Frindle
 Front cover: Nicholas "Nick" Allen holding a "frindle", or pen | |
| Author | Andrew Clements |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Brian Selznick |
| Cover artist | Selznick |
| Genre | Realistic fiction |
| Publisher | Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers |
Publication date | December 19, 1996 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (hardcover, paperback) |
| Pages | 105 pages |
| ISBN | 0-689-80669-8 |
| OCLC | 38482602 |
| LC Class | PZ7.C59118 Fr 1996[1] |
Frindleis a middle-grade Americanchildren's novelwritten byAndrew Clements,illustrated byBrian Selznick,and published byAladdin Paperbacksin 1996. It was the winner of the 2016Phoenix Award,which is granted by theChildren's Literature Associationannually to recognize one English-language children's book published twenty years earlier that did not win a major literary award at the time of publication.[2]
Frindlewas Clements'sfirst novel;all of his previous works had been picture books. According to Clements, the book originated from the thought, "What would happen if a kid started using a new word, and other kids really liked it, but his teacher didn't?"[3]
Plot[edit]
Nicholas "Nick" Allen is a class clown who has been formulating creative schemes throughoutgrade school.At the start offifth gradein 1987, he is unhappy because his English teacher is the no-nonsense Mrs. Granger. One day, in an attempt to forestall, Nick decides to question Granger on where each word in thedictionarycomes from. This backfires, as Mrs. Granger assigns him anessayabout it. From this experience, Nick learns that individuals get to determine what words mean, and when he comes across a gold-colored pen in the street, he decides to give a "pen" a new name:frindle.
Nick's classmates really like the idea and soon, every child in the fifth grade starts using the wordfrindle.Mrs. Granger makes any students who are caught sayingfrindlestay after school andwrite lines,but this proves to be a problem, as this causes almost every student to stay after school. Theschool principaldecides to visit Nick's house to end the use offrindle,but the situation is beyond Nick's personal control, and the word's usage cannot be curtailed.Frindlestarts to gain national attention, and a family friend purchases themerchandisingrights to the word. The wordfrindlespreads across the nation, and Nick thinks through the trouble that this one scheme has caused.
In theepilogue,Nick is a young adult. Mrs. Granger sends him a new copy of the dictionary, recently updated to include new words, including the wordfrindle.She includes a letter, in which she explains that sheintentionally stood against the word in order to make it more popular.Nick sends back a present — the frindle that started it all,engravedwith the words, "This object belongs to Mrs. Lorelei Granger, and she may call it any name she chooses."
Awards and honors[edit]
The U.S.National Education AssociationnamedFrindleone of "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children" based on a 2007 online poll.[4]
In 2012, it was ranked number 38 among all-time children's novels in a survey published bySchool Library Journal,a monthly with a primarily U.S. audience.[5]
The book has received more than 35 awards and honors, including among other schoolchildren's choice awards:[6][7]
- Judy Lopez Memorial Honor Book (L.A.), Award 97
- 1998–99 Maud Hart Lovelace Award, MN Youth Rdg. Award
- Prize Cento,1998, Cento, Italy
- Year 1999 Young Hoosier Book Award
- 2016Phoenix Award[2]
Film adaptation[edit]
In 2015, it was announced that a film adaptation was in development with Mike Karz and Bill Bindley producing andSam Harperpenning the script.Susan Sarandonsigned on to portray Mrs. Lorelei Granger.[8]As of 2024[update],no further development has been announced.[citation needed]
References[edit]
- ^"Frindle"(first edition). Library of Congress Online Catalog (lccn.loc.gov). Retrieved 2015-09-13.
- ^ab"Phoenix Award"ArchivedSeptember 23, 2015, at theWayback Machine.Children's Literature Association (childlitassn.org). June 2015. Retrieved 2015-09-13.
- ^"EPA's Top 100 Authors: Andrew Clements".Educational Paperback Association. Archived fromthe originalon November 18, 2007.RetrievedApril 19,2009.
- ^National Education Association (2007)."Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children".Archived fromthe originalon February 5, 2009.RetrievedAugust 19,2012.
- ^Bird, Elizabeth (July 7, 2012)."Top 100 Chapter Book Poll Results".A Fuse #8 Production. Blog.School Library Journal(blog.schoollibraryjournal.com). Archived fromthe originalon July 13, 2012.RetrievedAugust 19,2012.
- ^"Frindle".Simon & Schuster Digital Catalog.Archivedfrom the original on March 4, 2016.RetrievedAugust 19,2012.
- ^"Andrew Clements – Frindle".Archivedfrom the original on June 3, 2010.RetrievedMay 2,2010.
- ^Chase, Lou (May 29, 2015)."{TB EXCLUSIVE} Susan Sarandon Set To Star In" Frindle "Based On Classic Children's Book".Tracking Board.RetrievedAugust 9,2020.
External links[edit]
