The beginning of the story is mostly exposition; setting the scene and introducing the characters. It would most likely extend from Chapter 1 to Chapter 6. In these chapters, the reader learns about Lincoln Elementary School, as well as the main character, Nick Allen. Nick has a reputation as being a bit of a troublemaker, and has engineered some pretty amazing pranks in third and fourth grade. In fifth grade, though, he has the notorious Mrs. Granger for a teacher, and things get a little more difficult. Mrs. Granger is tough, and a stickler for words and using the dictionary, which sets the stage for Nick's greatest stunt of all - the invention of the word "Frindle."
The middle of the story, which occurs roughly between Chapters 7 and 12, tells about all the ruckus that occurs as a result of Nick's new word. The students think it is loads of fun to use it, and do not mind taking the consequences of defying Mrs. Granger and continuing to say "frindle" instead of "pen" all the time. The students organize and everyone holds up a "frindle" for the class picture, and the newspapers publish an article about the new word that has become so popular, even beyond the school. Nick appears on a television talk show, and a young entrepreneur gets a lawyer to gain the rights to market the new word, and sends Nick royalties from his sales.
The end of the story begins in Chapter 13 and continues through Chapter 15, as all the commotion about Nick's new word begins to die down. "Frindle" continues to be used popularly, however, replacing the old word "pen" in the language of the people. At the very end of the story, several years have passed, and "frindle" has actually been incorporated into the dictionary, and Mrs. Granger reveals to Nick that she had suspected this is what would happen all along. Nick's creative prank and its reception by the public is a fine illustration of how words make their way into the dictionary.
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