FRINDLE

Andrew Clements writes realistic stories that bring life to the classroom. Nick Allen has a reputation at Lincoln Elementary School—he’s got strategies for getting teachers off track and derailing lesson plans with diversionary tactics. But he meets his match with fifth-grade teacher Mrs. Granger. She turns the tables on Nick and calls his bluff, setting in motion a real-world learning lab. Keith Nobbs tells the story with humor, energy, and respect for the characters. He makes Nick, who could easily become a wisecracking teacher's nightmare, into a creative, curious boy who loves to stir things up as he chafes at the restrictions of classroom learning. This story is a celebration of the power of learning. N.E.M. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2009]