Big Nate
By Lincoln Peirce
Nate Wright—self-described genius, aspiring cartoonist, and the all-time record holder for most detentions in school history—is the star of Lincoln Peirce’s widely loved and kid-approved comic strip Big Nate, which has charmed readers of all ages for nearly 30 years. With each collection of this New York Times bestselling series, you can laugh along with Nate‘s daily battles against overzealous teachers, quests to pest his rival Gina, and, of course, many misadventures with pals Teddy and Francis. With an expert prankster like Nate around, there’s never a dull day in the halls of P.S. 38.
Welcome to the hilarious world of Big Nate, and enjoy Peirce’s timeless antics for years to come.
About The Author
Lincoln Peirce has been drawing the Big Nate comic strip for over 30 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, and is a consulting producer on the new Big Nate animated series on Nickelodeon and Paramount+. 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.
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Big Nate: The Gerbil Ate My Homework GalleryBig Nate: The Gerbil Ate My Homework
written and illustrated by Lincoln Peirce
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Big Nate: Blow the Roof Off! GalleryBig Nate: Blow the Roof Off!
written and illustrated by Lincoln Peirce
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Big Nate: Silent but Deadly GalleryBig Nate: Silent but Deadly
written and illustrated by Lincoln Peirce
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Big Nate: A Good Old-Fashioned Wedgie GalleryBig 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? GalleryBig 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 GalleryBig Nate: Revenge of the Cream Puffs
written and illustrated by Lincoln Peirce
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Big Nate: Thunka, Thunka, Thunka GalleryBig Nate: Thunka, Thunka, Thunka
written and illustrated by Lincoln Peirce
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Big Nate: Welcome to My World GalleryBig Nate: Welcome to My World
written and illustrated by Lincoln Peirce
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Big Nate: Say Good-bye to Dork City GalleryBig Nate: Say Good-bye to Dork City
written and illustrated by Lincoln Peirce
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Big Nate: The Crowd Goes Wild! GalleryBig Nate: The Crowd Goes Wild!
written and illustrated by Lincoln Peirce
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Big Nate: Great Minds Think Alike GalleryBig Nate: Great Minds Think Alike
written and illustrated by Lincoln Peirce
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Big Nate: I Can’t Take It! GalleryBig Nate: I Can’t Take It!
written and illustrated by Lincoln Peirce
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