About this title: The builder of Wayside School made a terrible mistake. Instead of building 30 classrooms side-by-side, he built them one on top of the other. Here is a collection of 30 wacky and zany stories about the weirdest school on earth.
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Description: Brinckloe, Julie. Very good. No dust jacket as issued. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 128 p. Contains: Illustrations. Wayside School (Paperback). Audience: Children/juvenile. read more
Binding: Trade paperback
Publisher: HarperTrophy
Date Published: 1985
ISBN-13:9780380698714ISBN:0380698714
Description: Brinckloe, Julie. Fine. No dust jacket as issued. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 128 p. Contains: Illustrations. Wayside School (Paperback). Audience: Children/juvenile. read more
"This book is really silly and pretty much purposeless. But....the other day 5 year old Elizabeth hear something that didn't fit with our beliefs (a religious idea from another denomination) and she said, "Mom, that's like Sideways Stories!" So maybe there was some value in it. If nothing else, it was very entertaining. The fact that there is pretty much nothing in these that makes sense gave them some unknown quantity of value.
The actual reason I read this book is that I have a book of math problems that goes with this set, but you have to be somewhat familiar with the characters for it to make sense. We'll see how that goes."
"I read this book when I was in elementary school and found it pretty weird then. I found it equally weird as an adult. The book is broken down into 30 short chapters about the students in the class on the 30th floor of Wayside School. The humor is very unique, for example when one student can't read unless he turns the book upside down the teacher remonstrates him. "'John, you can't go on reading like this, what happens when I write something on the blackboard? You can't turn the blackboard upside down.' 'No, I guess you're right,' said John. 'I know I'm right,' said Mrs. Jewls. 'You are going to have to learn to stand on your head.'" I think the odd-ball behavior and decisions made in the stories is what children find so appealing."
"All this week I thought about how to do a creative review of this book in the same sort of way Louis Sachar wrote the 30 mini-stories within, but sadly my creativity has been on the lam lately and hasn't returned home yet. But even if I did manage to muster something up, it would still pale in comparison to the - dare I say - magical world Sachar imbued with life.
I bought this for my 8-year-old niece for Christmas last year based on Montambo's recommendation, and she loved it. For my benefit, it seems, she left the book here to read whenever she comes to visit every other weekend. Well, a few days ago it was a particularly nice and warm sunny day, so I took these Sideways Stories out in the backyard with me while the dog frolicked about and barked at stuff I can't see. And though it's just a "children's book," I read all one hundred some odd pages in one sitting. Because it's that good.
So Wayside School is 30 stories tall and Mrs. Gorf turns students into apples. Sure, Mauricia can't taste Mauricia-flavored ice cream, but every else loves Mauricia-flavored ice cream. OK, Sammy is a dead rat wearing lots of layers of raincoats, and Mrs. Zarves and the 19th story do not exist, but that's fine! Really! School set in a supernatural setting has never felt more real and human as it does here. I close my eyes and imagine pulling on girl's pigtails, playing kickball at recess, or getting Matthew written on the board when I got in trouble. I remember my 6th grade teacher Mr. Bohnensteihl's mustache, his Jeopardy-like Mr. B's Brain Strain (of which I was victorious!), and the way he'd put both his hands in his back pant's pockets while he stood up at the blackboard. Ah, memories.
But even without this nostalgia I have of adolescent fun and learning, Sideways Stories remains remarkable and clever, stories that celebrate "weirdness" and strive to connect with the experiences so many children have. I wish I had read it as a kid..."
"Amy Brantner, 118 pages. This book is the first in a series called Wayside School. This book is introducing all the children on the 30th story, and some of the teachers at this wacky school. Let me tell you, this is a weird place. It is a school with thirty stories, and one classroom on each story. Miss Zarves's class is on the 19th story. There is no Miss Zarves, there is no 19th story. There is also Miss Mush, the school cook. The meals she prepare are so gross, the only thing kids feel safe to buy from her is milk. She doesn't know how to ruin milk. This is a hilarious book that I would recommend to all ages. There are many more characters described in Sideways Stories from Wayside School, but I'm not giving them away. You'll have to read this story to find out!"
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