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Flat Stanley #6
Stanley, Flat Again!
Is Stanley flat again!? Stanley Lambchop has had his share of unusual adventures. But being flat was one thing he thought he was through with forever. Then one morning, he discovers he was wrong. Still, there is so much that a boy who is only one inch thick can do that a round person can’t. Maybe this time, all it will take is one amazing event for everything to finally make sense. The Flat Stanley books by Jeff Brown have been entertaining young readers for years. Read them all!
86 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
137 people are currently reading
1045 people want to read
About the author
Jeff Brown
318 books123 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Jeff Brown had worked in Hollywood and as an editor and writer in New York before creating Flat Stanley, a hero for the youngest readers whose adventures, with illustrations by Tomi Ungerer, were first published in 1964. Flat Stanley became the star of a series of perpetually popular books. The last, "Stanley, Flat Again!," was published the year he died. All together, Stanley's tales have sold nearly a million copies in the United States alone. The character's life extended further, as schoolchildren mailed cut-outs of him to their friends. In translation, he traveled to France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Japan and Israel, among other places.
Jeff Brown was born Richard Chester Brown. Originally a child actor, he became Jeff Brown because Actors Equity already had a Richard Brown as a member. A graduate of the Professional Children's School, he provided a child's voice in a radio drama and appeared onstage.
In Hollywood he worked for the producer Samuel Goldwyn Jr. and was a story consultant at Paramount. Preferring to write himself, he sold fiction and articles to national magazines while working at The New Yorker, Life, The Saturday Evening Post, Esquire and finally at Warner Books, where he was a senior editor until 1980. The idea for Stanley came to him one night at bedtime when his sons J. C. and Tony were young and stalling for time. One asked what would happen if the big bulletin board on the wall were to fall on J. C., and Mr. Brown said he would most likely wake up flat. That led to speculation about what such a life might be like. After writing "Flat Stanley, " Mr. Brown went on to "Stanley and the Magic Lamp," "Stanley in Space," "Stanley's Christmas Adventure," "Invisible Stanley" and finally "Stanley, Flat Again!"
The Flat Stanley Project was started in 1995 by Dale Hubert, a third grade schoolteacher in London, Ontario, Canada. It is meant to facilitate letter-writing by schoolchildren to each other as they document where Flat Stanley has gone with them. 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 for 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. In 2005, more than 6,500 classes from 48 countries took part in the Flat Stanley Project.
Jeff Brown had worked in Hollywood and as an editor and writer in New York before creating Flat Stanley, a hero for the youngest readers whose adventures, with illustrations by Tomi Ungerer, were first published in 1964. Flat Stanley became the star of a series of perpetually popular books. The last, "Stanley, Flat Again!," was published the year he died. All together, Stanley's tales have sold nearly a million copies in the United States alone. The character's life extended further, as schoolchildren mailed cut-outs of him to their friends. In translation, he traveled to France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Japan and Israel, among other places.
Jeff Brown was born Richard Chester Brown. Originally a child actor, he became Jeff Brown because Actors Equity already had a Richard Brown as a member. A graduate of the Professional Children's School, he provided a child's voice in a radio drama and appeared onstage.
In Hollywood he worked for the producer Samuel Goldwyn Jr. and was a story consultant at Paramount. Preferring to write himself, he sold fiction and articles to national magazines while working at The New Yorker, Life, The Saturday Evening Post, Esquire and finally at Warner Books, where he was a senior editor until 1980. The idea for Stanley came to him one night at bedtime when his sons J. C. and Tony were young and stalling for time. One asked what would happen if the big bulletin board on the wall were to fall on J. C., and Mr. Brown said he would most likely wake up flat. That led to speculation about what such a life might be like. After writing "Flat Stanley, " Mr. Brown went on to "Stanley and the Magic Lamp," "Stanley in Space," "Stanley's Christmas Adventure," "Invisible Stanley" and finally "Stanley, Flat Again!"
The Flat Stanley Project was started in 1995 by Dale Hubert, a third grade schoolteacher in London, Ontario, Canada. It is meant to facilitate letter-writing by schoolchildren to each other as they document where Flat Stanley has gone with them. 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 for 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. In 2005, more than 6,500 classes from 48 countries took part in the Flat Stanley Project.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 110 reviews
March 8, 2019
Perhaps this is not the best Flat Stanley book, however it was the one I read to see, as a teacher, what this story was all about. Obviously I'm not the projected audience, but I started this book with three feelings/opinions:
1. Cool concept that could potentially go places.
2. I like that there was discussion about what it meant to be "different"
3. meh...it COULD be cool but it's not.
