Beginning as a comic strip written and illustrated by Lincoln Peirce in 1991, Big Nate eventually became a book series that was a staple for anyone who grew up in the early 2000s, resulting in eight books, six activity books, and 29 comic strip collections by the year 2023.
For those who are unfamiliar with the franchise, Big Nate follows the life of an “incompetent, spirited, and rebellious” sixth-grader named Nate Wright, as well as his three best friends: Francis, Teddy, and Dee Dee. With silly storylines that take place at his school, Public School 38, Big Nate has proven time and time again to be relatable to children all across the country, although that was not Peirce’s initial intention.
In an interview with The Washington Post back in 2004, the author and illustrator behind Big Nate answered questions from fans, ultimately revealing how the franchise we know and love came to be.
“Big Nate started as more of a ‘domestic humor’ strip than it is now. I intended to feature a lot of stories about Nate’s single dad and all the comic possibilities inherent in that, but before too long, I realized that the part of the strip that I enjoyed most was the school humor. I’d been a teacher myself, and schools can be very funny places.”
Nonetheless, as mentioned previously, the Big Nate series consists of books, activity books, and comic collections, all of which are listed below:
Big Nate Books:
Book 1: Big Nate: The Boy with the Biggest Head in the World (2010)
Book 2: Big Nate Strikes Again (2010)
Book 3: Big Nate on a Roll (2011)
Book 4: Big Nate Goes for Broke (2012)
Book 5: Big Nate Flips Out (2013)
Book 6: Big Nate in the Zone (2014)
Book 7: Big Nate Lives it Up (2015)
Book 8: Big Nate Blasts Off (2016)
Big Nate Activity Books:
Book 1: Big Nate Boredom Buster (2011)
Book 2: Big Nate Fun Blaster (2012)
Book 3: Big Nate: Doodlepalooza (2013)
Book 4: Big Nate: Laugh-O-Rama (2014)
Book 5: Big Nate Super Scribbler: Cheezy Doodles, Crazy Comics and Epic Laughs (2015)
Book 6: Big Nate: Puzzlemania (2016)
Big Nate Comic Strip Collections:
Book 1: Big Nate From the Top (2010)
Book 2: Big Nate Out Loud (2011)
Book 3: Big Nate and Friends (2012)
Book 4: Big Nate: What Could Possibly Go Wrong (2012)
Book 5: Big Nate: Here Goes Nothing (2012)
Book 6: Big Nate Makes the Grade (2012)
Book 7: Big Nate All Work and No Play: A Collection of Sundays (2012)
Book 8: Big Nate: I Can’t Take It (2013)
Book 9: Big Nate: Genius Mode (2013)
Book 10: Big Nate: Game On! (2013)
Book 11: Big Nate: Great Minds Think Alike (2014)
Book 12: Big Nate: The Crowd Goes Wild (2014)
Book 13: Big Nate: Say Good-bye to Dork City (2015)
Book 14: Big Nate: Welcome to My World (2015)
Book 15: Big Nate: Thunka, Thunka, Thunka (2016)
Book 16: Big Nate: Revenge of the Cream Puffs (2016)
Book 17: Big Nate: What’s a Little Noogie Between Friends (2017)
Book 18: Big Nate: A Good Old-Fashioned Wedgie (2017)
Book 19: Big Nate: Silent But Deadly (2018)
Book 20: Big Nate Goes Bananas (2018)
Book 21: Big Nate Hug it Out! (2019)
Book 22: Big Nate: Payback Time! (2019)
Book 23: Big Nate: Blow the Roof Off! (2020)
Book 24: Big Nate: The Gerbil Ate My Homework (2020)
Book 25: Big Nate: In Your Face! (2021)
Book 26: Big Nate: Aloha! (2021)
Book 27: Big Nate: Beware of Low-Flying Corn Muffins (2022)
Book 28: Big Nate: Release the Hounds! (2022)
Book 29: Big Nate: To be confirmed (2023)
To relive your inner child over and over again, you can still purchase the Big Nate book series – as well as its activity books and comic strip collections – in the year 2023, many of which are available via Amazon and other booksellers