All The Things I've Lost: Frindle

Jefferson's Challenge: Books that change the way you think about the world. For teachers and other busy people.
Nancy's Challenge: Canon-quality literature that is not depressing. Think Tom Jones and not Ethan Frome .
Steve's Challenge: Named for a former roommate who wrote out a list of the Western Canon and told me to get busy.

Frindle

Author: Andrew Clements
Year: 2004
Genre: YA fiction

This book isn't just a well-written story about a bright fifth-grader who learns to question authority. It's also a children's introduction to prescriptive and descriptive linguistics. Both linguistics and irreverence are dear to my heart, so of course I love this book. In fact, on rereading (and Meaghan didn't believe me when I told her this) the scene in the end, where an adult Nick goes back to meet his fifth grade teacher, actually made me tear up.