In the end I ended up hating the book because the feeling of "I just don't care" continued and then at the very end you get bitchy mcbitcherson who snuck into an area she wasn't supposed to be in, then a building collapsed on her and when she's saved she complains about literally EVERYTHING.
Also I think she's a black girl in the picture, which...stereotype much? and ultimately at the end of the day she could have saved herself, but I guess she was too stupid for that and Flat Stanley is just SO AMAZING and has literally no personality flaws while the girl has every personality flaw on the planet.
This narrative is just so perplexing to me. I mean obviously I know this book is not for me, and I'm reading too much into it, but if you are going to have ONE female character in the whole book (barring the mom) in an adventure book about basically a perfect boy, you could at least make her more balanced.
1. Cool concept that could potentially go places.
2. I like that there was discussion about what it meant to be "different"
3. meh...it COULD be cool but it's not.
In the end I ended up hating the book because the feeling of "I just don't care" continued and then at the very end you get bitchy mcbitcherson who snuck into an area she wasn't supposed to be in, then a building collapsed on her and when she's saved she complains about literally EVERYTHING.
Also I think she's a black girl in the picture, which...stereotype much? and ultimately at the end of the day she could have saved herself, but I guess she was too stupid for that and Flat Stanley is just SO AMAZING and has literally no personality flaws while the girl has every personality flaw on the planet.
This narrative is just so perplexing to me. I mean obviously I know this book is not for me, and I'm reading too much into it, but if you are going to have ONE female character in the whole book (barring the mom) in an adventure book about basically a perfect boy, you could at least make her more balanced.
January 22, 2022
4 stars & 4/10 hearts. Still not as good as book 1, but I frankly enjoyed this more than Invisible Stanley, because it didn’t feel like such a retelling of Flat Stanley, but stood on its own as a sequel. All the Lambchops were the same as ever—I just love Arthur & Stanley’s sweet relationship, and the way they’re so close to their parents… it’s so nice seeing their strong family bond. The boat race twisted a trope in a fun way, and I enjoyed the rescue, although Emma is nasty. Overall, it was a great ending to the series. ;)
December 6, 2017
Honestly, thanks Anna for the quick read, and easy addition to the tally.
September 28, 2016
1) Stanley becomes flat again! This time his brother cannot blow him up again, because it hurts. Therefore, he went to the doctor to get looked at to see what was wrong. He found out he had a rare disease where you get flat when certain parts of your body are hit. Stanley was a little hesitant to believe this, so he went on with his day and went sailing with his uncle. They were competing in a sailing contest, when the sail broke and Stanley had to substitute as the sail. They ended up winning the race, and Stanley was happy....until he went to school the next day. Stanley felt different than everyone at the school because he was flat, he didn't like that. However, he went home and tried t not let it bother him until Emma's parents showed up at his door. They told him a building had fell on her, and they believed he was the only one that would be able to get her out! So Stanley, being the nice guy that he is, went down there to save Emma. After a lot of searching, he finally found her and got her out, everyone was so proud! They took pictures of Stanley and Emma and patted him on the back, and just as they patted him, Emma nudged him in the ribs and he became a regular boy again! He then believed the doctor's theory! He learned that sometimes everything happens for a reason, even if we don't know why in the beginning.
2) Age Level: 6-10 years old, Grade Level: 2nd-5th grade
3) Appropriate classroom use of this book could be during reading to read the whole series or to show the students that everything happens for a reason.
4) Individual students who might benefit from reading this book would be students that like reading the other flat stanley books or like humor.
5) Small group use of this book could be to use the flat stanley at home somehow to help do something and tell the small group about it, just as flat stanley helped in the book with the sailboat and the rescue.
6) Whole class use of this book could be used as a whole read aloud over the course of a week, and then have the students make a flat stanley of their own, designed to look like them.
7) Related Books: All of the Flat Stanley series
8) Multimedia connections to this book include a Kindle version and also YouTube videos of short films teachers have made about Flat Stanley.
2) Age Level: 6-10 years old, Grade Level: 2nd-5th grade
3) Appropriate classroom use of this book could be during reading to read the whole series or to show the students that everything happens for a reason.
4) Individual students who might benefit from reading this book would be students that like reading the other flat stanley books or like humor.
