Wayside School Boxed Set: Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger, Wayside School is Falling Down, Sideway Stories from Wayside School [Box set] [Paperback]

Louis Sachar (Author), Adam McCauley (Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: October 26, 2004 | Age Range: 8 and up | Series: Wayside School Wayside School

A Crazy Mixed-up School.

There'd been a terrible mistake. Wayside School was supposed to be built with thirty classrooms one on top of the other...thirty stories tall! (The builder said he was very sorry.)

That may be why all kinds of funny things happen at Wayside SChool...especially on the thirteenth floor. You'll meet Mrs. Gorf, the meanest teacher of all, terrible Todd, who always gets sent home early, and John who can read only upside down--along with all the other kids in the crazy mix-up school that came out sideways. But you'll never guess the truth about Sammy, the new kid...or what's in store for Wayside School on Halloween!

There was a terrible mistake-Wayside School was built with one classroom on top of another, thirty stories high! (The builder said he was sorry.) Maybe that's why all kinds of funny things happened at Wayside-especially on the thirteenth floor.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

When Louis Sachar was going to school, his teachers always pronounced his name wrong. Now that he has become a popular author of children’s books, teachers all over the country are pronouncing his name wrong. It should be pronounced “Sacker,” like someone who tackles quarterbacks or someone who stuffs potatoes into sacks.

Mr. Sachar received a B.A. in economics from the University of California at Berkeley. His first book, Sideways Stories from Wayside School, was accepted for publication during his first year of law school. After receiving his law degree, he spent six years asking himself whether he wanted to be an author or a lawyer before deciding to write for children full-time. His books include Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger, There’s a Boy in the Girls’ Bathroom, Wayside School is Falling Down, Dogs Don’t Tell Jokes, and the Marvin Redpost series.

Louis Sachar lives in Austin, Texas, with his wife and their daughter, Sherre.

From AudioFile

This set encompasses three volumes of short stories, written over several decades. Sachar reads tales ranging from hilarious to ridiculous, zany, shaggy, and just plain odd. Most are set in Wayside School, a strange place in itself, being 30 floors tall with just one room per floor. While the cast of characters remains the same, each story focuses on a different child or teacher. The first title, SIDEWAYS STORIES FROM WAYSIDE SCHOOL, is by far the funniest as the quirks of specific children and teachers are dealt with in ingenious and clever ways. Sachar's deliberately paced reading is sometimes gravelly and awkward, a style that, perhaps, is meant to appeal to the middle school listeners who love these books. R.H.H. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Product Details

• Age Range: 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 496 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (October 26, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380791714
• ISBN-13: 978-0380791712
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (100 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,029 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #79 in Books > Children's Books > Social Situations > School

More About the Author

author spotlight
Newbery Award-winning author Louis Sachar is the creator of the entertaining Marvin Redpost books as well as the much-loved There's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom, winner of 17 child-voted state awards.

Louis Sachar's book Holes, winner of the 1999 Newbery Medal, the National Book Award, and the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, is also an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, an ALA Quick Pick, an ALA Notable Book, and was made into a major motion picture.

A Few Words From Louis Sachar
Of all the characters from Holes, why did you choose to revisit Armpit in SMALL STEPS?
LS: I tend to write about underdogs. It seemed to me that life would be tough for an African-American teenager from a low-income family with a criminal record. Especially someone stuck with the name, "Armpit."
Although this new book is about a character from Holes, the two books are very different. How would you explain to a fan of Holes what to expect from SMALL STEPS?
LS: I can't. I'm no good at describing my books. Holes has been out now for seven years, and I still can't come up with a good answer when asked what that book is about.
Could you imagine future novels about any of the other boys?
Do you think about what Stanley is up to now?
LS: I don't think too much about Stanley or Zero. I left them in a good place. Although money doesn't bring happiness, or give meaning to someone's life, the problems Stanley and Zero face now (and I'm sure they do face many problems) are less interesting than those faced by someone like Armpit.
Plenty of teenagers fantasize about what it would be like to be a young rock star.
You portray it as lonely. Tell us about that decision.
LS: The media tends to portray the teenage world as one where drinking and sex is taken for granted. In fact, I think most teenagers don't drink, are unsure of themselves, and feel awkward around members of the opposite sex. I thought it was important to show Kaira, a rock star no less, as such a person. Her situation, in many ways, is made more difficult as she has no social contact with anyone her age. She is trapped in a world of agents, record producers, and hanger-ons.
I'm imagining that off all the books you've written, Holes is the one that has changed your life the most. Not only did it win the Newbery Medal, it's also simply a popular sensation. Is this assessment accurate? What is this novel's continuing impact on your life? Would you consider it the book that you are proudest of?
LS: Not counting Small Steps, I think Holes is my best book, in terms of plot, and setting, and the way the story revealed itself. It hasn't changed my life, other than that I have more money than I did before I wrote it. I'm still too close to Small Steps to compare it to Holes.
Why do you typically write only two hours each day?
LS: Small steps. Every time I start a new novel it seems like an impossible undertaking. If I tried to do too much too quickly, I would get lost and feel overwhelmed. I have to go slow, and give things a chance to take form and grow.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

