Frankly, Frannie

Frankly, Frannie #1

by A.J. Stern, Doreen Mulryan Marts (Illustrator)

She’s already got her resume, business cards, and mustard packets (which are so much more grown up than ketchup) ready. So why is it taking eleventeen hundred years? Frannie’s class is visiting the local radio station and the radio host is no where to be found. Should Frannie cover for him—after all, this could be her big break! But what happens when listeners call in with questions, and Frannie doesn’t know the answers?

Genres: Childrens, Fiction, Humor, Chapter Books, Juvenile, Realistic Fiction, Middle Grade

128 pages, Paperback

First published May 26, 2010

About the author

AJ Stern lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Reviews

[Alyson (Kid Lit Frenzy) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Writing for 1st to 3rd graders is a challenge. Frannie fits in among the likes of Judy Moody, Clementine, Junie B Jones and others. In an effort to be grown up, Frannie misinterprets things and gets into a lot of trouble. There is a fine line in writing humorous antics and being just plain silly which can often be painful to read. There is also a fine line between the protagonist learning her lesson and wanting to have a happy, well-wrapped up ending. I'm not sure that I will continue reading the series but I know girls who will find this fun to read.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spunky girl protagonist, and errors in judgment that aren't as innocent as she would have you believe, means you can give it to your Junie B. and Clementine fans.

[Sheri S. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Frannie is an elementary-aged girl who wants to have a job with her own office...Anyone whose job involves having their own office excites her. For an upcoming field trip, Frannie gets to visit the local radio station and she is looking forward to it! She plans to bring her resume with her in hopes of getting a job while she's there. However, the field trip doesn't quite go so smoothly and Frannie gets a bit more involved in the radio station than anyone anticipated. The book teaches some good lessons, and I particularly appreciated how Frannie's teacher and parents had her apologize for some of the poor (though somewhat amusing) decisions she made.

[Kari · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this book, unfortunately it just didn't have the same ring of truth to it that some of the others in this genre of young 1st - 3rd grade girl main characters plights, trials and tribulations. she was much too quick to admit her faults and apologize for them. I suspect more seething and temper tantrums would have ensued than did. And then her parents forgave her (as well as her classmates) too quickly after she ruined a second class trip. She apologized to everyone involved and suddenly all was right with the world. Just a bit far fetched. Her antics should have held higher consequences (simply in the form of her friends being angry with her would have been fine), there just did not seem to be any... That said, I think the author did an interesting job of using different fonts portraying some of Frannie's different quirks; her desire to be seen as grown up, using grown up words for example. So it get's a two and half stars from me. It was OK, but Ramona or even Junie B (fresh as she is) as well as their surrounding cast of characters seemed like more real characters to me than Frannie...

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Frannie Miller loves grown up things, words, and jobs. She wants to impress everyone. But, when her over zealous desire to be 'grown-up' gets her into BIG trouble, she doesn't quite know how to make it all better.

The whole class is invited to a real live radio station...yet, Frannie already messed up during a field trip to Cambridge Magazine. Will her teacher, Mrs. Pellington say she can't go to the radio statio?. She gives her one more chance. But,you guessed it,yet again, Frannie messes up. She takes over the Mr. Sanders talk show and tells the whole town that voting for the mayor is in the next town. Yikes!

Loveable, yet utterly clueless, Frannie is part Eloise, Gooney Bird Greene, and Ramona. Who wouldn't love her? She loves to make up her own big words, that tickle our funny bone. Full of expressive illustrations, although sadly they are in black and white...they add visual interest to an already utterly hilarious story.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

Move over Junie B. Jones and Judy Moody, there is a new girl in town. Frannie, or Mrs. Frankly B. Miller as she prefers to be called (for the moment) is a girl that knows what she wants and goes for it despite the trouble that seems to follow her everywhere. Frannie loves offices, briefcases, big words, business cards and anything else from the Grown-Up World. The problem with Frannie is that despite all of her "scientific evidence" she doesn't always do the right thing. She thinks she is "helping" when in fact she is causing nothing but Trouble with a capital T! Will her good intentions with disastrous results cause her to be banned from her class field trips? Read Frankly, Frannie by A. J. Stern to find out. This is a very cute and humorous series for beginning chapter book readers that is now on my favorites list.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good for fans of Junie B. Jones (who I don't particularly like either). Spunky girl who gets into trouble. Although she makes amends in the end I felt there was too much acceptance of her behavior. Also, the way her thoughts are written is not a good grammatical example for young readers.

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Frannie, or Mrs. Frankly B. Miller, is a hot mess.

