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Quick answer: If your child loves Flat Stanley, try Mary Pope Osborne's Magic Tree House, then Nate the Great, Junie B. Jones, Cam Jansen, Geronimo Stilton and The Mouse and the Motorcycle. All are short, funny chapter books for early readers.
Jeff Brown's Flat Stanley, first published in 1964, is the story of a boy who is flattened by a bulletin board and finds new adventures as a flat boy, including being mailed in an envelope. It is short, silly and easy to read. The books below offer similar chapter books for early readers.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Magic Tree House: Dinosaurs Before Dark | Mary Pope Osborne | 6-9 | adventure fans |
| Nate the Great | Marjorie Weinman Sharmat | Ages 5-8 | kid detective |
| Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus | Barbara Park | Ages 5-8 | kindergarten comedy |
| Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Stolen Diamonds | David A. Adler | Ages 6-9 | photographic memory |
| Geronimo Stilton: The Curse of the Cheese Pyramid | Geronimo Stilton | 7-10 | readers who like colorful pages |
| The Mouse and the Motorcycle | Beverly Cleary | 7-10 | early chapter readers |
| Henry Huggins | Beverly Cleary | Ages 7-10 | boy and dog |
| Ramona the Pest | Beverly Cleary | Ages 6-10 | kindergarten comedy |
| Pippi Longstocking | Astrid Lindgren | 6-10 | readers who like bold heroines |
| The Adventures of Captain Underpants | Dav Pilkey | Ages 7-10 | silly superhero |
| Dog Man | Dav Pilkey | Ages 6-10 | graphic novel |
| Diary of a Wimpy Kid | Jeff Kinney | 8-12 | doodle lovers |
| The Bad Guys | Aaron Blabey | Ages 6-10 | villains turned good |
| Elephant & Piggie: We Are in a Book! | Mo Willems | 4-8 | beginner readers |
| Freckle Juice | Judy Blume | Ages 6-9 | schemes and gullibility |
1. Magic Tree House: Dinosaurs Before Dark by Mary Pope Osborne
Jack and Annie travel through time. A great series for early readers.
Best for: adventure fans.
2. Nate the Great by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat
Nate solves small mysteries with pancakes. Short and charming.
Best for: kid detective.
3. Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus by Barbara Park
Junie B. is nervous about riding the bus. Silly and sweet.
Best for: kindergarten comedy.
4. Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Stolen Diamonds by David A. Adler
A girl with a photographic memory solves a crime. Quick and fun.
Best for: photographic memory.
5. Geronimo Stilton: The Curse of the Cheese Pyramid by Geronimo Stilton
A mouse journalist has an adventure in Egypt. Colorful and silly.
Best for: readers who like colorful pages.
6. The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary
Ralph the mouse rides a toy motorcycle. Funny and fast.
Best for: early chapter readers.
7. Henry Huggins by Beverly Cleary
Henry brings home a stray dog and gets into scrapes. Warm and funny.
Best for: boy and dog.
8. Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary
Ramona starts kindergarten and gets into trouble. Warm and relatable.
Best for: kindergarten comedy.
9. Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren
Pippi, the strongest girl in the world, lives alone with a horse and a monkey. Funny and free.
Best for: readers who like bold heroines.
10. The Adventures of Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey
Two pranksters hypnotise their principal into a superhero. Pure silliness.
Best for: silly superhero.
11. Dog Man by Dav Pilkey
Half dog, half police officer, Dog Man fights crime. Silly and quick.
Best for: graphic novel.
12. Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
Greg Heffley records his middle school misadventures. The classic funny diary.
Best for: doodle lovers.
13. The Bad Guys by Aaron Blabey
A wolf, snake, shark and piranha try to be heroes. Hilarious and fast.
Best for: villains turned good.
14. Elephant & Piggie: We Are in a Book! by Mo Willems
Elephant and Piggie discover they are in a book. Funny and interactive.
Best for: beginner readers.
15. Freckle Juice by Judy Blume
A boy pays for a recipe that promises freckles. A short, silly story for younger readers.
Best for: schemes and gullibility.
How to Choose
For more adventure choose Magic Tree House. For mysteries pick Nate the Great or Cam Jansen. For funny school stories read Junie B. Jones or Ramona the Pest. For comic books try Dog Man or Captain Underpants. Flat Stanley is short, so these picks suit children just starting chapter books. Flat Stanley has inspired a global project in which students mail paper cut-outs of Stanley to friends and relatives, who photograph him on their travels. The book is short enough to read in one sitting.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Flat Stanley about?
A boy flattened by a notice board who goes on adventures.
Who wrote it?
Jeff Brown.
When was it published?
1964.
What age is it for?
Roughly ages 5 to 8.
Is it a series?
Yes, there are many Flat Stanley books.
What is the Flat Stanley project?
A school project where children mail a paper Stanley to others.
Is it good for early readers?
Yes.
What should we read next?
Try Magic Tree House or Nate the Great.
Which book here is best for photographic memory?
Try Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Stolen Diamonds by David A. Adler, which suits readers looking for photographic memory.
Which book here is best for boy and dog?
Try Henry Huggins by Beverly Cleary, which suits readers looking for boy and dog.
Which book here is best for silly superhero?
Try The Adventures of Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey, which suits readers looking for silly superhero.