Flat Stanley

Flat Stanley is a children's book written in 1964 by Jeff Brown. We read Flat Stanley and we loved it! (We have also just finished Invisible Stanley!)

This is what happens in the book:
Stanley Lambchop and his younger brother Arthur are given a big bulletin board by their Dad for displaying pictures and posters. He hangs it on the wall over Stanley's bed. During the night the board falls from the wall, flattening Stanley in his sleep. He survives and makes the best of his altered state, and soon he is entering locked rooms by sliding under the door, and playing with his younger brother by being used as a kite. One special advantage is that Flat Stanley can now visit his friends by being mailed in an envelope. Stanley even helps catch some art museum sneaky thieves by posing as a painting on the wall. Eventually Arthur changes Stanley back to his proper shape with a bicycle pump.

The Flat Stanley Project

The Flat Stanley Project was started in 1995 by Dale Hubert, a third grade teacher in London, Ontario. It is meant to facilitate letter-writing by schoolchildren to each other as they document where Flat Stanley has gone with them. Dale Hubert received the Prime Minister's Award for Teaching Excellence in 2001 for the Flat Stanley Project.

The Project provides an opportunity for students to make connections with students of other member schools who've signed up with the project. Students begin by reading the book and becoming acquainted with the story. Then they make paper "Flat Stanleys" (or pictures of the Stanley Lambchop character) and keep a journal or a few days, documenting the places and activities in which Flat Stanley is involved. The Flat Stanley and the journal are mailed to other people who are asked to treat the figure as a visiting guest and add to his journal, then return them both after a period of time.

(we didn't write the journal) (we wrote letters to our hosts, who are all adults)

In 2005, more than 6,500 classes from 48 countries took part in the Flat Stanley Project.

You can read more about the Flat Stanley Project here!

We made our own Flat people and I mailed them to friends around the world to give our Flat People a chance to have some adventures!
Some of our Flat people went to Australia, Florida, Arizona, Colorado, and Nova Scotia. A special Flat Earl (for Earl Beatty, our school) will be climbing Mount Everest in April!

We have been plotting Flat Stanley's travels on maps! (which lends itself perfectly to our current study of communities and maps) We hope that our Flat Stanleys return with a photo or postcard from his (or her) visit, or perhaps the hosts will email pictures!

Our Flat people have started to arrive around the world.

Flat Chris, Flat Luke, Ms. Flat and Flat Stella went to Nova Scotia. Please visit Sara Harley's blog, Dream Big to follow their adventures! So far, Sarah has introduced her new friends and taken them for a tour around her farm! There are many pictures of the Flat Friends on Sara's blog -- and also letters that the children wrote to Sara
Here they are swinging in the apple tree!


Another group has just arrived in Florida. Here is Flat Cate hanging out at the beach! See the palm trees?