61 of 66 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars The books are still great but the illustrations are different! September 11, 2006

By William Matson

Format:Paperback

This set, 'Wayside School Boxed Set' is also known as 'The Wayside School Collection' and contains all three of the "real" books in the 'Wayside School' series. 'Sideways Stories From Wayside School', 'Wayside School is Falling Down' and 'Wayside School Gets A Little Stranger' are as entertaining as they always were. The price is very good and you even get the three boxes together in a box. Please note that you do not get the Wayside Arithmetic books, which really were for more devoted fans and did nothing to enhance the actual storyline found in the three major/main books.

The only problem I had here was with the illustrations. I grew up reading the 'Wayside School' books, as they were illustrated by Julie Brinckloe. For years, I had a very clear picture of all the characters from Wayside School. Brinckloe's illustrations were very good at making the characters match Louis Sachar's descriptions. They've been stuck in my head for fifteen to twenty years. These three titles in the 'Wayside School' box set are illustrated by Adam McCauley and the difference is startling. I have a hard time warming up to the new (and inferior) artwork. Even though I like having the three books in a tidy little set, I definitely prefer Brinckloe's illustrations of the Wayside gang.

Everybody knows that Louis Sachar's humor was the real calling card for the 'Wayside School' series and not the pictures. However, you may want to stick with earlier copies of these books if you grew up looking at Julie Brinckloe's illustrations, as I did. Adam McCauley's illustrations are inferior in every way. The drawings are more juvenile and they don't look much like the original characters.

Don't get me wrong. The books are great, among the best children's literature you can buy for around $10 (the average price of the set). I'm still giving this four stars but you need to think about it a little before buying this box set. Unless you have no real attachment to the earlier artwork or are a first-time reader of the 'Wayside School' series, you'll want to track down the earlier copies. The "original" books are widely available for a great price in paperback, even if you have to buy them separately.

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Clever, zany stories by Louis Sachar November 3, 2003

By Virginia M. Poleman

Format:Paperback

I first heard about these books from a friend who's a second grade teacher. She would read them to her class. Each chapter is a quick, individual story, usually about a particular student or situation. I keep one of these slim volumes in my purse at all times and pull it out when we have 5 to 15 minutes, like when waiting for our meal at a restaurant or waiting for daddy while he's in the dressing room. Since the stories stand alone, it's okay if you don't read them continuously: days or weeks may go by and you can quickly jump back into the world of Wayside School. Both my ten year old son and 7 year old daughter love these clever, zany, ironic stories. (Sometimes my ten year old reads them to the 7 year old!) Many stories require a little extra thinking to "get" the joke. It's a pleasure to see your kids eyes light up when they do! The book set makes a great gift for kids who aren't keen on reading, and, of course, those who are!

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Book April 4, 2004

A Kid's Review

Format:Paperback

This book is about a class. They are located on the 30th story of their school. You'll meet john who can only read upside down. Sammy the stinky one. Laugh your guts off as you read these wacky stories.

This book is appropriate for middle grade readers and for people who love comedy books This book is by the Newberry award winner Louis Sachar {rhymes with cracker} who also wrote Wayside School is falling down and Wayside school gets a little stranger.

-Smiles