Chapter 15 Summary

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When Nick Allen is a junior in college, he turns twenty-one. He finds out about the trust fund his father set up when he was in fifth grade. Suddenly Nick has more money that he knows what to do with.

Nick gives some of his money to his parents so they can take a big trip. He gives some to his brother to set up a college savings account for his brother’s little girl. Nick also buys a computer, some games, and a bike. Then he pretty much forgets about the money and goes back to being an ordinary college student.

That fall, Nick receives a big, heavy package from Mrs. Granger. Inside the package is a brand-new dictionary, a note, and the envelope Mrs. Granger made him sign ten years ago.

Nick looks first at the note, which tells him to turn to page 541 in the dictionary. He does, and he finds an entry for "frindle." The dictionary entry even says that Nick Allen made up the word. In her note, Mrs. Granger explains that she now uses this edition of the dictionary with her students and that she tells them all to look up "frindle" when they ask how new words get added to the language.

Finally, Nick turns to the sealed letter, the one Mrs. Granger wrote at the beginning of their frindle battle ten years ago. He opens it and reads:

If you are reading this letter, it means that the word frindle has been added to the dictionary. Congratulations.

Mrs. Granger goes on to say that she really was angry when Nick first tried to replace the word "pen" with the word "frindle." After thinking it over, however, she realized that Nick had taken a good idea and put it into action in the real world. She says she is excited to see how it turns out.

Reading the letter, Nick learns that Mrs. Granger was never really against him making up a new word. She actually hoped all along that "frindle" would take off and be adopted by ordinary people. However, she knew that it might never happen unless somebody fought against it. That was the only way for the word to get attention.

A month after Nick receives the package from Mrs. Granger, on Christmas morning, Mrs. Granger receives some exciting mail too. She receives an Express Mail package from the Westfield School District office. Inside, a letter from the superintendent explains that one of her former students has set up a million-dollar trust fund to provide college scholarships. The fund will be called The Lorelei Granger Students’ Fund.

Mrs. Granger thinks this is a mistake. She resolves to call the superintendent to straighten the whole thing out. Before she does, however, she opens a second package, a little box she has found on her front steps. The note is full of spelling errors. She thinks it is a gift from one of her current students, but it is not.

Inside the box, Mrs. Granger finds a beautiful gold fountain pen. It is engraved with these words:

This object belongs to Mrs. Lorelei Granger, and she may call it any name she chooses.
—With love from Nicholas Allen

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Chapter 14 Summary