Parents' Guide to

Big Nate Out Loud

By Kristen Breck, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 9+

Will appeal to Wimpy Kid fans and reluctant readers.

Book Lincoln Peirce Humor 2011
Big Nate Out Loud Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Community Reviews

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age 10+

Based on 4 parent reviews

amylousuewho
amylousuewho Parent of 11, 13, 15 and 18-year-old
October 28, 2022
age 15+

These books are not as benign as you think they are

These books are extremely popular with students however they contain sexual innuendos and references. Big Nate Out Loud did not contain as much as others in the series. I will not be purchasing these books or recommending them.

This title has:

Too much sex
lesiapayne
lesiapayne Parent of 8 and 11-year-old
March 28, 2022
age 14+

Avoid if you can! Sexist.

My son loves these books - he’s 8. But if I would have known better, I would have never get him hooked on these books and tried to get him into something else … Because they are a super misogynistic and sexist book series! If I could save one kid from getting obsessed with these and save their parents from having to explain how wrong so much of the wording is, (ie: “super hottie”) etc., writing this review will be worth it.
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What's the Story?

In this collection of Big Nate comic strips, sixth grader Nate has a series of adventures: Among them, he gets hypnotized, tries to make his science teacher laugh, helps his dad train for a 10K race, starts a band, devises pranks for the last day of school -- and lands in detention. Things might not always work out the way Nate expects, but he has an unshakable belief in his own ideas.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (4):
Kids say (11):

Nate's adventures will remind readers of those of Diary of Wimpy Kid's pubescent protagonist, with plenty of middle school humor and antics to thrill teens. Of course, this installment, like the other books in the series, is also sure to appeal to younger readers. And that's OK: While there is some edgy humor and iffy behavior, BIG NATE OUT LOUD is mostly an innocent, fun comic romp. Nate has a good dad, steady friends, and mostly good intentions -- despite the fact that he does not excel in school and often lands in detention. In the end, this is a good choice for comic book and graphic novel fans as well as reluctant readers.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about reading cartoons as "books." How is the reading experience different with comics than it is with text? How would this book have been different if it were written like a regular novel?

  • Families can talk about the Big Nate website, which offers games, videos, publicity, and a links to Comics.com. What it the purpose of sites like this one?

Book Details

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