Sometimes, when I’m just in the mood to
read a feel-good book, I turn to my shelves
and pick up…this one.
Nick is the kind of kid I would have found
both annoying and awe-inspiring if I’d been
one of his fifth grade classmates.
He doesn’t play by the rules, and he’s
always trying to outsmart his teachers.
But Nick’s also full of interesting and
exciting ideas—like calling a pen a frindle.
Naturally, this sets off a war with his prim,
proper, play-by-the-rules English teacher,
Mrs. Granger, who is out to prove that it’s
the pen that’s mightier than the, um, frindle.
But Mrs. Granger is no match for the power
of the word, and soon a frindle craze is sweeping
the nation.
I’ll be honest and admit that part of my
love for this story is that I’m a word nerd.
But like other classics I love to re-read,
such as From The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil
E. Frankweiler, something else that remains
so evergreen and wonderful about this story
is the wish-fulfillment premise.
If a normal, ordinary kid can make such marvelous
things happen, well then, why couldn’t I?
Frindle is a short read and simply written,
but its surprisingly nuanced characters and
original premise make it a book I know you’ll
enjoy and hopefully—like me—go back to.
