The Book: Frindle
Nick Allen, a mischievous fifth grader, has a gift for creative ideas, thinking outside the box, and a taste for troublemaking. Being this type of kid, he decides to coin a new word for pen—Frindle. All he wanted to do was play a little trick on Mrs. Granger, a legendary 5th grade language arts teacher with a passion for proper vocabulary. After all, she told him that ordinary people determine which words end up in the dictionary. But when his new word sweeps the nation, Nick fears that he might have created a monster.

The Author: Andrew Clements
Andrew Clements is the author of Frindle and 80 other published books. He was born in New Jersey, later settling in Illinois. Mr. Clements went on to become a teacher in Illinois, north of Chicago, at the elementary (4th grade - 2 years), middle (8th grade English - 3 years), and high school (English -2 years) levels. According to Clements, “those were invaluable times. I loved getting to know so many people, having a year-long relationship with bright, funny kids, and also getting to read good books and think about big ideas together.” After he left teaching he went into the publishing world, later leaving that to become a full time writer of children’s books.

In the article, Reading Aloud with Children of All Ages by Derry Koralek, she takes you on a journey of reading aloud with children. From babies, to toddlers, to preschoolers, to school aged children Koralek outlines the benefits and importance of reading with your children.

Please take a moment, to read to this meaningful article, or this flyer on the benefits of reading aloud.