Flat Stanley Visits Grandma Marilyn

2002

For years, Flat Stanley has been traveling all over the world and then returning home to school children to tell them of his adventures.  Stanley is a character in a series of books by Jeff Brown, the first written in 1964.  One night while Stanley was sleeping, a bulletin board fell on top of him, flattening him to ½ inch thick.  Not one to be deterred by a seemingly disastrous event, Flat Stanley discovers the many advantages of his new form.  He is flown like a kite, enters locked rooms by sliding under a door, and can be mailed in an envelope anywhere in the world.

Teachers have been using these books for years as a way for bringing books to life.  Children color in their own Flat Stanley and then send him off on his own adventures.  During third grade, both Michelle and her cousin Kevin sent their Flat Stanleys to Grandma’s house for the week.  Grandma Marilyn stepped up to the challenge by not only inviting the Stanleys into her busy life, but also documenting the week in words and pictures.  They were lucky enough to go to school with Grandma, play in the garden, have a tea party or two, and a pizza party.

This folder serves as a reminder to me to not only read to children, but also to connect the books to their lives by making the stories personal.  Sometimes a book is just a time to sit together and enjoy each other’s company, but sometimes a book can be a starting point for fun, adventure, and learning.