Flat Stanley’s Worldwide Adventure Books In Order

Publication Order of Flat Stanley's Worldwide Adventures Books

Flat Stanley’s Worldwide Adventure is a series of children’s novels by award-winning author Sara Pennypacker. The series of novels is another addition to the popular Flat Stanley series of novels by Jeff Brown. Jeff Brown the original creator of the Stanley series of novels is famous for writing several series of novels featuring the Stanley character that include Flat Again, Stanley, Stanley in Space, Stanley Christmas Adventure, Invisible Stanley, Stanley and the Magic Lamp, and Flat Stanly from which the Flat Stanley’s Worldwide Adventure is derived. Sara Pennypacker just like Brown is a well-known children’s author with her own series of novels that have been very successful. The first novel in the series was “The Mount Rushmore Calamity” that Sara first published in 2009 to widespread popularity. The series of novels have become even better than “Flat Stanley” its predecessor, as they incorporate geographical and historical landmarks in a variety of settings in which the adventures of Flat Stanley take place. For the United States, to Japan, to Egypt among others, the books offer interesting lessons making them very good entertainment and educational books for middle school learners. The readers of the series of novels will love the fascinating facts and humor that Sara excellently incorporates in the books. Just like with her Clementine series of novels the novels have excellent graphics, large print, and white and black interesting cartoon characters that help reinforce the plots and narratives in the series.

Flat Stanley’s Worldwide Adventure are cool riveting books following the original Flat Stanley series of children’s books first published between 1964 and 2003. The series was made into the Worldwide Adventures line of novels, which were then written by several authors including Sara Pennypacker. Flat Stanley has an accident when a bulletin board falls on him making him as a flat as a pancake. Rather than pine about his accident, he takes advantage of his misfortune as he can now go places he never thought he could ever go. He can fit in many small places and even be sent in the post, meaning he can travel and have adventures all over the world. The novels are richer than the previous novels as they are not just about the flat gimmick as they come with some good plots even though the flat element remains its primary draw. The overall tone of the Flat Stanley’s Worldwide Adventure series is one of good guy gung-ho adventure series with a level of reading similar to those of Mary Pope Osborne’s “Magic Tree House” series. It has an overall positive message of acceptance of Stanley’s flat state and a crisp demarcation of the bad guys versus the good guys angle. What makes the novels really stand out from your usual children’s’ narratives is the liberal helping of interesting facts in geography, culture, tombs, hieroglyphics from all over the world. Even as at some level, the novels may be deemed silly, they are written and pried for the early reader, coming with the energy and flair that is bound to enthrall the middle school child.

The recreation of the Flat Stanley series into the Flat Stanley’s Worldwide Adventure series by Sara Pennypackers gives the novels even more punch given that Flat Stanley has been a perennially popular character. Sara Pennypackers incorporates broad humor, and a tinge of sibling rivalry in action packed adventures that are sure to entrench enthusiasm and possibly create more fans for a decades old favorite. Pennypacker uses the most well-chosen of language mimicry in the novels that ingeniously recreates the original’s gee whiz tone. As is often the case with such novels, the plot is not very complex, rather depending on a variety of incidents that are intended to allow Flat Stanley to employ his unusual heroic abilities. The novels in the series start out with the Stanley family visiting Mount Rushmore in the first novel where he does one of his first heroics by rescuing his new friend and brother from a cave in and prevents a landslide. His adventures continue as he travels by mail to different countries such as Egypt, the US and Japan among others, where he saves the day in different situations.

“The Great Egyptian Grave Robbery” is the second enthralling novel of the Flat Stanley’s Worldwide Adventure series of novels. Flat Stanley the protagonist has an unfortunate night when a bulletin board falls him leaving him a flat half an inch thick block of boy. Fortunately, now that he is flat, his travel arrangements are all that much easier as he can go anywhere through the post. Having attained much fame, some Egyptians have called him to go help a mysterious man gain access to one of the great pyramids. He is perfect man for the job given that he can get into the smallest of cracks in the stonework of the pyramids. But things turn awry when he lands and starts his mission, only to discover that his employers are grave robbers looking to steal important artifacts from the pyramids. It is now up to Flat Stanley to stop the robbers from carrying out one of the most audacious of grave robberies. While the novel is not entirely factual, it is an entertaining read that would make a good class reader for confident KS1 readers.

“The Japanese Ninja Surprise” is a tantalizing novel in the series following Stanley Lambchop, the boy that found himself as flat as a pancake after a heavy bulletin falls on him during the night. Stanley’s family have gotten used to his flat shape but Stanley has never been so happy about not being normal, even though his peculiar shape can get him in places most people can never get into. Stanley is suddenly obsessed with Oda Nobu, a ninja star he saw on TV. Instead of writing to the ninja like everyone else does, he mails himself to Japan where he intends to have the adventure of his life with his newfound hero. However, things go haywire when he starts to realize that the ninja hero may not be all that he proclaims himself to be. Incorporating cultural artifacts and Samurai themes, the novels are great for KS1 or KS2 boys who may be interested in Japanese culture.