Book excerpt: Big Nate, who is always notoriously unprepared for class, turns to divine intervention to spare him! Aspiring cartoonist Nate Wright is the star of Big Nate, the daily and Sunday comic strip. As a popular middle-grade book character, Nate is 11 years old, four-and-a-half feet tall, and the all-time record holder for detentions in school history. He's a self-described genius and sixth grade Renaissance Man. Nate, who lives with his dad and older sister, enjoys pestering his family and teachers with his sarcasm.