Frindle
Acceptable with guidance. Age: 8+. A Catholic review of this book for parents.
Our review
Nick Allen is a fifth grader who loves to stir up trouble. He asks his teacher where words come from, and she tells him that people decide what words mean. So Nick calls a pen a "frindle," and the whole school joins in. It is a funny, clean story with a teacher who turns out to be on Nick's side. The only thing to talk over is the class openly defying a teacher. Age 8+, set by Common Sense Media and the publisher's low end (8-12).
For parents
Age 8+, set by Common Sense Media's 8+ and the publisher's 8-12 range. Read it aloud from 6. Common Sense Media finds no violence or language and notes Nick's fights with his teacher may seem somewhat disrespectful. The ending shows Mrs. Granger was quietly encouraging him all along. Ask: was there a respectful way for Nick to get what he wanted? Talk about the difference between a fun idea and a class refusing to obey.