Frindle

Overview:
Length: 105 pages
Chapters: 15
Genre: realistic fiction
Author: Andrew Clements

Summary:
Frindle is a story about a creative boy named Nick who
likes to makes class time exciting. When Nick reaches fifth
grade, he encounters Mrs. Granger, the English teacher, who
challenges him to think about who makes the words that are in
the dictionary. Nick decides he is going to make up his own word
and renames the pen “frindle”.
Nick does not intend for the chaos that his idea brings
about. He first convinces the fifth grade to use the word “frindle”
instead of pen. Before he knows what has happened, he is
appearing on TV and “frindle” has become a household word all
over the country.
The book ends with Nick as a college student, rich from all
the money he has made from marketing the word “frindle”,
receiving a package from Mrs. Granger containing a dictionary
with the word “frindle” in it and a long letter about how proud she
is of his accomplishment.

Readability Level:
This book is for a middle level reader.

Supportive characteristics:
• Short chapters: about 8- 10 pages on average.
• Large print
• 15 chapters
• Pictures to support chapter
• About a student around the same age as the class.
• Generally simple sentences, some compound
sentences
Challenging Characteristics:
• Some difficult vocabulary
• There are a few chapters that are lengthier than others.
 Frindle

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Chapter 1

Vocabulary:

p. 1 – Tropical
p. 3 – jolt
p. 5 – crimson

Choose two of the vocabulary words and define them.

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Questions: Restate the question.

1) (I) In your opinion, is Nick a trouble maker? Why or why

not?
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2) (L) Who was really making the blackbird noises in Mrs.

Avery’s class?
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Chapter 2

Vocabulary:

p. 6 – reputation
p. 11 – acquire
p. 11 – essential
p. 12 – frantically

Use context clues to define two of the words.

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Questions:

1) (L) What is Mrs. Granger’s battle cry?

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2) (I) Why do you think it was called her battle cry?

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Chapter 3

Vocabulary:

p. 13 – procedures
p. 14 – sidetrack

Use these vocabulary words in a sentence other than the

sentence used in the book.

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Questions:

1) What does the author mean by “thought grenade”?

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2) Does Nick’s turn out to be the perfect “thought grenade”?

Why or why not?
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Chapter 4

Vocabulary:

p. 19 – origin
p. 20 – complex
p. 20 – profound

Choose one of the vocabulary words and draw a picture that

represents the meaning.

Questions:

1) Make a prediction: What do you think Nick’s “big idea” is

going to be? Explain your thinking.
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2A) In Nick’s family, the rule is homework first. Do you think

this is fair? Why or why not?
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2B) What are some rules in your family? Do you think they are
fair? Why or why not?
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Chapter 5

Vocabulary:

p. 22 – jumble
p. 23 – glanced
p. 29 – reputation

Choose two of your vocabulary words and list synonyms and

antonyms for each word.

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Questions:

1A) What was Nick’s big idea?

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1B) How did this compare to your prediction?

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Chapter 6

Vocabulary:

p. 35 – absorbed
p. 38 – oath

Use the words in a sentence that demonstrates their meaning.

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Questions:

1) Write a summary of the events that occur in this chapter.

Be sure to include all three important things that happen.
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Chapter 7

Vocabulary:

p. 39 – blurted
p. 40 – emphasize

Give a definition for each of the vocabulary words.

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Questions:

1) Come up with three questions about the book so far that

you would like to discuss with the group.

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 Chapter 8

Questions:

1) If you were one of the fifth graders in this book, would you
use the word “frindle” and stay after school? Why or why
not?
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Chapter 9

Vocabulary:

p. 51 – forbidding
p. 51 – rebellion
p. 53 – vandalism

Write a definition for two of the vocabulary words using context

clues.

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Write a paragraph comparing and contrasting yourself to one of

the characters in the book. Complete the Venn diagram first and
use it to help you with your paragraphs.

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Complete the Venn diagram: Compare your life to the life of one
of the characters in the book.

Your life ______________’s life

Chapter 10

Vocabulary:

p. 59 – prank
p. 61 – fad

Give a dictionary definition for each of the vocabulary words.

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**Pretend you are Judy Morgan, the reporter from The Westfield
Gazette. Write a newspaper article telling the story of Nick, Mrs.
Granger, and the word “frindle”. This article should include at
least two paragraphs.

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 Chapter 11

Vocabulary:

p. 68 – mastermind

Draw a picture that represents the vocabulary word.

Questions:

1) On page 67, the author writes, “ It was quite an article. Not

that Judy Morgan didn’t tell the truth – every statement in
the article was completely true. It was the particular way
she told the truth that got things hopping around town.”
What does Clements mean by the underlined statement?

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 Chapters 12&13

Vocabulary:

p. 70 – awkward
p. 72 – preliminary
p. 76 – disruption
p. 82 – ruckus
p. 84 - mania

Use two of the vocabulary works in a sentence.

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Questions:

1) Make a comic strip that goes along with the events of these
two chapters. Include six events or details from the
chapters.

Chapter 14

Vocabulary:

p. 90 – rascal
p. 92 – remarkable
p. 93 – commotion

Use context clues to come up with definitions for two of the

vocabulary words.
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Questions:

1) Make a prediction. What do you think will happen in the

end of the story, ten years later?

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2) What do you think is in the letter that Mrs. Granger has for
Nick? Explain your answer.

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 Chapter 15

Vocabulary:

p. 99 – villain
p. 100 – endures
p. 100 – oblong
p. 103 – pupil
p. 105 – engraved

Use these vocabulary words to write a short paragraph. Use 4 of

the 5 words.

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Questions:

1) Why is Nick rich? Use specific examples from the book to

support your answer.

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 2) What did you think of the ending? Explain your answer.
Use specific examples from the book.
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 3) Do you think something like this could really happen? Why
or why not?
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If you could have your own entry in the dictionary what would
it be? What word would you make up? What would the word
mean? Create a dictionary entry for your word. Include a
definition, a sentence that shows the meaning of your word
and a picture that demonstrates what your word means.

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Create an advertisement for a Frindle. Be creative. You can

use pictures and words. The advertisement should make the
reader want to buy a Frindle. Include a price for your Frindle
product and anything else you would like to add.