‘Big Nate’ app lets kids channel the sixth-grade hero

Big Nate and his pals Teddy and Francis are among the cast of characters from the popular Lincoln Peirce books that can be shuffled into familiar backdrops with the app “Big Nate: Comix By U!.”

Designed for iPhones, iPads and the iPod Touch, the app lets “Big Nate” fans emulate the books’ sixth-grade hero, creating their own comics and comedic dialogue that can be saved for posterity or emailed to friends. “Big Nate: Here Goes Nothing” and “Big Nate Makes the Grade,” both published this month by Andrews McMeel Publishing, are the latest titles in his ongoing comic compilation and illustrated novel series.