5) Small group use of this book could be to use the flat stanley at home somehow to help do something and tell the small group about it, just as flat stanley helped in the book with the sailboat and the rescue.
6) Whole class use of this book could be used as a whole read aloud over the course of a week, and then have the students make a flat stanley of their own, designed to look like them.
7) Related Books: All of the Flat Stanley series
8) Multimedia connections to this book include a Kindle version and also YouTube videos of short films teachers have made about Flat Stanley.
May 2, 2017
Genre: Juvenile fiction, adventure, fantasy
Format: Print
Plot: Stanley's flat again, although this time he can't figure out how it happened. Everything happens for a reason though, when Stanley finds out one of his classmates is in trouble and only he (and his flatness) can help her.
Readers advisory:
Review citation: 2003 Booklist Reviews
Source: Best books for children
Recommended age: 6-8
Format: Print
Plot: Stanley's flat again, although this time he can't figure out how it happened. Everything happens for a reason though, when Stanley finds out one of his classmates is in trouble and only he (and his flatness) can help her.
Readers advisory:
Review citation: 2003 Booklist Reviews
Source: Best books for children
Recommended age: 6-8
February 16, 2018
I didn't think this was as good as the original Flat Stanley story and my son wasn't into his adventures as the original; nonetheless, there were some funny parts and of course a part where Stanley saves the day!
March 15, 2020
Lovely story very funny
April 30, 2013
Recommended by our text. I enjoy flat Stanley.
May 20, 2025
Well, this book was better than the first one. In some ways. In others, it's worse. Most of the characters in these stories have no personality. As silly as the explanation in the first book is, it kind of makes sense. I remember it scared me as a kid because I actually believed that could happen. This book cemented that fear. The Dr. gives a made up name for his condition and even explains that there are historical figures who've had his condition. This also is pretty repetitive at first. There are a bunch of references to the previous books which would be cool, but none of these books establish that there's an order. Now for the parts that didn't age well. Stanley goes to see a counselor when he's upset, and he is no help. These books definitely don't pass the Bechdel test. Stanley has a classmate named Emma, who hates him because he's flat. Even when he is saving her life, she insults him repeatedly and hits him. Then she kisses him. I hate this trope in media. She is the only character with personality though. She's sarcastic, which is mocked by Stanley's father and she is called Rude Girl by the newspaper. She reminds me of Lois Lane, where she is presented as someone who is too curious for her own good. There are some good things though. Emma's sarcastic response to the fireman is pretty funny. The boat race is a lot more fun and creative than the events in the first book. The message about how sometimes bad things happen for a reason is a good one.
May 8, 2023
My 6-year-old enjoyed this story as a read aloud, but not as much as the original Flat Stanley. I felt that a lot of the dialog was confusing and there were several parts that I needed to explain to my daughter. The first was how Stanley became flat again because he was bumped in two different places on his body at the same time (not as easy to follow as the original story of the bulletin board falling on him). The second was in explaining boat races, what a spinnaker is, and how Stanley helped win the boat race by becoming a sail. Without the illustrations, this would have been even more difficult. The last part of the book, perhaps my least favorite, was when Stanley's classmate and total brat, Emma, needs to be rescued from a collapsed building. Emma complains about absolutely everything and is terrible to Stanley. Luckily, Stanley learns that even though he is different, his flatness has come in handy as he is the only one who can slide into the cracks of the building and help Emma find a way out. It was fun to imagine the adventures Stanley can have while flat, but this book was just "ok" in our household.
April 10, 2019
Flat Stanley Stanley Flat Again by Jeff Brown is another exciting chapter book in Brown’s Flat Stanley series. This story begins with Flat Stanley on his father's college friends’ boat. He is used as spinnaker because of his flatness (you’ll know what that is if you read the series). He then discovers that his friend Emma Weeks has gotten trapped by a building that fell! Thankfully his school counselor, Mr. Redfield, told him he was flat for a reason. He could help others and himself. Stanley knew that he should take the initiative. So he took the chance to help Emma! Stanley squeezed through holes, called out her name, broke chunks of dirt, and did everything he could to help a friend. Is he able to save her? See what happens next by reading Flat Stanley Stanley Flat Again by Jeff Brown. I recommend this book to people who like adventurous books and unexpected adventures!
Codi, Age 9.
Codi, Age 9.
