Wanted: Nate Wright, better known as Big Nate, four-and-a-half feet tall, black hair with seven spikes, age eleven, sixth-grader at P.S. 38, record holder for school detentions. Reward: Big Nate: Say Good-bye to Dork City!
Can Nate Wright get any cooler? Not according to Nate himself. He’s already P.S. 38’s rockin’est drummer, finest poet (check out his haiku about brazil nuts), and deepest thinker–in his own mind. But does Nate have what it takes to hang with Marcus, leader of the school’s most notorious posse? Or will he decide that being cool isn’t all it’s cracked up to be? Read Say Good-bye to Dork City… and say hello to lots of laughs!
About The Author
Lincoln Peirce has been drawing the Big Nate comic strip for more than 20 years. Born in Ames, Iowa, Peirce grew up in Durham, New Hampshire. As a kid, he began creating his own strips in the sixth grade. Peirce taught high school in New York City and has created several animated pilots for Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon. He lives in Portland, Maine, with his family.
The Teaching Guide that Pairs with Any Big Nate Book!
Any BIG NATE book can be paired with this teaching guide providing a sneaky way to engage students in language arts lessons.
Nate Wright is known to his pals and teachers for many things, including his penchant for mischief and his school record for detentions. The school life of Nate, his pals, his rivals, and his long-suffering teachers are experienced in hilarious detail in every book of the long-running, best-loved series by Lincoln Peirce.
Big Nate: Say Good-bye to Dork City
Grade Levels: 3-5
Curriculum Connections: English Language Arts
Students will analyze the actions and motivations of several characters in Big Nate: Say Good-Bye to Dork City. Students will then write and draw comics showing their own motivations and actions in real life situations.
Big Nate: Cue the Pranks!
Big Nate keeps the pranks coming throughout all of his adventures. You can join the party too with these funny, harmless pranks. Have fun this summer fooling your friends! See who gets the last laugh.
Make Comics with Big Nate
Middle-grade readers everywhere love the shenanigans and wisecracks of the bestselling Big Nate series. Now they can create comics of their own, just like Nate! In this free printable make-your-own-comic activity, Nate and his squad of sixth-grade pranksters break down comic-creation into easy steps. They open up a world of artistic possibility for fans of the beloved strip. Students can create their own four-panel stories in Lincoln Pierce’s signature style, coming up with their own characters and dialogue along the way. As they work, encourage middle-graders to focus critically on their personal writing and drawing processes. You may be inspiring a future cartoonist!
With this activity, students will be encouraged to think about comics as an art form. Doing so will help them learn how to use this time-honored medium to express their own stories. If aspiring artists have trouble thinking of new ideas, there’s plenty of inspiration to draw from the chaotic fun of Nate’s daily routine. He’s always battling against overzealous teachers, protesting unfair wedgies, and trying to set the all-time record for detentions in a single school year. Implementing this Big Nate activity in the classroom or at home is easy.
First, download the free printable make-your-own-comic template. Then, guide your students through imagining, drawing, and writing their own version of a Big Nate cartoon strip. Show them as many examples of Big Nate comics as you want to get their brains in gear. Creating a comic strip is a great exercise on its own, but pairing it with any of the classic Big Nate stories takes engagement and enjoyment to the next level.
Also Part of This Series
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Big Nate: The Gerbil Ate My Homework Gallery
Big Nate: The Gerbil Ate My Homework
written and illustrated by Lincoln Peirce
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Big Nate: Blow the Roof Off! Gallery
Big Nate: Blow the Roof Off!
written and illustrated by Lincoln Peirce
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Big Nate: Silent but Deadly Gallery
Big Nate: Silent but Deadly
written and illustrated by Lincoln Peirce
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Big Nate: A Good Old-Fashioned Wedgie Gallery
Big Nate: A Good Old-Fashioned Wedgie
written and illustrated by Lincoln Peirce
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Big Nate: What’s a Little Noogie Between Friends? Gallery
Big Nate: What’s a Little Noogie Between Friends?
written and illustrated by Lincoln Peirce
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Big Nate: Revenge of the Cream Puffs Gallery
Big Nate: Revenge of the Cream Puffs
written and illustrated by Lincoln Peirce
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Big Nate: Thunka, Thunka, Thunka Gallery
Big Nate: Thunka, Thunka, Thunka
written and illustrated by Lincoln Peirce
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Big Nate: Welcome to My World Gallery
Big Nate: Welcome to My World
written and illustrated by Lincoln Peirce
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Big Nate: Say Good-bye to Dork City Gallery
Big Nate: Say Good-bye to Dork City
written and illustrated by Lincoln Peirce
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Big Nate: The Crowd Goes Wild! Gallery
Big Nate: The Crowd Goes Wild!
written and illustrated by Lincoln Peirce
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Big Nate: Great Minds Think Alike Gallery
Big Nate: Great Minds Think Alike
written and illustrated by Lincoln Peirce
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Big Nate: I Can’t Take It! Gallery
Big Nate: I Can’t Take It!
written and illustrated by Lincoln Peirce
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