What if you could mail yourself across the country?
That sounds impossible—but in Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown, Stanley Lambchop discovers that being flat comes with some pretty unusual advantages. After an accident leaves Stanley flat as a pancake, he discovers that he can be folded, rolled, and even mailed to California!
While the idea of mailing a child across the country sounds like something straight out of a children’s book, real-life children were actually sent through the U.S. mail more than 100 years ago.
And that’s just one of the reasons Flat Stanley makes such a fun and engaging novel to teach in the elementary classroom.
Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown is a fun book that is wonderful to use in the classroom.
The Real-Life Flat Stanley Connection
In Flat Stanley, Stanley is mailed to California rather than traveling by train or airplane. The idea saves money—and gives Stanley quite an adventure.
Believe it or not, there is a fascinating connection between Stanley’s fictional adventure and actual U.S. postal history.
In 1913, the United States Post Office introduced Parcel Post, which allowed Americans to send larger packages through the mail. Before Parcel Post, the postal system primarily handled letters and smaller items.
The new service was useful for businesses and families, but some people quickly discovered an unusual loophole: children could technically be sent through the mail as long as they met the weight requirements.
One of the most famous examples occurred in January 1913, when a baby was reportedly sent by Parcel Post to his grandmother about a mile away. The baby weighed just under the 11-pound limit, and the postage was only 15 cents.
Pretty unbelievable, right?
This strange piece of postal history makes an excellent opportunity to take a fictional story and connect it to informational reading, history, math, and writing.
Turn Flat Stanley Into a Cross-Curricular Learning Experience
Flat Stanley isn’t just a fun read-aloud or elementary novel. The story can become the starting point for meaningful ELA and math activities.
Students can explore questions such as:
- How much would it cost to travel to another state?
- Would it be cheaper to travel by car, train, airplane—or mail?
- How has transportation changed over time?
- How can we distinguish between information from a fictional story and information from an informational text?
- How would you describe Stanley’s personality and adventures?
- What would happen if you could become flat for a day?
These kinds of questions encourage students to move beyond basic comprehension and apply what they’re reading to real-world situations.
A Fun Flat Stanley Math & Writing Activity
One of my favorite extensions to the book combines informational reading, math, research, and writing.
Students first learn about the real children who were sent through the postal system during the early 1900s. Then they get to imagine what it would cost to send themselves to a destination today.
Students calculate the cost of traveling to a selected destination by:
- 📬 Postal mail
- 🚗 Car
- 🚆 Train
- ✈️ Airplane
They compare the costs and then complete a related writing activity.
It’s a wonderfully quirky way to connect Flat Stanley to real-world math and informational text while giving students something memorable to talk and write about.
Bring Flat Stanley to Life With a Novel Study
Another fun way to extend the book is with a traditional Flat Stanley project.
Students can create their own flat characters—often personalized versions of themselves—and send them on adventures with family members or friends.
The results can be fantastic.
A family member might take a Flat Stanley on vacation, to a sporting event, sightseeing, or even just around town. Students can then share photographs and stories about their character’s adventures with the class.
This creates authentic opportunities for students to practice writing, speaking, listening, geography, and presentation skills while connecting their own experiences to the novel.
Flat Stanley Novel Study for Grades 2-4
If you’re looking for a way to make teaching Flat Stanley easier, a complete Flat Stanley novel study can take care of the lesson planning and preparation for you.
My Flat Stanley Novel Study is designed for Grades 2-4 and combines reading comprehension, vocabulary, spelling, writing, assessment, and engaging extension activities.
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What’s Included?
The complete novel study includes:
- Chapter-by-chapter reading comprehension
- Vocabulary and spelling activities
- Writing activities
- Reading assessments
- Answer keys
- Teacher lesson plans and pacing support
- Common Core standards alignment
- Printable activities
- Google Drive™ versions
- A special real-life Flat Stanley math and writing activity
The goal is simple: give you ready-to-use materials so you can spend less time planning and more time teaching.
See what people are saying about the Flat Stanley Novel Study by The Teaching Bank!
Try a Free Sample
Want to see if this Flat Stanley novel study is a good fit for your students?
You can download a free sample and take a look at the activities before purchasing the complete unit.
Flat Stanley is a particularly fun choice for elementary students because it invites them to suspend reality, laugh at Stanley’s unusual adventures, and then use those adventures as a springboard for deeper learning.
From reading comprehension and vocabulary to math, writing, informational text, and real-world connections, this classic children’s book offers plenty of opportunities to turn reading into an engaging cross-curricular experience.
So, would you mail yourself if you could?
Your students might be surprised by what they discover!
Connect with Fellow Educators!
Are you teaching Flat Stanley this school year?
Join our free community, Book Talk with The Teaching Bank, to share ideas, grab freebies, and connect with 3rd–8th grade teachers using novels in the classroom!
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