A Creative Take on this Classic Treasure

Title: Frindle
Author: Andrew Clements
Copyright: 1996
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Guided Reading Level: R
Genre: Fiction

This book has won:
The Christopher Award


Summary: Who knew a young boy could come up with an incredibly popular new word for something like a pen? Frindle is a story written in third person about the story of a curious young Nick Allen. Nick really just likes to make things exciting at school, but sometimes he gets into trouble. His strict teacher, Mrs. Granger, wants to make sure everyone in her class is learning with no fooling around going on in the classroom. When Nick learns about the dictionary and how words are made, Nick wants to come up with new meanings for some words. Nick decides to re-name pen "frindle"! Nick's new name for pen becomes so popular that everyone starts calling pens "frindles" - making Nick an extremely popular kid! 

Suggested Delivery: Read Aloud


Electronic Resources:

  • Here is a great jeopardy review game to play with the class when the novel is completed: Frindle Jeopardy 
  • This is a great book trailer to show students before the novel is read:


Increasing Comprehension Skills:

Before Read Aloud:

  • Create a crossword puzzle for the key vocabulary words as a morning warm up activity. Students will love this activity, and they will also benefit from it greatly.  Also create a word wall for the novel as a visual aid!
  • Have students brainstorm what the book is about by discussing the cover of the book.  Do this before showing the book trailer, if the book trailer is chosen to be implemented in during this read aloud unit. 
During Read Aloud:
  • Point out key vocabulary words in the text while reading, and use a Word Detective sheet for vocabulary homework.
  • Make sure students come up with a Text to Text connection, a Text to Self connection, and a Text to World connection during the read aloud. They can write as many as they want, but they should have at least one of each type in their reading journals, and also need to write a brief summary about each connection. These connections will help students really relate to the characters in this amazing novel.
After Read Aloud:
  • A popcorn review would be a wonderful strategy for after the novel is read. This rapid-fire tactic is engaging for students because they listen to their peers share quickly, and every student is involved. In order for this to happen, the teacher should go around the classroom pointing to each student while they say whatever comes to their mind first.  Here is a link to a video about using popcorn review: Popcorn Review
  • Students would love creating a class padlet for this book. It can be such a fun activity, and students can create their own words for objects that are already made. Just like how Nick renamed pen,"frindle", students can create names. They should explain why they came up with the name though, just like how I provided my short explanation in my padlet entry. Here is a sample of what the padlet should look like: http://padlet.com/wall/bm1y3y3zh4fh

 Writing Activity:
After creating the padlet together as a class, have students write a short essay about the word they decided to re-create. Students should describe why they decided to create the word and how the name of the new word relates to the meaning of the original one. They should also also use some of the T-T, T-W, and T-S connections they have recorded in their journals in their essays! They can draw a picture of the original object, write the original word, and then the new word. The short essay can go below the drawing. Students will really enjoy this activity!

Tiffany Tidbit - This book is such a classic! I love Nick's character - he is such a funny individual. There is absolutely nothing negative to say about this great novel from Clements. Using technology while completing this read aloud in the classroom would be an amazing idea. Students will love making a class padlet, and the padlet could even be screenshot, blown up, and displayed in the classroom. :)

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