She loves offices and office supplies, and wants a job where she can work in an office and use office supplies and also carry a briefcase. She also uses adult words, like “actually” and “however”, and pretends to like mustard.

She is always looking for opportunities for employment, and writes up a resume and creates business cards just in time for a class field trip to the local radio station. It turns into a disaster though (but in a hilarious way). I don’t know if Frannie learns her lesson, but she does take responsibility, and makes some excellent apologies.

A good chapter book for those kids who always seem to get in trouble, and maybe for the perfectionists who want to live vicariously through Frannie.

Also singing along to his iPod?! You can tell this book is ten years old :)

[Chloe (Always Booked) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I read this first book in an attempt to find a good book to pass on to my 5 year old. I would say this book fits the bill. Frannie is a girl who wants to be grown up and have a job and work in an office. Her class takes a field trip to a radio station and she tries to be a little more grown up than she is and she messes things up. Frannie isn't awful and theres no ugliness in this first book. Its got some annoying colloquialisms for me as 30 something, but I think it'll be fine for my girls! I'll keep reading the series for now.

[Maeve · Rating 1 out of 5]

Frannie is a spunky girl who has a huge imagination and a strong desire to be a grown up. On a school field trip to the local radio station, she tries to help out by answering questions on the air...and makes a huge mess for the radio station, her class, and the town. Frannie learns to follow the rules and realizes that there's a lot to learn before she is a grown-up.

An okay choice to give to readers who are progressing up from Junie B. Jones.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Frannie definitely wants to be a grown up rather than a child. This is the first in a series about her funny adventures as she really does learn what's involved in growing up.
Simple prose and fun fonts will keep the reader's interest at mid-elementary level.

[Colette Walters Walden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somewhat comical child in a small town leaps to some wrong conclusions while on a class trip. She causes a traffic jam and finds herself in trouble with her parents.

I like the bravado of the main character and the tacit message that humans of all ages sometimes misread situations.

[Rebecca Caufman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Junie B has a new friend. A little girl tries to do the right thing but ends up messing up.

[Jan Milusich · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not crazy about it.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, I don't know why, but it's a 4.

[Kathleen Meacham · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good story, but a bit too long. I liked the made up kid-type words though, which were peppered throughout the book.

[Randy Tramp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun read.

[M.J. Prest · Rating 4 out of 5]

My second grader found this delightful. It feels perfect for the 6-8 year old age group, with Frannie’s adorable malapropisms and humor.

[Siena Fiorentino · Rating 4 out of 5]

So cute, Junie B. Jones vibes. Excited for my students to read this.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very cute book for young readers. I like that there is a lesson to be learned and you learn something from it.

[Molly (Conan the Librarian) Crumbley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Frannie B. Miller might only be in elementary school, but she is absolutely dying to be a grown up with a real grown up job and an office. She even has her business cards and resume ready to go, but no one will give her a break!

When Frannie’s class takes a field trip to the local radio station (which has a billionteenth different offices!), she just knows that this is her big opportunity to break into the biz. She discovers that Sandy Sanders, radio host, is missing from the studio in the middle of his show and decides to take her chance and don the headphones and mic to host her own show. What will she do when listeners start calling in with questions that she doesn’t know the answers to?

What will happen when her teacher and the rest of her class catch up to her? As her brief radio stint turns the town upside down, Frannie soon finds out that having a job isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be, and apologizing for curious hands can be a very hard thing to do! Frannie is a sweet and funny little narrator, and the illustrations add an adorable touch to this enjoyable tale of field trips and redemption. First book of the new Frankly, Frannie series.

This review originally appeared on abookandahug.com

[Alexis Labenz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Frankly, Frannie, a book by A.J. Stern, is about a young girl who is already ready to be a grown up. Frannie just wants a job. She has business cards and a resume, and she thinks she is ready and prepared to be an adult. Frannie's teacher takes Frannie and her class on a trip to a radio station. When Frannie sees that the chair with a microphone and headphones is empty, she decides the nice thing to do is jump in the seat and cover for the talk show host who is missing. Frannie gets in huge trouble after her parents and teacher finds out what she has done. Frannie didn't realize that wanting to grow up would cause all of these problems. The book shows students that it is important to do the right thing when you mess up and face the consequences and apologize for your actions.

5 Higher Level Thinking Questions-
1) What do you want to be when you grow up?
2) Why do you think Frannie wanted to grow up so fast?
3) Do you think she learned her lesson to not overstep her boundaries?
4) What would you have done differently if you were in Frannie's position?
5) Create a new ending to the book Frankly, Frannie.

