that in stride.

I loved his teacher Mrs. Granger. She lets nothing slip past her and if you try, you'll regret it! She and Nick push each other but it also challenges one another in good ways. Although I do wish she has a slightly better attitude toward the outcome of the plan she unwittingly unleashed. Especially when she starts making the students write sentences. And, on a side note, apparently writing sentences isn't very common anymore. My brothers have nod idea what that is in school. So it might seem a bit dated now to some youth.

This story makes you stop and think but is also lighthearted and amusing. The levels Frindle reaches are crazy yet it is what makes it such a good story.

[john · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

i think frindle is for pussys and it was the worst

[jlaurendine-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This novel tells the story of a boy, Nick Allen, who makes a pact with his friends to change the word "pen" to "frindle" at his school. It catches on wildly, and lands Nick in a world he never expected. It is an amazing story that shows children that they are able to accomplish things they never imagined possible.

[missmillypatching · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

GREAT!!!
BOOK!!!!

[celenam511 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I found this book to be fun and entertaining to read.

[jaimie919 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fifth grader Nick has been making school a lot more fun since third grade. This year his teacher does not deal with unruly actions. He comes up with a wonderful idea. His best one yet. His going to make a new name for his pen. And that name is FRINDLE! He thought it would be funny to trick Mrs.Granger. All his fellow class members begin to use the word frindle and it even people around the country. his parents are Mrs.Granger and very upest with Nick. They want him to stop all of this but he can not now it is out of his control. This book is great to show children that you can do anything if you try hard enough.

[hippielunatic · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a joy to read, the story of a boy who has great ideas and the desire to see them through. Nick has, as many students do, a difficult teacher one year. Due to her love of words, and her insistence that students take responsibility for their education, Nick develops a scheme to get his class to start calling pens by the word frindle. It is a story that shows the power of language, the power of community, and the power of adversity.

Easy to read, with simple words, but complex ideas.

[benuathanasia · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Required reading for every grammarian and English teacher stuck in their ways.

[hhawlk_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoy using this book in both literature circles and as a read aloud. It is a fun way to teach kids about dictionaries, words, and their orgins. The story of the boy and his relationship with the "hard teacher" is so fun for the kids to read about. The end of the book always makes me cry! I love books that teach kids that with determination and hard work they can accomplish anything.

[joshua_24_1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

this is the worst book i ever read i thought .i would not read this!

[shane_12 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I do not care for this book any more. it is lame. warning DO NOT READ!!!

[ckarmstr1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a great book about standing up for yourself. Nick creates a word--a harmless act, but his teacher fights him and the students using it. This is a great book to read to fifth graders. This book gets kids excited about words. I guarantee every kid who reads this book will look in the dictionary for the word "frindle" after finishing this novel. I absolutely loved it!

[cmtanker · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

frindle is a book that i would recmend to read

[ywoo_7 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a book about a boy named Nick inventing a new word instead of the word pen.Nick is a clever boy.And his friends likes him, because Nick helps his classmates do not study and he also helps his classmates skip over the test for asking the question again and again.(Nick has a big imagination.) Then when he goes to fifth grade, everything got different. When Nick asked a question to his teacher, the teacher said to found out the answer for the classmates. So he did. After few days he call his friend and oath that they would not say pen , they would say frindle instead.

[j7brittain1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

mrs.granger did not like nicks new word frindle it is good