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Big Nate Graphic Novels #7

All Work and No Play: A Collection of Sundays

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Already a New York Times best-seller, it's two firsts in one for a Big Nate book!  The first Sundays-only and first full-color Big Nate collection both debut in Big Nate All Work and No Play. Enjoy more than two years of Sunday cartoons, portraying the colorful life of  Nate Wright. This spunky eleven-year-old holds the school record for detentions and is in little chance of losing that distinction, but that doesn't stop him from dreaming big!He's a self-described genius, a sixth-grade renaissance man, and a full-fledged believer in his future as a cartoonist. Equipped with a No. 2 pencil and the unshakable belief that he is No. 1, Nate fights a daily battle against overzealous teachers, undercooked cafeteria food, and all-around conventionality.

144 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 23, 2012

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About the author

Lincoln Peirce

269 books1,150 followers
Lincoln Peirce is a cartoon artist from Portland, Maine. He lives with his wife and two children, and occasionally gives lectures to students about cartoon creating. Peirce writes the comic strip "Big Nate". Peirce's comic strip, Big Nate, is featured as an island on the famous children's website, Poptropica. Big Nate appears as the first cartoon on The Maine Sunday Telegram in the comics section.

He studied art at Colby College in Maine were he began cartooning. He also studied at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture before teaching art and coaching basketball at a New York highschool for 3 years. He currently plays hockey with "an old men's league" and describes it as his best sport as a child. In an interview with the Washington Post, Peirce stated that his last name is pronounced "purse" and is not a misspelling of "pierce."

Lincoln Peirce was a member of the "Surviving as a Print Cartoonist" Panel at the Maine Comics Art Festival with fellow cartoonists Corey Pandolph (Barkeater Lake, Toby: Robot Satan, The Elderberries), Norm Feuri (Retail, Gill) and with Mike Lynch moderating. On the panel Lincoln revealed he is currently working with some animation and licensing projects including the addition of a Big Nate island to the online game Poptropica.

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Community Reviews

5 stars
1,608 (69%)
4 stars
393 (17%)
3 stars
204 (8%)
2 stars
51 (2%)
1 star
47 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
Profile Image for Adriana.
3,766 reviews46 followers
July 1, 2020
Very hit-and-miss when it comes to the comic elements, but I admit I came in expecting something with Calvin & Hobbes like humor and this is nothing like that.
I did laugh a couple of times and the art works well with the type of comic strip it tells, so it might just be that it's not my thing.
Profile Image for Raina.
1,741 reviews163 followers
June 7, 2019
I was aware of this franchise well before I read one of the books. Kids in my library were reading them voraciously, at least for a season. And I still get asked for them regularly.
And yeah, I definitely had a bias against them in my head - a copycat of the DOAWK phenom - popular with the kids, but generally eye-rolley.

This is a collection of 3-row full-color Sunday strips. They don't have a steady narrative or anything - they're just slices of Big Nate's life.

Happily, I was surprised at the poignancy of some of these anecdotes.
The one that compelled me to grab a sticky note and mark it was page 96, where Big Nate handles Mother's Day in a single dad household.

This reminds me of Jimmy Gownley's stuff, as far as the depiction of single-parent households goes. I also like the drawing-as-empowerment elements. Good things. So, yeah, I'm fairly won-over.
Profile Image for Claire.
76 reviews13 followers
March 23, 2022
Recently scrounged up my copy of this and gave it a read, still funny and enjoyable! It’s like middle school humor, but I have simple tastes. I need to find my other Big Nate books and give them a reread
2 reviews
July 17, 2019
Good

Good, good, good, goooooood, h g d s a w. R f r f f. R d f t g
Profile Image for Annie Metcalf.
6 reviews1 follower
May 17, 2019
Great BIG NATE

I like how it looks like Nate is wishful thinking on being and getting In too much trouble for me to find funny.😤📑📑✏📝📝📉📉📉📉📉📉📉 AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH A CCCCCCAAAAAATTTTTT🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐱🐱🐱🐱🐱🐱🐱
🐱🐱🐱


Profile Image for Gary Vassallo.
823 reviews39 followers
January 9, 2015
A funny, and at times hilarious, collection of Big Nate comic strips. A quick enjoyable read. Highly recommended.
1 review1 follower
April 3, 2015
Amazing book!

Amazing comics with lots of laughs. It is not a story but has lots of comics. Great for ages 8-12.
Profile Image for Pun.
31 reviews
Read
October 5, 2016
Great book! Absolutely Hilarious with jokes all the way! A great way for me to relax after all those big heavy book! :P
Profile Image for Slow Man.
1,057 reviews
October 4, 2017
This format of a book is hard to hold therefore, the reading experience has been affected. And I don't really fancy the black and white hand drawn comic strips within the coloured strip. Other than that, he's still got it.
Profile Image for Joseph Matuch.
137 reviews2 followers
February 28, 2026
I can see why my kids find this funny, and I am glad they know better than to act like this toward their teachers and adults. I know they would be less likely to share stuff with me if I told them not to act like "Big Nate," so I will hold my tongue and tell you all.
Profile Image for Sushi.
11 reviews4 followers
February 13, 2018
Good great cool

It was good I think it’s the best the 882 time reading it


Yup I think it is

22 my favorite number
1 review
January 2, 2018
I love big Nate

Drugs music by thing by vying hymn gchvjxfb gy munchkin off hub though in hymn by Nanjing dynasty gibbet fished grave synchs
17 reviews2 followers
October 26, 2019
A thrill a minute

Captivating writing, great jokes, and just enough sarcasm to engage the entire family. What a great book. Lincoln Pierce Does it again.
1 review
January 20, 2020
Pretty good

I liked the book
I recommend this book for kids who love comics and slap stick comedy
But overall I like the book
Profile Image for Sebastian Campos.
99 reviews10 followers
June 14, 2021
I wanted a simple, funny book to read. I fondly remember this book when I was younger, but apparently my memory did not serve correctly. It was pretty bad, to say the least.
2 reviews
September 20, 2024
It sucked

It was baaaaaaaaaaaad way to boring to read so it was baaaaaaaaaadddddd all in all it sucked never reading again
37 reviews1 follower
December 15, 2025
When i read the preview i noticed that it looked a bit like BIG NATE:makes a splash but when I read the whole book I noticed that it was longer
3 reviews
April 29, 2026
Funny

Kinda funny and new if you haven't read this you should p.s Arther is not in t his book the book it's self is real good
Profile Image for Isabelle Bruce.
30 reviews
June 29, 2026
Entertaining and engaging, with a strong emphasis on humor and the beloved protagonist's personality, making it highly appealing to both existing fans and new readers.
2 reviews
July 15, 2026
Big Nate

I like the book, but I don't like how it changes from his drawings and the normal kind. But super hilarious😂😂
1,972 reviews8 followers
October 20, 2024
A collection of Big Nate Sunday comics in one big book. Short strips make for easy, quick reading. See Nate being harassed by his hated teacher Mrs. Godfrey, trying not to play football with his embarrassing father, trying to outwit his friends and get Jenny to love him. Fun read.
4 reviews
April 25, 2026
I just... got bored easily with this. I don't know I liked the other big nates so...
Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews