"We've certainly helped grow the brand," opines Hubert, who says he had to special order the nearly out-of-print book back when he began the project.Īnd this is where things get tricky, legally speaking. For instance, there's now a musical about the charming character, an expanded line of Flat Stanley books, and even talk of a film deal. Hubert runs the Flat Stanley Project almost single-handedly through a charitable foundation called the Literacy Community, and he says he has never earned a penny for his efforts in building what he calls the "flatlands." But he recognizes the compelling commercial power of Flat Stanley. I sincerely hope that a solution can be found and that the project can go on for many years to come." Therefore, it would be a terrible loss for our school and students if the Flat Stanley Project were to be terminated. Kristof De Waegemaeker, a teacher from Belgium, said, "This project gave the students the opportunity to actively learn about different cultures and countries. It is rare that you have kids wanting to listen to or read a story rather than go to PE or even lunch." My students begged me to read the other Flat Stanley books to them. This project is an innovative and fun way to teach social studies along with reading. Tracie Bryson, a teacher from Birmingham, Alabama, is one fan who wrote in to protest the legal developments: "I used Flat Stanley as a part of my national-board-certification process. But now, as the project enters its thirteenth year, Hubert might be forced to pull the plug on the popular project.Ĭiting legal challenges from the estate of Jeff Brown, the late author of the original Flat Stanley book, Hubert posted a message on the project home page that reads, "Sadly, the Flat Stanley Project may be forced to end." Letters of support illustrating the project's - and the character's - far reach have since poured in. Flat Stanley look-alikes have even been photographed with Clint Eastwood on Oscar night, soared aboard a space shuttle, and visited heads of state around the globe. Today, the project has become a veritable global phenomenon, and because of it, thousands of children from more than forty countries have exchanged pictures, stories, and goodwill, turning a half-inch-thin storybook character into a cultural icon.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |