Frindle

Andrew Clements
Simon & Schuster, 1996

Where do words come from? Nick's teacher, Mrs. Granger, says that people agree on what words to use and what they mean, and if everyone decided to change the meaning of a word then one day it would be changed in the dictionary.

Mrs. Granger never expected Nick to try it.

A battle of wills ensues, with Mrs. Granger defending the dictionary and Nick Allen attempting to get his entire school to use the new word "frindle" instead of "pen." This book is the first and one of the best of Andrew Clements' collection of school stories which feature unique and well drawn characters, clever plot lines, and heart-warming endings. Great for readers age 8 and up.