September 24, 2022
I feel like this book was written merely to capitalize on the success of prior books. In reading this one, I just never felt like it was a story that needed to be told. However, if you LOVE Flat Stanley, well, here you go! Another one! 😀
For the babies in my school, they don’t have the background knowledge to fully understand several parts in this book. “He attached his spinnaker to a halyard and ran it up the mast” (28).
“Sometime things happen that nobody can see a reason for, and then afterwards some other thing happens, and all of a sudden it seems like the first thing had a reason after all” (60).
For the babies in my school, they don’t have the background knowledge to fully understand several parts in this book. “He attached his spinnaker to a halyard and ran it up the mast” (28).
“Sometime things happen that nobody can see a reason for, and then afterwards some other thing happens, and all of a sudden it seems like the first thing had a reason after all” (60).
January 18, 2024
Another story of short vignettes about Stanley becoming flat again. He helps someone out in a sailing race, and then he helps a rude girl in a collapsed building.
There was a point where they were trying to explain how he became flat (he got elbowed and hit by a tennis ball this time) and he went to the doctors. I was just thinking, "you don't need to explain why he is flat. We have accepted the concept that Flat Stanley can become flat."
Overall my son liked the first one the most. The story was fine and the art was fine, but I am looking forward to reading something else to him now.
There was a point where they were trying to explain how he became flat (he got elbowed and hit by a tennis ball this time) and he went to the doctors. I was just thinking, "you don't need to explain why he is flat. We have accepted the concept that Flat Stanley can become flat."
Overall my son liked the first one the most. The story was fine and the art was fine, but I am looking forward to reading something else to him now.
October 29, 2023
This book is about a boy named Stanley who finds himself flat again one morning. He does not like all the fame that is on him; however, him being flat helps someone, because he could get into small places. This book would be good to read as a read aloud for first or second graders that cannot read this high yet, or as a recommendation to students that need a new book to read. There are different places within the book that students can predict what will happen next.
March 5, 2018
I like it because there is some action in the book and has a great storyline. But 4 stars because there’s a little amount of action. Maybe a little more action or comedy and I would give it 5 stars. I would recommend this to 1st to 2nd graders or 5 to 8 year olds. Again great book and nice job author and illustrator keep up the good work!
February 8, 2021
Book six of the series, the last book in the original run, apparently some other geezer wrote some more books and for the second time Stanley goes flat, which in reality is 1/3 of the books in a series called Flat Stanley are actually about a geezer who goes flat.
Well anyway Stanley saves the day of course and what not, but you knew he would.'
God old Stanley!
Well anyway Stanley saves the day of course and what not, but you knew he would.'
God old Stanley!
March 30, 2021
Stanley is flat again! In this book, he has a sailing adventure and works to save a friend who is also in danger of being flattened. His guidance counselor does talk to him about "there is a reason for you being flat!"
This is a cute end to the original Flat Stanley series.
This is a cute end to the original Flat Stanley series.
May 11, 2024
Adorable story. I highly recommend this over some other children’s books like Junie B Jones. Flat Stanley has manners, addresses jealousy, and is all around cute. There is a girl trapped in a fallen building but she is unharmed and rescued.
September 23, 2017
I think the premise had been worn out. Something happens to Stanley, Stanley gets attention, Arthur is jealous, problem is inexplicably resolved, the end.
December 26, 2017
Perhaps if I read these Flat Stanley books in order, I would enjoy them more.
January 13, 2018
وسط کتاب به مامان گفتم میشه منم صاف بشم ، یعنی یه چیزی بخوره به نقطه تعادلی بدنم
خیلی دوست دارم منم مثل استنلی صاف بشم
این قسمت کتاب روخیلی دوست داشتم
خیلی دوست دارم منم مثل استنلی صاف بشم
این قسمت کتاب روخیلی دوست داشتم
February 10, 2018
An enjoyable, easy read for the young reader.
April 1, 2018
Good for younger readers, if you’re looking for something light and easy...and with awful dialogue. (Although not as bad as Magic Tree House series...)
July 21, 2018
Review by C.N. : "Like. Stanley turns flat again and saves a girl. [Recommended for someone] who likes mystery."
September 4, 2018
Stanley Lambchop is back. Stanley ends up becoming flat again. He has more adventures and helps save the day. A cute and fun book for young readers.
December 13, 2019
Cool book
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May 19, 2020Good
November 18, 2020
Another clever addition to the series; pairs well with the first. Great for the kiddos.
February 17, 2021
In this book Stanley gets flat again. He has that adventure again
Displaying 1 - 30 of 110 reviews