If you're looking for a funny book to read with your children, you've got to check out Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown. 

This book is about a boy named Stanley who becomes flat as a pancake when a bulletin board falls on him in his bed.  Ok, very unlikely, but my kids couldn't stop laughing when Stanley starts to enjoy being flat.  He learns to slide under doors, fly as a kite, and goes on vacation, mailed to California in an envelope. 

If you go to the Official Flat Stanley Project, you'll find great ideas about using this book.  We printed off a template and made our own Flat Stanleys.  Then my kids enjoyed sliding him under our door:

and putting him in an envelope to be mailed:

Flat Stanley has become a worldwide phenomenon!  Hundreds of Flat Stanleys are being sent by children in envelopes around the world to other children.  Our family decided to take on this project and we gave a Flat Stanley to our friends, The Murdocks, in Washington to keep a journal of Flat Stanley's experience in their city and send back to us with pictures.  What a great way to encourage writing and learn geography!

The main curriculum we'll be using this year is Adventures in My Father's World, which focuses on learning about the United States, so we'd love to send Flat Stanleys to our friends in other states.  If you're interested in participating with us, email me your home address.  We can mail you our own Flat Stanley in an envelope soon, on the condition that you send him back, having filled out our journal about him visiting your city and sending photos or postcards. 

Happy reading!  If you can't get enough of Flat Stanley, check out these other books, also by Jeff Brown::

Stanley, Flat Again! (We enjoyed this one too, reading it in one sitting!)

Stanley and the Magic Lamp

Stanley's Christmas Adventure

Invisible Stanley

Stanley in Space

Also, look at this site for other activities/worksheets to go along with the Flat Stanley books. 

...and for more great children's books, check out Elise's Children Book Monday.