Title: The Frindle Files
Author: Andrew Clements
Major Themes: Language, Technology
Synopsis: Josh is sure Mr. N has it in for his class, since he’s the only teacher who requires everything to be written by hand—but when an old secret comes to light, can Josh use it to his advantage and bring change to the classroom?
Andrew Clements has been one of my favorite children’s authors for many years now. Not all of his books are hits for me, but I clearly remember reading Frindle for the first time while I was still in school and loving it—so when I saw that The Frindle Files was being released, I knew I wanted to read it. What a great story! It’s sad to think this is the last Clements book to be published, but I think there’s something fitting in having these two stories act as “bookends” to his writing career.
Publisher’s description:
In the long-awaited follow-up to the beloved classic Frindle, a new generation of kids discovers the power of words and imagination—and yes, even screens—to solve a mystery and change their world!
Josh Willet is a techie, a serious gamer. Which is why Josh and his friends can’t stand Mr. N’s ELA class; it’s a strict no-tech zone. Mr. N makes them write everything out by hand, he won’t use a Smartboard, and he’s obsessed with some hundred-year-old grammar book. Then Josh discovers a secret; turns out Mr. N’s been keeping a lot more than technology from his students! Together with his best friend Vanessa, and using all the computer skills they’ve got, Josh is determined to solve the mystery of Mr. N’s past. And maybe get some screentime back, too?
Andrew Clements’s final novel is a timely one—about the importance of language, the changes that come along with technology (good and bad), and how sometimes you have to challenge what you think you know. Set a whole generation later, this novel can be read on its own or alongside Frindle and is destined to become another timeless classic.
My thoughts:
One of the first things that struck me in this story was just how much has changed in the education world since Frindle was first published. Those differences are the point of this story, to some extent, and while this book had the potential to be preachy, it didn’t get that way, in my opinion. I appreciated getting the perspective Clements gives here.
In Frindle, technology in classrooms didn’t extend much further than a hand-held calculator. Students used pens, pencils, and paper to write out their stories, and didn’t really have any other option. In The Frindle Files, however, Josh and all his friends have their own computers, and whenever possible, they do their homework online. So why does Mr. N have to be such a stick in the mud about writing everything out by hand?
Some things don’t change over the decades (and, if I remember correctly, there were close to three decades between the publication dates of these two books). Things like student-teacher relationships can still be difficult, and students still have work to do, even if it looks different these days. But what I loved about this book is that it illustrates that relationships still need to be worked on to grow, and sometimes having something physical rather than digital can have its benefits. There’s also a fun mystery throughout this story!
This also gives some excellent food for thought around the whole technology boom—asking questions like, is it good for us? What is right and wrong to do on a computer? I was surprised to hear a little bit about online pirating in this book; that’s something that doesn’t feature in fiction very often!
If you enjoyed Frindle or any of Clements’ other books, The Frindle Files is another solid story to add to the lineup. I came away from the story impressed and very thankful to have had the chance to read it. Oh, and don’t miss Mr. N’s time with his daughter—that was pretty sweet!
No warnings!
Age levels:
Listening Level—Ages 8 – 12, Family Friendly
Reading Independently—Ages 8 – 12, 10 – 12
Links to buy this book:
Amazon: Paperback | Kindle | Hardcover | Audible Audiobook (unabridged) | Audio CD (unabridged)
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com
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