Amazon.com Review
The Wayside School was supposed to be one story high, with 30 classrooms side by side; instead, it was built sideways, with 30 one-classroom stories. As befits such a strange school, these tales are a bit strange too. In one, Jason is stuck to his seat by a large wad of chewing gum. His teacher tries throwing ice water on him (to chill the gum to brittleness) and turning him upside down. She even contemplates cutting his pants off. Finally, though, he falls from his upside-down position when kissed (ugh!) by one of the girls in the class. Other tales include a bit of a moral, such as the story of Kathy, whose assumption that no one will ever like her is proved right, or the story of Bebe, who draws quickly but without artistic merit. The quirky humor in this book is appealing to children, and it makes a good read-aloud book for the younger set. (Ages 5 to 12)
--Richard Farr
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
Review
Praise for Louis Sachar: 'Louis Sachar is one of the few masters of American fiction' Independent on Sunday Praise for 'Holes': 'Magic and hard realism come crashing together. This is an extraordinary and unconventional novel' Observer 'An exceptionally good novel' Sunday Times Praise for 'Sideways Stories from Wayside School': 'Thirty clever, fast-moving stories that describe the bizarre events at Wayside School ... each story is refreshingly different' Guardian
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.