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.
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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.
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!
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Looking for a Little House in the Big Woods novel study that gives your students meaningful reading practice while saving you hours of preparation?
Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder is a classic children’s novel that offers so many opportunities for reading comprehension, vocabulary development, literary analysis, historical connections, and thoughtful classroom discussion.
Set in the Wisconsin woods in the late 1800s, the story follows young Laura Ingalls and her family as they experience the challenges, routines, celebrations, and hardships of pioneer life. For students, the book provides a fascinating window into a very different time and way of life.
For teachers, it provides plenty of opportunities to teach important ELA and reading skills through an engaging novel.
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Why Teach Little House in the Big Woods?
One of the strengths of Little House in the Big Woods is the way the story naturally lends itself to classroom discussion and cross-curricular learning.
📚 Explore Pioneer Life
Students get a firsthand look at everyday life in the 1800s, including family responsibilities, food preparation, seasonal activities, celebrations, clothing, work, and the challenges of living without many of the conveniences we have today.
These details make the novel an excellent starting point for connecting reading with social studies and American history.
🔎 Build Reading Comprehension Skills
A novel study allows students to practice comprehension throughout an entire book rather than answering isolated reading passages.
As students read Little House in the Big Woods, they can examine:
Character development
Setting
Plot
Point of view
Theme
Important events
Cause and effect
Vocabulary in context
Making inferences
Supporting answers with evidence
These skills help students become stronger, more thoughtful readers.
✏️ Expand Vocabulary
Laura Ingalls Wilder’s descriptions of pioneer life introduce students to words and concepts they may not encounter in everyday reading.
Studying vocabulary in the context of the novel helps students understand unfamiliar words while also deepening their understanding of the story.
💭 Encourage Thoughtful Discussion
Little House in the Big Woods also provides opportunities for students to discuss how historical perspectives can differ from our perspectives today.
Teachers can guide students in thinking critically about the historical context of the novel, including the ways Indigenous people and other groups are represented. Rather than avoiding difficult passages or topics, the book can become an opportunity to help students examine historical perspectives, identify inaccuracies and harmful stereotypes, and distinguish between understanding historical context and agreeing with it.
These conversations can help students practice critical thinking, respectful discussion, and evaluating what they read.
Little House in the Big Woods Novel Study for Grades 3–5
This ready-to-use ELA novel unit is designed to help you teach the book without spending hours creating comprehension questions, vocabulary activities, assessments, and other materials yourself.
The resource includes:
Chapter-by-chapter comprehension activities
Vocabulary activities
Writing activities
Novel study assessments
Teacher answer keys
Lesson planning resources
Printable materials
Digital Google Drive™ resources
The novel study can be used for whole-class instruction, small groups, literature circles, independent reading, or homeschool.
It is especially useful for teachers looking for a 3rd grade, 4th grade, or 5th grade reading unit that is ready to use.
Make Your Little House in the Big Woods Unit Easier
If you are planning to teach Little House in the Big Woods, you don’t have to create your entire novel unit from scratch.
This Little House in the Big Woods reading comprehension and novel study unit gives you ready-to-use activities that allow you to spend less time planning and more time teaching.
Use the printable version for traditional classroom instruction or the digital version for a paperless classroom or Google Classroom.
Try a free sample of the novel study for Little House in the Big Woods
👉 Get the Little House in the Big Woods Novel Study
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Looking for a classic novel that can capture your students’ imaginations while providing rich opportunities for reading comprehension, literary analysis, vocabulary, and meaningful discussion? Add Prince Caspian by C. S. Lewis to your reading list!
As the fourth published book in The Chronicles of Narnia, Prince Caspian takes students back into the magical world of Narnia while introducing them to memorable characters, exciting conflicts, and timeless themes. It’s a wonderful choice for an upper elementary or middle school novel study.
But what makes Prince Caspian such a valuable book to teach?
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Why Teach Prince Caspian in the Classroom?
Prince Caspian offers much more than an exciting fantasy adventure. The story gives students plenty to think about, discuss, and analyze as they read.
1. Explore Important Themes
Throughout the novel, students encounter themes that can lead to meaningful classroom conversations, including:
Courage and bravery
Loyalty and friendship
Leadership and responsibility
Good versus evil
Believing in yourself and others
Perseverance
The importance of remembering the past
These themes give students opportunities to connect Narnia’s events to their own experiences and the world around them.
2. Teach Literary Devices in Context
Literary terms become much easier for students to understand when they can identify them in an actual story.
Prince Caspian provides opportunities to explore literary elements and devices such as foreshadowing, symbolism, imagery, characterization, setting, conflict, and theme.
Instead of simply memorizing definitions, students can see how authors use these techniques to develop a story and engage readers.
3. Build Reading Comprehension Skills
A chapter-by-chapter Prince Caspian novel study gives students regular opportunities to stop, think, and respond to what they are reading.
