Cover of Frindle

Frindle

by Andrew Clements

Frindle by Andrew Clements is assigned in US schools at grades 3–7, with a Lexile measure of 830L. It appears across 9 curriculum references and 9 states, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.

This page shows where Frindle is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.

Lexile
830L
Grade range
Grades 3–7
Difficulty for grade
Above the grade 2–3 band (420–820L)
Age range
Ages 8–12
Pages
105
Reading time
about 1h 55m (est.)
First published
1996
Genre
Middle Grade Fiction
ISBN-13
9780689818769

Reading difficulty: At 830L, Frindle reads above the typical 420–820L text-complexity range for 3rd grade (Common Core Appendix A) — a stretch text that may need scaffolding for the youngest assigned readers.

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About this book

Fifth-grader Nick Allen invents a new word — "frindle" for a pen — partly to test his strict language-arts teacher, and the coinage spreads beyond anything he expected. Andrew Clements turns a classroom prank into a gentle exploration of how words gain meaning and how ideas take on lives of their own. A staple of grade 3-7 classrooms, it is frequently used to launch lessons on vocabulary, creativity, and the power of language.

Why widely assigned

This Middle Grade Fiction title, reads at middle-grade prose complexity, typically at grades 3–7. Written in the 1990s; pairs with curriculum units on creativity and language and thought; cited across 9 curriculum frameworks.

Themes

creativity · language and thought · intelligence · school · imagination

Where this book is assigned

Similar grade-level books

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Common questions

What grade level is Frindle?
Frindle is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 3–7, with a Lexile measure of 830L. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
What is the Lexile level of Frindle?
Frindle has a Lexile measure of 830L according to MetaMetrics. Lexile measures text complexity, not content maturity — check the grade range and content notes separately for age-appropriateness.
How long does it take to read Frindle?
It takes about 1h 55m to read Frindle (105 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 115 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
Is Frindle hard to read for 3rd grade?
At 830L, Frindle reads above the typical 420–820L text-complexity range for 3rd grade (Common Core Appendix A) — a stretch text that may need scaffolding for the youngest assigned readers. Lexile measures text complexity, not thematic maturity — check the content notes for age-appropriateness separately.
What curricula assign Frindle?
Frindle appears on reading lists for Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award, Great Stone Face Book Award, Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award, and 6 others. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.

Why this book is on this list

Each dimension below is sourced from a public reference. The full framework is documented on the classification standard page.

Lexile measure
830L — sourced from MetaMetrics’ Lexile Hub.
Grade band
Grades 3–7 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
Curriculum alignment
Cited in 9 curricula on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence
Cited in 9 states ELA frameworks or DOE list (see citations above).
Removal / banning records
No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
Seasonal / contextual tags
Tagged for: award-winner, book-club.