Flat Stanley

Flat? But how?

I can't believe I haven't posted about Jeff Brown's first in the Flat Stanley series, Flat Stanley. This was one of the first real chapter books I read with my higher readers at the beginning of the year in guided reading. They got hooked, and even when they were more than able to read tougher books, they were determined to read as many in the series as they could before the year was over.

In Jeff Brown's first of the MANY to follow Flat Stanley books, Stanley goes to sleep a normal, 3-dimensional boy, only to wake up with a bulletin board on top of him, leaving him completely flat. The doctor had no idea what was wrong, and other than being flat, Stanley was perfectly healthy. Stanley finds he can do many things as a flat boy that he couldn't when he was normal size. Find out about Stanley's mail adventure, police work and even being used as a kite. Will Stanley ever go back to normal? Find out in Flat Stanley, and I'll bet you get hooked and want to read more and more of the Flat Stanley series!

Reading Level: DRA 24
                       Lexile 640L
                       Guided Reading M


Teachers... here are some resources for this chapter book...

Web Resources

• Fun for Students: Check out these fun online games and activities your students can use to get even more into the Flat Stanley series!
• Flat Stanley Community: Use this resource to find out about great Flat Stanley apps (have an iPad in your classroom?). This website also tells you how to use Flat Stanley to teach about Earth Day, Symmetry and more (Click resources & teaching materials)
• Printables & more!: Find vocabulary, word searches, discussion questions, and more. (Not every link here works, but many do!)
• FREEBIE from me: Comprehension questions using T.A.P. (turn it around, answer it, prove it)

Vocabulary: altered, bulletin, disguise, dread, grating, jealous, jostle, ordinary, portable, recent, wedge

Activities

Before Reading: Discussion or journal: In the picture on the cover, Stanley is coming out from under a door. What other things do you think you could do if you were flat?

During Reading: Discussion or journal: How is Stanley's brother Arthur feeling? Why is he feeling that way? Pretend your Arthur. How would you feel and why?

Have a class "debate." One group tells why it would be great to be flat while the other group tells why it is better to be normal size.

After Reading: Compare and contrast Stanley and Arthur. Create character maps for each of them.

Arthur came up with a great idea for how to make Stanley not flat anymore, can you think of other ideas for how you might have helped Stanley? Illustrate your idea(s).

Across the Curriculum: Social Studies

• Classroom Adventures: Use these ideas to have your own traveling Flat Stanley in your classroom. Maybe you could send Flat Stanley to relatives of students in your class who live in other parts of the country or world. Use a map to keep track of where Stanley visits. Use your traveling Stanley as a way to introduce geography and other Social Studies content!

Happy Reading (& Running!) =)