Frindle

Frindle
by Andrew Clements
a very popular novel when I was in school... but I never chose to read it until now.
I can see why kids and teachers love to use this book in the classroom: interesting story-line, good length and vocabulary for novice readers, and a life lesson! The main character, Nick, is a fifth grade boy for readers to admire. He is the boy with all the great ideas and the charisma to go along with it. My favorite character, however, is the language arts teacher in the story, Mrs. Granger. It takes a while to understand her, but when you do you see just how great of a teacher she is. Maybe that is why I admire her. As a future teacher I only hope my students use what they learn in class to inspire them outside of the classroom. What began as a prank against Mrs. Granger was actually the result of learning. And even more admirable is Mrs. Granger's reaction to this "prank." Her clever way of pushing Nick's idea to succeed shows a lot about her understanding of those students she teaches and of the world in which we live. I recommend this novel not only for students but for educators as well.