Time leaps forward. The wild excitement fades, but — unlike an ordinary fad — frindle does not disappear. It endures. Years pass, and the word simply keeps living: kids use it, then their younger brothers and sisters use it, and slowly it becomes an ordinary part of everyday speech. Nick grows up. He is no longer the fifth-grader who dreamed up a word; he becomes a thoughtful young man, and heads off to college. And then comes the crowning proof that his idea truly worked: the makers of the dictionary add ‘frindle’ as a real, official word, with its spelling and its meaning printed for all to see. The little sound Nick invented on a walk home has outlasted the craze, the cameras, and even his own childhood. By simply lasting, frindle has won the word war for good — and quietly proven everything Mrs. Granger once taught about how words are made.
| Focus | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Falling Action | The calmer events after the climax, easing toward the end |
| Flash-Forward | When a story jumps ahead in time |
| Theme | The big idea — a real word wins by lasting, and the people make it real |
| Chapter | Key Events |
|---|---|
| Ch. 13 — The Years Go By | The craze fades, but frindle endures. Years pass, Nick grows up and goes to college, and the word is finally added to the dictionary as an official, real word. |
There are no wrong answers here — just think, guess, and talk:
- What is the difference between a fad that fades and a change that lasts?
- Who do you think really decides whether a new word becomes ‘official’?
- Predict: now that frindle is in the dictionary, how might Nick feel looking back on it all?
This is an independent study guide created by Garden Heights Academy to support reading comprehension and literary analysis. It contains original analysis questions and does not reproduce any text from the novel. Frindle is a work by Andrew Clements. This guide is not affiliated with, authorized by, or endorsed by the author or any associated rights holder.
- But frindle keeps being used, year after year.
- The wild excitement finally fades.
- Nick grows up and heads to college.
- Frindle is added to the dictionary.
- Younger kids keep using the word too.
Many people imagine that a group of experts sits in a room and decides which words are ‘allowed.’ The truth is the opposite. Dictionary-makers do not invent words or grant them permission; they watch how real people speak and write. When a new word appears — in books, newspapers, and everyday talk — the editors track it. If the word keeps being used, gradually, by many people, over several years, it has proven it will endure.
Only then do the editors recognize it and add it as a new entry, with its spelling and meaning. Modern editors rely on huge computer databases that scan millions of books, articles, and websites, quietly measuring how often each new word appears. Only a word that shows up again and again, year after year, earns its place, which is why some popular slang never makes it in at all. In other words, a dictionary does not create language; it records it. A word becomes ‘official’ only after the public has already made it real. That is why languages keep growing: as long as people invent and share new words, dictionaries will keep adding them.
This writing task is optional and is not part of your auto-graded score. The feedback below checks only the basics — length, spelling, and grammar — not whether your ideas are right or wrong. It is meant for classroom discussion and creative practice, so feel free to use your imagination!
Writing Task — Part 7 “The Dictionary Entry”
Frindle finally earns its own dictionary entry. Write that entry the way a real dictionary would! Give the word, what kind of word it is (a noun), and a clear meaning. Then add one example sentence using the word. Have fun making it look official. Write at least 40 words.
No right or wrong — close the screen and tell someone nearby how a real word gets added to the dictionary, and why time proved Nick was right. Can’t find anyone? Tell yourself out loud. The moment you teach it, you truly understand it.
Part 7 Complete!
You finished Chapter 13 of Frindle.
Here are your auto-graded results:
The best last step is to teach it. In your own words, explain what happened — retell a favorite scene, teach a character’s big choice, or sum up the main idea for a parent, friend, or classmate. When you can teach it clearly, you truly own it.
Independent study guide by Garden Heights Academy. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the author or any rights holders. Contains original analysis only; no text from the novel is reproduced.