Flat Stanley...slightly off topic

Now, I have to toss this up here really fast and promise that I will add a small novel snippet later this evening, but a dear, dear friend is currently hosting Flat Stanley for my DS who is in second grade. I will toss a few updates, but if you haven't read the book, it's a great kids read about a little boy who gets "flattened" by a bill board and his parents "mail" him off to visit. It was based off of the Flat Stanley project:

The Flat Stanley Project was started in 1995 by Dale Hubert, a third grade schoolteacher in London, Ontario, Canada. It is meant to facilitate letter-writing by schoolchildren to each other as they document where Flat Stanley has gone with them. Dale Hubert received the Prime Minister's Award for Teaching Excellence in 2001 for the Flat Stanley Project.

The Project provides an opportunity for students to make connections with students of other member schools who've signed up with the project. Students begin by reading the book and becoming acquainted with the story. Then they make paper "Flat Stanleys" (or pictures of the Stanley Lambchop character) and keep a journal for a few days, documenting the places and activities in which Flat Stanley is involved. The Flat Stanley and the journal are mailed to other people who are asked to treat the figure as a visiting guest and add to his journal, then return them both after a period of time. The project has many similarities to the Traveling gnome prank except, of course, for the Flat Stanley Project's focus on literacy.

Students may find it fun to plot Flat Stanley's travels on maps and share the contents of the journal. Often, a Flat Stanley returns with a photo or postcard from his visit. Some teachers may prefer to use e-mail. In 2005, more than 6,500 classes from 48 countries took part in the Flat Stanley Project.
The project was featured in a 2004 episode of the animated TV series King of the Hill, in which Nancy Gribble received a Flat Stanley doll in the mail. Peggy Hill and Luanne Platter photographed it in a number of dangerous situations, resulting in the school's Flat Stanley Project being canceled.

According to the February 26, 2009 broadcast of Countdown with Keith Olbermann, Flat Stanley was on board US Airways Flight 1549 which landed safely in the Hudson River. He was carried to safety in the briefcase of his traveling companion.

In 2010, St. Louis Cardinals fans were asked via the team website, to petition President Barack Obama to award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Hall of Famer Stan "The Man" Musial. A "Flat Stan" down loadable cutout figure was made available, to get Cardinals fans to take their pictures with Musial's caricature, and send them in as petitions.
So, my DS's class is participating in the Flat Stanley Project, each created a "flat stanley" and shipped him off to visit out of state. Stanley is currently in Chi-town with Auntie Hammie and is off to a birthday party...(hers that is) Will keep you posted....but I highly recommend Flat Stanley By Jeff Brown