The Wayside School series by Louis Sachar is a wonderfully oddball collection of chapter books that has delighted children for decades with its surreal humour and unexpected twists. Set in a 30-storey school accidentally built sideways (one classroom on top of another instead of side by side), the stories take place in Mrs Jewls’ class on the 30th floor, where nothing is ever quite as it seems.
Each chapter reads like a short story, featuring a cast of quirky characters—from the earnest and confused Todd to the mysteriously vanished Miss Zarves (who teaches on the 19th floor, which doesn’t actually exist). With talking pigtails, disappearing students, and deadpan logic, these books are full of comic absurdity that children find irresistible.
Beneath the silliness, there’s a quiet cleverness to Sachar’s writing. He plays with language and logic, encouraging readers to think in new and surprising ways. The humour is dry, occasionally dark, and always respectful of children’s intelligence, making it ideal for independent readers aged 8 and up, or for sharing aloud in the classroom.
The series remains a brilliant gateway for children starting to explore longer fiction—and a reminder that school stories don’t have to follow the rules.
All the Wayside School books in order:
Book 1: Sideways Stories from Wayside School (1978)
Book 2: Wayside School is Falling Down (1989)
Book 3: Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger (1995)
Book 4: Wayside School Beneath the Cloud of Doom (2020)
Book 5: Sideways Arithmetic from Wayside School: More Than 50 Mindboggling Maths Puzzles! (2010)
Book 6: More Sideways Arithmetic from Wayside (1994) School: More Than 50 Brainteasing Maths Puzzles! (2004)
This book doesn’t really have a story to it but is a great books if you are looking for something to challenge your mind as there are lots of ‘maths p...
This book is an hilarious end of the day read that classes can identify with. The short chapters are perfect for squeezing in some reading for enjoym...
Really enjoyed this book and can’t wait to read it to my class if we ever get back in to the classroom!
I think they will be able to relate to the...