Stern, A., & Marts, D. (2010). Frankly, Frannie. New York: Grosset & Dunlap.

[Linx *ೃ༄ · Rating 4 out of 5]

My childhood man ❤️

[Edward Creter · Rating 2 out of 5]

Frannie is a 12-year-old who changes her name to seem more adult. Sure. We've seen this all before. Her teacher has offered to take her on a field trip to a local radio station--just in time for the new guy to be mayor once the votes are tallied. But then something radical happens as Frannie, aka Frankly, takes over the on-air time and redirects listeners in the area to a new venue for voting. Then hell comes to her family when they force her to apologize and follow the rules as a way to---NOW BTFU! (Back The Fuck UP!) This is not a message for the children of today! Kids need to rebel! Kids have the right to make changes that are against the status quo! Kids have the right to defy the established order! We should encourage kids in that direction, NOT make them pariahs! Therefore, for her bold actions let me safely say: Frankly, my dear...we DO give a damn! YOU ROCK! You get four stars in a two-star book! (which gets only two for the horrible message of giving in instead of being yourself.) Kids, DON'T APOLOGIZE! STAND UP AND BE COUNTED! Frannie is A HERO OF THE REVOLUTION!!!!

[Froschbein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Frankly, Frannie is a book that I like, but it is probably meant for children younger than me. The story is very interesting, but I think younger children would like it better than I do. I first read this book when I was seven. In the story, Frannie leads a normal life, but is very concerned with being grown-uppish. That is very like a seven year old. She can't stand feeling like a child. She even makes herself a resume.

This story will also be good for younger kids because it's not as complex as stories for older kids. It's twisted instead of braided: perfect for kids from five to eight years old. I am nine years old. For older children, I recommend Caddie Woodlawn. Caddie is like Frankly Frannie because she is independent, but better for older kids because she has more adventures for kids my age.

[Ubalstecha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Frannie is a girl who desperately wants to be a grown up. So desperate that she is trying to make herself like mustard by smelling it. Frannie is famous for her imagination getting the better of her, so much so that when the class is to go on a field trip to a radio station, she gets a special buddy to watch her. This doesn't stop Frannie from finding more trouble.

Very sweet first chapter book about a girl who finds trouble even when she isn't looking for it. Accompanied by cartoon illustrations by Doreen Mulryan Marts, Frankly, Frannie manages to have a believable heroine who suffers realistic consequences from her choices. Slight suspension of disbelief when it comes to the scrapes she gets into, but still an enjoyable book.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Frannie (or Frankly, depending on the day) is everything I would've wanted to have in my early chapter book heroine. She's plucky, funny and a bit scatterbrained. Armed with her resume, briefcase and business cards, Frannie is now ready to take her first steps into the working world-- where there are offices upon offices with spinning chairs just waiting for her to sit in them.

Frannie is an ambitious girl whose inner thoughts are sprinkled with her own quirky and charming dialect. Her well-intentioned ways make her a great role model; her tendency to get in trouble makes her relatable. This is a really great early chapter book for girls with chutzpah and spunk.

[Kim Burean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Frannie is a spunky character who would like to think she is really grown up. Unfortunately, in her attempts to be grown up, she sometimes gets herself in prediciments that prove she is still a kid. In this adventure, Frannie's class is taking a special trip to the local radio station for a tour. While there, Frannie gets separated from the group. When she notices that the radio host is not in his seat, she takes matters into her own hands and begins answering the phones for the call-in show. When she gives out some inaccurate information over the air, it puts the town in a tailspin.

This book would be great for kids in 2-4th grade, and has definite reluctant reader appeal.

[Cboatfield11 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Frannie who prefers to be called Frankly is a spunky, ambitious, likable girl who wants so badly to be a growup. She expresses her thoughts using adult sounding words but what gets her into trouble is when she acts as if she is an adult out in the real world. In this first installment, Frankly's class is going on a field trip to a radio station. Her interpretation of what is happening while on the trip and her immature reasoning causes great excitement and angst for the "real" adults. Some of her antics seemed akin to Lucy Ricardo.

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Samuel read this on his own and then left it on my bed. . . his way of recommending it to me. Frankly is so funny that I laughed out loud nearly every other page. I have just two little complaints. First, I couldn't figure out how old Frannie is! More importantly, because she is so intelligent, some (not all) of her childish expressions seem contrived to make her sound younger. It was too reminiscent of Junie B. Jones. I have a strong aversion to Junie B. Jones.