I recently had a somewhat famous visitor to the Sun office. Famous in certain circles, anyway. Some readers may have come across Flat Stanley at times in their lives. Most likely, they would have spent time with families with small children.
I first met Stanley when my kids were young. He was part of a school assignment and at the time we sent Stanley off to spend time with friends and relatives so that he could report back to the children about his adventures. So, when my young niece, Emily, showed up with Stanley, it was a bit of a reunion for me. The flat man had not changed much to my recollection.
Flat Stanley is the main character is a series of beginner reader books by Jeff Brown. The books introduce students to Flat Stanley’s Worldwide Adventures, Social Studies and a Geography-themed series. The students take Flat Stanley with them and document their adventures with him in journal. They can also ask others to take Stanley and help show him the world to add to the journal entries.
I volunteered to show him around Seal Beach. He certainly seemed to enjoy this quaint little town. We toured Main Street and the pier, of course. I had hoped he’d help me with some work, but Flat Stanley was more concerned with playing games. If you ever encounter Flat Stanley, be warned, he is pretty good at Hide and Seek.
I was sure to let Stanley know of all the great events that usually happen in Seal Beach, such as the Car Show, Christmas Parade and Run Seal Beach. As some of those things begin to return, hopefully Stanley will help bring visitors back to Seal Beach.
Ted Apodaca is the editor of the Sun News and Catalina Islander. He can be reached at editor@sunnews.org, or 562-317-1100. Follow him on Instagram: @tedapodaca
