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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
i stared at the words "trilemma of international finance" on my econs notes for a while, then gave up. instead i read a children's book i remembered seeing but never picking up in primary school.
the premise of the book is very simple. boy decides "pen" will henceforth be called "frindle". adults object. but his new word gains popularity anyway. hurray.
slightly embarrassed to say some parts made me laugh. such as boy's teacher confronting him over his antics by saying "i'd like to have a WORD with you."
aside from the occasional joke, the novel contains some serious discussions of prescient issues, a fraction of which i will attempt to surface below.
firstly, points docked due to the capitalist businessman character who trademarks the word frindle and uses it to mass produce pens with "frindle" inscribed on them. the book correctly points out he is entirely driven by greed - for example, the book specifically mentions that he produces "cheap plastic ballpoint pens", subtly implying how his soulless pursuit of profit leads to a disregard for quality and for the environment. in fact, he doesm't even remember the name of the boy whose idea he's stealing. however, the book then celebrates the millions of dollars the boy eventually receives as a share of the profits, describing with glee the mountain bike and computer he buys for himself - uncritically condoning the inherently inethical accumulation of wealth.
in another passage, the main character contemplates organising a peaceful protest against the poor quality of cafeteria food by getting students to bring their own packed lunches until improvements are made. curiously, the blame for the poor quality is placed on the lunch ladies: he was sure those women didn't cook food like that for their families. it is revealing how the novel chooses to blame the poor lunch ladies, who are probably woefully underpaid, instead of the country's education and healthcare systems, of whom the lunch ladies are simply a small and powerless part.
secondly, the novel shares some key thematic concerns with our literature text, Age of Iron. where Coetzee breaks open the etymology of words to reveal new ways of seeing - life is biting the dust, the stupidity of our politicians turns us to stone - Clements considers how the meaning and power we assign to words are inherently linked to notions of authority, and not to be taken for granted. the main character's teacher explicitly calls the dictionary "the law". in a tense scene, where the principal of the school visits the main character's house to talk to his parents about the usage of "frindle" growing out of hand, there is a discussion of how the problem is not the word itself, but that its persistent use seems to be symbolic of a larger defiance against authority.
finally. at one point, the main character's teacher says: this new word is a fad. if you add an e to fad, it becomes fade. i believe this fad will fade.
my primary school self certainly would have liked that. it's something that would be enjoyed by primary schoolers who think saying "therefore this house believes that the motion should sink like the titanic" is clever. i was just a supporter at that debate competition, but it was in the registration hall that a teacher from another school came by and told my school's team to say it. now that i think about it i think she was trying to sabotage us.
so at least my primary school self might have liked this book, because my jc self didn't really. although i think that has more to do with the "macroeconomic policies" notes on my bed, lying open like a dumb mouth. someone please help me i don't want to get D again for prelims
the premise of the book is very simple. boy decides "pen" will henceforth be called "frindle". adults object. but his new word gains popularity anyway. hurray.
slightly embarrassed to say some parts made me laugh. such as boy's teacher confronting him over his antics by saying "i'd like to have a WORD with you."
aside from the occasional joke, the novel contains some serious discussions of prescient issues, a fraction of which i will attempt to surface below.
firstly, points docked due to the capitalist businessman character who trademarks the word frindle and uses it to mass produce pens with "frindle" inscribed on them. the book correctly points out he is entirely driven by greed - for example, the book specifically mentions that he produces "cheap plastic ballpoint pens", subtly implying how his soulless pursuit of profit leads to a disregard for quality and for the environment. in fact, he doesm't even remember the name of the boy whose idea he's stealing. however, the book then celebrates the millions of dollars the boy eventually receives as a share of the profits, describing with glee the mountain bike and computer he buys for himself - uncritically condoning the inherently inethical accumulation of wealth.
in another passage, the main character contemplates organising a peaceful protest against the poor quality of cafeteria food by getting students to bring their own packed lunches until improvements are made. curiously, the blame for the poor quality is placed on the lunch ladies: he was sure those women didn't cook food like that for their families. it is revealing how the novel chooses to blame the poor lunch ladies, who are probably woefully underpaid, instead of the country's education and healthcare systems, of whom the lunch ladies are simply a small and powerless part.
secondly, the novel shares some key thematic concerns with our literature text, Age of Iron. where Coetzee breaks open the etymology of words to reveal new ways of seeing - life is biting the dust, the stupidity of our politicians turns us to stone - Clements considers how the meaning and power we assign to words are inherently linked to notions of authority, and not to be taken for granted. the main character's teacher explicitly calls the dictionary "the law". in a tense scene, where the principal of the school visits the main character's house to talk to his parents about the usage of "frindle" growing out of hand, there is a discussion of how the problem is not the word itself, but that its persistent use seems to be symbolic of a larger defiance against authority.
finally. at one point, the main character's teacher says: this new word is a fad. if you add an e to fad, it becomes fade. i believe this fad will fade.
my primary school self certainly would have liked that. it's something that would be enjoyed by primary schoolers who think saying "therefore this house believes that the motion should sink like the titanic" is clever. i was just a supporter at that debate competition, but it was in the registration hall that a teacher from another school came by and told my school's team to say it. now that i think about it i think she was trying to sabotage us.
so at least my primary school self might have liked this book, because my jc self didn't really. although i think that has more to do with the "macroeconomic policies" notes on my bed, lying open like a dumb mouth. someone please help me i don't want to get D again for prelims
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
As a teacher and linguist this charming and adorable story is now on one of my favorites stories of all times. So simple, yet, with so much to unpack!!! I also read this as an audiobook and the performance was top notch. Middle grade March started strong <3
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Great story! With the perfect ending. We all enjoyed every chapter of this book together. It was such a fun read.
Re-read the bulk of this while waiting in line at the RMV -- crowd around me was probably wondering about the middle-aged lady sniffling over a kid's book! This story, about a kid-led movement to coin a new word, is beautifully told with just the right amount of suspense and human feeling. It also has a great teacher character in it!
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Listened to the Audiobook on a road trip with our 6, 8, and 10 year-olds. We loved it. Highly recommend
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book was so much fun to read! I really enjoyed getting to know both Nick and Mrs. Granger.
My kids have both read and loved this book at around 9 years old. My daughter and I listened to it on audiobook for homeschool and giggled a lot throughout. My son re-reads it every so often as a comfort read. It's a classic. The audiobook version is fun and engaging as well.