Flat Stanley

It’s ok. However it depends on what you want to expose young children to. The robbers say they will “kill anyone that tries to stop them” and also flat Stanley is very upset to dress in a disguise as a girl he even says it “disguisting “ sooo it’s not for me and my family and I wouldn’t sell this as a young children’s book.

I had heard of Flat Stlanley before and although I thought the concept was cute I had never used this book in my second grade. At least not until this year. I am using it with one of my flexible reading groups. I'm absolutely hooked and the children are as well. We have posted the pros and cons of being flat and have joined in with the Flat Stanley project. This is providing so many enriching extension activities! We are now "hosting" Flat Stanleys from Ontario, Thailand, and Australia. The learning that is taking place (writing, reading, speaking, creating, geography, world cultures) is astounding. My students are constructing their own Stanleys who will be traveling around the world to be hosted in other states and countries. I will be buying more copies of this book so I can do this with my entire class next year. I purchased Stanley in Space for my reading group to move on to next. I can't believe I was not aware of how wonderful this book could be. I have been able to integrate it throughout my curriculum. HIGHLY recommended!

This imaginative story by Jeff Brown tells about the adventures of a young boy, Stanley, who is mashed flat by an enormous bulletin board that falls on him in the night. As being flat has its advantages, Stanley has quite a few exciting adventures, one of which includes being placed in an envelope and mailed to friends in California for a vacation trip. The story is filled with mystery, adventure, sibling rivalry, and family fun. Children will love reading about the antics of Flat Stanley!Note to teachers: This book is great when used as a part of a social studies unit on America. Have children create a U.S. map. Find California. Practice letter writing. Send Flat Stanley to friends and relatives in other states. Locate those states on the class map. Gather information about those states through return letters and let children learn from each other.

I was exposed to this book first by having a section of it in a 5th grade reading book! I didn't know for years that it was out there somewhere as a whole book, and I think finally around high school found it at the library and read the whole thing at last. Just recently I once again remembered it, and got it for my sons! I appreciate it more as an adult---the humor is so dry and the dialogue so deadpan! My favorite scene is that with Stanley's doctor---how he says of it not hurting Stanley to be flat "well, that's mostly how it is with these cases" as if he's seen hundreds of boys flattened by bulletin boards! As a child of course I liked best having Stanley sent by mail to California! I have to admit this book dragged a bit for my sons in reading it to them, but I think perhaps they are really too young for it (at 5 and 2)---but I couldn't wait to read it to them!

I have been debating what to get my 5 year old neice for Christmas, when out of the blue I remembered Flat Stanley! It has been about 15 years since I thought about this book. My little brother had checked it out from the library, and it was so funny that we ended up checking the book out over & over again that summer. Now when I think about Stanley's comical, but pratical, solutions to his big problem I still get a good laugh! Flat Stanley is by far the most hilarious book ever. It was such a big part of my family, that whenever any of us did something silly, my mother would quote the police officers (The ones who watched Stanley's mother lower him into the grate for her ring), "Get the hook! There's a looney on the loose! ". I am so excited I remembered this book, and I can't wait to read it again!