Comprehension questions can encourage students to:
Recall important details
Make inferences
Analyze characters
Identify cause and effect
Determine important ideas
Make predictions
Support their thinking with evidence from the text
Connect events and themes throughout the novel
These activities help turn independent reading into purposeful reading.
4. Discuss Character Development
Prince Caspian and the other characters in the story give students plenty to analyze.
How do characters change throughout the story? What motivates their decisions? How do their actions affect others?
Characters such as Caspian, Peter, Edmund, Lucy, Susan, and Aslan provide natural opportunities for conversations about courage, leadership, trust, and responsibility.
5. Encourage a Love of Reading
One of the greatest benefits of teaching a captivating novel is that students may discover that reading can be an adventure.
Narnia is filled with mystery, danger, humor, memorable characters, and imaginative settings. For students who enjoy fantasy, Prince Caspian can be an especially engaging way to encourage more independent reading.
And once students become invested in Narnia, there are plenty of other books in The Chronicles of Narnia for them to explore!
Make Teaching Prince Caspian Easier
A great novel is only part of the equation. Teachers also need high-quality activities and resources that make planning and teaching manageable.
This no-prep resource provides ready-to-use activities that allow you to focus on teaching the novel rather than spending hours creating worksheets, comprehension questions, vocabulary activities, and assessments.
What’s Included?
The Prince Caspian Novel Study includes:
Teacher lesson plans and pacing guide
Chapter-by-chapter comprehension activities
Vocabulary and grammar activities
Writing and extension activities
Assessments and answer keys
Printable PDF resources
Google Drive™ digital resources
Whether you’re teaching a whole-class novel, working with a small reading group, or using the novel for homeschool instruction, the unit gives you a structured way to guide students through the book.
If you’re looking for a classic children’s novel that combines adventure with meaningful themes and rich opportunities for ELA instruction, Prince Caspian is a great choice.
Students can follow Caspian’s journey while developing important reading skills, exploring literary elements, discussing character development, and thinking deeply about the themes woven throughout the story.
And you don’t have to create all those lessons and activities yourself!
Download the free preview!
See examples of the activities and resources included in this ready-to-use unit.
Ready to Start Your Prince Caspian Novel Study?
Looking for more Narnia resources?
Explore the Chronicles of Narnia Novel Studies and bring more of C. S. Lewis’s timeless stories into your classroom!
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Looking for a C.S. Lewis novel study that will engage your students while giving them plenty to discuss, analyze, and write about? The Horse and His Boy is an exciting addition to a Chronicles of Narnia novel study for upper elementary and middle school readers.
As Shasta and Bree journey across Narnia, students encounter adventure, danger, friendship, courage, and characters from very different cultures. Beneath the exciting plot, The Horse and His Boy provides opportunities for meaningful conversations about perspective, perseverance, identity, loyalty, and the ways people respond to challenges.
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Why Teach The Horse and His Boy?
C.S. Lewis’s The Horse and His Boy is the third book in the chronological order of The Chronicles of Narnia. The story follows Shasta, a young boy who discovers that he may not be who he thought he was. After escaping with Bree, a talking horse, Shasta begins an unexpected journey toward Narnia.
Along the way, students can explore how the setting, characters, and cultures influence the story.
Explore Different Perspectives
One of the most interesting aspects of The Horse and His Boy is the contrast between the cultures Shasta encounters.
Students can examine how characters’ beliefs, customs, expectations, and experiences shape the way they see the world. This creates opportunities to discuss cultural differences and perspectives while encouraging students to think about how their own experiences influence the way they interpret people and situations.
These discussions can also help students recognize that a character’s perspective may be shaped by circumstances they don’t initially understand.
Analyze Character Development
Shasta’s journey provides plenty of material for character analysis.
At the beginning of the novel, Shasta doesn’t know much about his identity or where he belongs. As he faces obstacles and makes difficult decisions, he becomes more confident and courageous.
Students can track Shasta’s development throughout the novel and examine questions such as:
How does Shasta change throughout the story?
What experiences influence his decisions?
How does Bree affect Shasta’s journey?
What does Shasta learn from the challenges he faces?
Which characters help or hinder his development?
These questions encourage students to move beyond simply recalling what happened and begin thinking about why characters behave the way they do.
Discuss Courage and Perseverance
Shasta and the other characters face plenty of obstacles throughout the story. Their journey provides a natural opportunity to discuss courage, perseverance, fear, and overcoming challenges.
Students can identify moments when characters must make difficult choices and consider whether courage means being fearless—or moving forward despite being afraid.
This can lead to meaningful connections between the characters’ experiences and challenges students encounter in their own lives.
Examine Themes and Life Lessons
The Horse and His Boy contains numerous themes that work well for classroom discussion and literary analysis.
Students can explore:
Identity and belonging
Courage
Perseverance
Friendship and loyalty
Trust
Deception
Responsibility
Perspective
Overcoming adversity
Rather than simply identifying a theme, challenge students to find specific evidence from the novel that supports their thinking.
