One of my all-time favorite memories was about a road trip. My family was driving somewhere, I think it was Disneyland, and we decided to listen to the audiobook of Frindle by Andrew Clements. Despite all of us being "too old" for the book, we were in hysterics the entire time. However, last year, Clements published his last book The Frindle Files, a sequel to his very first. And as my family road-tripped to Disneyland yet again, it felt like the perfect time to listen to it.
And I am so glad we did! This book is full of Clements' signature humor, a timely message, and
The Frindle Files follows Josh Willet, who accidentally discovers his teacher Mr. N is actually Nick Allen, the inventor of the word "Frindle." In what started as Josh trying to get his teacher to allow computers in the classroom, his use of a pirated textbook to enact his plans turned into a cause he and his classmates started to champion. In addition, Josh also starts to learn the similarities between how computers work with the grammar rules Mr. N is obsessed with - making him realize his teacher is more relatable than he originally thought.
Now, I am the first to admit that I'm not a huge fan of audiobooks. My auditory processing isn't the best, and I have a bad habit of zoning out right when the important parts happen. However, the narrator did a fantastic job of being engaging, and I didn't zone out once. Since middle school kids are the target audience, I feel like this is especially important that the narrator is engaging, and I could see my own students getting pulled into this story. I think if I were to listen to this narrator again, it would once again be an enjoyable experience and potentially get me more interested in audiobooks as a whole.
The themes were also very timely in a way I didn't expect. It touched on how companies have innovated to make kids dependent on screens, the use of technology in the classroom, and the price of going viral. However, the biggest theme within the story was a warning against book piracy. This has become a giant problem because of the internet, with many indie authors suffering from these sorts of websites. In fact, there are even sites that charge for readers to use them, similar to Kindle Unlimited, but upload the books without the author's knowledge or permission - something that can actually get those authors removed from the more legitimate services. I felt seen as an author as I listened to the book because it not only broke down why book piracy is bad in a way children will understand but it was also written from an author's point of view to show how it hurts them.
I also was very impressed with how well Andrew Clements had kept up with what it was like to be a kid in today's world. It was obvious he had done his research, and made sure things had stayed accurate. While the story was finished before the use of AI started to infiltrate classrooms, it also made it clear to the modern student why using their own words is important. Whether or not they use them for school, social media, or coding.
Overall, I would put this book into any of my student's hands. It's fun and witty, while also teaching how important language is to a more modern audience. There are so many students who get to high school without having ever read a full book, partially because of how the curriculum has changed over the years. And I hope parents and teachers take this book and give it to them so kids start to fall in love with reading again.
The Frindle Files is available through Penguin Random House