Flat Stanley



Last updated Monday, July 6, 2009

Author: Jeff Brown
Illustrator: Scott Nash
Date of Publication: 2006
ISBN: 0061129046
Grade Level: 2nd    (GLCs: Click here for grade level guidelines.)
Date(s) Used: Jul. 2009

Synopsis: Amazon.com Review Poor Stanley. He's a perfectly normal boy until one morning he wakes up flat. After his parents peel the incriminating bulletin board off of him, Stanley must adjust to life as a pancake. He is a boy who takes this kind of thing in stride, though, and soon he's enjoying the advantages of squashedness. Sliding under closed doors is fun, and it's gratifying to be of use to his mother when she drops her ring through a narrow metal grating. Expensive plane fare to California? No problem. Svelte Stanley folds comfortably into a brown paper envelope. There's even room left over in there for an egg-salad sandwich. But Stanley's true moment of glory comes when a gang of thieves begins stealing paintings from the Famous Museum of Art. The case seems hopeless--until our two-dimensional hero saves the day. Here is one boy who doesn't let his profile-challenged body stop him from living life fully--that is, until his brother finds a way to help him become well rounded again.

Discussion topics for before reading:
•  What makes you different? Do you ever feel left out because you are different?
•  Have you ever made the best of a bad situation?

Discussion topics for during/after reading:
•  How did Stanley help the museum? Have you ever used a special skill you have to help someone else?
•  What fun things would you do if you were flat? Can you remember some of the things Stanley did? (i.e. fly as a kite, mail himself etc.)
•  Have you ever helped a sibling or friend feel better about their differences?
•  Does it ever hurt your feelings when you are teased?

Craft ideas:
•  Create your own Flat Stanley and see what you can do with it.

*Note: These craft ideas are just suggestions. You can use them, but you don't have to use them. You can expand upon them, or add your own twist. Remember, though, that the focus of your time should not be on the development and execution of a craft; the focus should be on the read-aloud and the enjoyment of the book!