This makes the book an excellent choice for practicing text evidence, reading comprehension, critical thinking, and written responses.
Build Reading Comprehension Skills
An engaging story provides an excellent foundation for teaching reading skills.
While reading The Horse and His Boy, students can practice identifying important details, analyzing characters, determining theme, making inferences, summarizing chapters, and supporting their ideas with evidence from the text.
Chapter-by-chapter comprehension questions can help keep students accountable for their reading while giving you opportunities to check understanding as you move through the novel.
Add Vocabulary and Language Arts Practice
A novel study also provides a natural way to integrate vocabulary and language skills into your reading instruction.
Students can encounter unfamiliar words in context, explore their meanings, practice using new vocabulary, and complete grammar activities connected to the novel.
Integrating these skills into the literature you’re already teaching makes your language arts instruction more meaningful—and saves you from having to create every activity yourself.
Make The Horse and His Boy a Complete Novel Unit
If you’re planning to teach The Horse and His Boy as a whole-class novel, literature circle, small-group book study, or independent reading project, a complete novel study can make planning much easier.
My The Horse and His Boy Novel Study is designed for grades 4–6 and includes printable and Google Drive™ formats. The no-prep unit provides chapter comprehension questions, vocabulary and grammar activities, writing and extension activities, assessments, teacher plans, answer keys, and Common Core standards alignment.
What’s Included
Teacher lesson plans and pacing guide
Vocabulary and grammar activities
Chapter-by-chapter comprehension questions
Writing and extension activities
Vocabulary and comprehension assessments
Answer keys
Printable and Google Drive™ formats
Common Core standards alignment
The complete unit is designed to help you spend less time preparing materials and more time discussing the novel and working with your students.
If your students enjoy fantasy, adventure, talking animals, and the Chronicles of Narnia, The Horse and His Boy can provide much more than an entertaining story. It gives students opportunities to examine characters, compare perspectives, discuss themes, build vocabulary, practice comprehension, and think critically about the choices characters make.
And because the story is filled with adventure and unexpected twists, there’s plenty to keep students turning the pages.
Ready to make your The Horse and His Boy unit easier to teach?
Try a free sample of the novel study for The Horse and His Boy
You can purchase The Horse and His Boy novel study at the following locations:
You can also explore the complete collection of Chronicles of Narnia novel studies if you’d like to continue the series with your students.
Are you teaching The Horse and His Boy 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!
*The Teaching Bank participates in the Amazon Associate Program and earns a fee from qualifying purchases made on the Amazon.com site.
What happens when an entire grade level of energetic fifth graders decides to stop talking for 48 hours straight? Pure classroom magic!
No Talking by Andrew Clements is a hilarious, thought-provoking novel that explores the weight of unspoken words, the damage of words spoken in anger, and—most importantly—the transformative power of words spoken in kindness. Written with Clements’ signature wit and relatable middle-grade humor, it is a literary gem that instantly hooks 4th, 5th, and 6th graders while sparking meaningful conversations about communication, self-control, and community.
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5 Powerful Reasons to Teach No Talking in Grades 4–6
1. 📖 Boosts Core Literacy & Textual Analysis
Through Clements’ vivid storytelling and rich character development, students do more than just read—they engage critically with the text. The novel provides endless opportunities to analyze character motivations, identify literary devices, track plot progression, and make real-world personal connections.
2. 💡 Fosters Critical Thinking & Communication Skills
At its core, No Talking challenges students to reflect on how and why we communicate. By watching Dave, Lynsey, and their classmates navigate a 48-hour silent contest, students are prompted to think deeply about the impact of their own words, the consequences of speaking without thinking, and alternative strategies for resolving everyday conflicts.
3. 🗣️ Sparks Dynamic Classroom Discussions
This book is an incredible catalyst for whole-class conversations! It raises natural, age-appropriate questions about gender stereotypes (boys vs. girls), peer pressure, social dynamics, and respect for authority. Teachers can easily guide these discussions to build a safe, inclusive environment where students feel empowered to voice their perspectives.
4. ❤️ Supports Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)
Navigating upper elementary friendships isn’t easy. As the characters grapple with self-expression, compromise, and empathy, students gain valuable SEL insights. Empathizing with the characters’ journey helps young readers develop greater self-awareness, emotional control, and stronger interpersonal skills.
With fast-paced dialogue and a clever plot, No Talking is pure fun! Teachers can leverage student enthusiasm to launch creative extension tasks—from opinion writing prompts and debate activities to role-playing exercises inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s historical influence featured in the book.
Take Your No Talking Unit Further (Zero Prep Required!)
Want to teach No Talking without spending your weekends creating worksheets, vocabulary lists, and quizzes?
I’ve created a complete 130-Page No-Prep Novel Study & Activity Bundle designed specifically for Grades 4–6. Whether you teach in a traditional classroom, run small guided reading groups, or homeschool, this unit provides everything you need for a seamless, standards-aligned book study.
Try a free sample of the novel study for No Talking
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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.
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