Frindle (1996) by Andrew Clements
Nick Allen isn’t a bad kid, but he certainly uses his clever ideas and wit to his advantage. So, when he asks his 5th grade teacher, Mrs. Granger, about her favorite book, the dictionary, he’s really only trying to stall that day’s lessons. But what she says in her answer leads to one of his biggest ideas yet. In an experiment with how words are made, Nick creates his own new word for ‘pen’–‘frindle.’ What starts as a 5th grader testing his teacher, becomes something bigger than any of them could have guessed.
This is a super quick read, and I’ve read it far too many times to count. It’s fun, sweet, and a great commentary on how change is created in our world. And, if you’re anything like me, Frindle will leave you with some happy tears at the end. If you haven’t read this yet, please do yourself a favor and do so.