AUTHOR: Andrew Clements
ILLUSTRATOR: Brian Selzick
PUBLISHER: Atheneum Books for Young Readers PUBLICATION DATE: 1998
AWARDS: Christopher Award
GENRE: Realistic Fiction READING LEVEL: 3rd grade
BRIEF OVERVIEW: Words must come from somewhere… right?
So when Nick learns that the creating of words has a source, he decides to make
up his own word to describe what society has learned to call a “pen”. He calls it a “frindle” and it catches on
fast- first, his friends, then his town, and now nationally. How will he ever get this to stop?
INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Create a list of vocabulary words
from the book and classroom objects.
Have students come up with different names to call these regular items.
Create a “new” word list, and have students use the new words for one week.
REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Ashley January,
Valdosta State University ECSE
