Frindle: Chapters 1–5

The day after that Nick turned the classroom thermostat up to about ninety degrees with a little screwdriver he had brought from home.

But the sand got tracked out into the hallway, where Manny the custodian did not think it was creative at all.

But that didn’t stop Nick from trying to liven things up. Lincoln Elementary needed a good jolt once in a while, and Nick was just the guy to deliver it.

Janet, who was sitting four rows away from Nick, promptly turned white, then bright crimson.

Janet, who was sitting four rows away from Nick, promptly turned white, then bright crimson.

Mrs. Avery never figured out who was making that sound, and gradually she trained herself to ignore it.

Fifth grade meant passing classes. It meant no morning recess.

And there were seven fifth-grade teachers: two math, two science, two social studies, but only one language arts teacher. In language arts, Mrs. Granger had a monopoly—and a reputation.

In language arts, Mrs. Granger had a monopoly—and a reputation.

She drove an old, pale blue car to school every morning, rain or shine, snow or sleet, hail or wind.

She had two skirt-and-jacket outfits, her gray uniform and her blue uniform, which she always wore over a white shirt with a little cameo pin at the neck.

She loved the dictionary—almost worshipped it.

But her pride and joy was one of those huge dictionaries with every word in the universe in it, the kind of book it takes two kids to carry. It sat on its own little table at the front of her classroom, sort of like the altar at the front of a church.

Good spelling and good grammar and good word skills are essential for every student.

Clear thinking requires a command of the English language, and fifth grade is the ideal time for every girl and boy to acquire an expanded vocabulary.

Clear thinking requires a command of the English language, and fifth grade is the ideal time for every girl and boy to acquire an expanded vocabulary.

Mrs. Allen said, “It’s so nice to have a teacher who takes her work this seriously.”

He had heard all about her, and he had seen fifth graders in the library last year, noses stuck in their dictionaries, frantically trying to finish their vocabulary sheets before English class.

The first day of school was always a get- acquainted day.

Then there was a handout about class procedures.

After that there was a review paper about cursive writing, and then there was a sample sheet showing how the heading should look on every assignment.

Nick could launch a question guaranteed to sidetrack the teacher long enough to delay or even wipe out the homework assignment.

She hesitated a moment, and gave Nick a smile that was just a little too sweet to be real.

Without question this modern American dictionary is one of the most surprisingly complex and profound documents ever to be created, for it embodies unparalleled etymological detail, reflecting not only superb lexicographic scholarship, but also the dreams and speech and imaginative talents of millions of people over thousands of years—for every person who has ever spoken or written in English has had a hand in its making.

Without question this modern American dictionary is one of the most surprisingly complex and profound documents ever to be created, for it embodies unparalleled etymological detail, reflecting not only superb lexicographic scholarship, but also the dreams and speech and imaginative talents of millions of people over thousands of years—for every person who has ever spoken or written in English has had a hand in its making.

Without question this modern American dictionary is one of the most surprisingly complex and profound documents ever to be created, for it embodies unparalleled etymological detail, reflecting not only superb lexicographic scholarship, but also the dreams and speech and imaginative talents of millions of people over thousands of years—for every person who has ever spoken or written in English has had a hand in its making.

Without question this modern American dictionary is one of the most surprisingly complex and profound documents ever to be created, for it embodies unparalleled etymological detail, reflecting not only superb lexicographic scholarship, but also the dreams and speech and imaginative talents of millions of people over thousands of years—for every person who has ever spoken or written in English has had a hand in its making.

Without question this modern American dictionary is one of the most surprisingly complex and profound documents ever to be created, for it embodies unparalleled etymological detail, reflecting not only superb lexicographic scholarship, but also the dreams and speech and imaginative talents of millions of people over thousands of years—for every person who has ever spoken or written in English has had a hand in its making.

In the harsh fluorescent light of the school day, it seemed impossible.

When you’re planning to go to the carnival after school, the clocks in every class practically run backward, and the school day lasts for about three weeks.

He stood next to the giant dictionary on its little table, and Mrs. Granger walked to the back of the classroom and sat primly on a tall stool next to the bookcases.

The class made a bunch of noise at this big number—“Ooh,” and “Wow!” and stuff like that—and Nick lost his concentration.

Mrs. Granger got off her tall stool, and its wooden legs made a screech on the linoleum.

Nick kept his eyes open wide and nodded, adjusted his glasses on his nose, and began to read.

Mrs. Granger jammed the whole day’s work into the last eight minutes, a blur of verbs and nouns and prepositions, and yes, there was another homework assignment.