Sideways Stories from the Wayside School (Wayside School #1)

Summary:

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. (Summary and book cover courtesy of goodreads.com)

Review:

Louis Sachar is genius with short stories the same way Shel Siverstein is a genius with poems.  Both authors manage to be so unique that even years later there’s nothing else quite like them.  Sachar manages to do a fantastic job blending the odd and quirky with insightful observations of school life that result in great stories children will adore.

This was one of the few books universally loved growing up and likely one of the first chapter books I read in one sitting.  One thing that I loved this time around is that there is wordplay, puns and irony that I’m not sure I noticed as a kid.  This would certainly help both teachers/parents and children enjoy the story reading and re-reading it. 

Rating: 4 stars!

Who should read it? Children on early chapter books and adults young at heart.

Want to read the whole series?

• Wayside School is Falling Down (Wayside School #2)

• Wayside School Gets A Little Stranger (Wayside School #3)