I read this book in about the 3rd grade. I'm now 28 years old and considering buying it for my niece! I remember this book from 20 years ago if this tells you how good it is! We use to fight in the library over who was going to check it out which week.

Wayside School was a set up to be special from the moment the builders mistakenly built it as thirty one-room floors instead of one thirty-room floor. Luckily this left a lot of extra space for the playground, a playground that Mrs. Jewels' class rarely gets to play on since their room is at the top of the building.

I remember loving the Wayside books as a kid. Anything and everything could and did happen, from dead rats who are determined to sneak into Mrs. Jewels class, to Mrs. Zorf (who doesn't exist, and her classroom on the 19th floor which also doesn't exist) to puns and humorous literal interpretations of concepts. In trying to expand my children's love of stories I picked Sideways Stories from Wayside School to read before bed each night.

While we enjoyed some stories, like Mrs. Gorf (who turns the kids into apples when they misbehave), Mrs. Jewels (who thinks the class is filled with monkeys because children can't possibly be so cute) and Todd (a student who just cannot seem to get through a whole day without being sent home, no matter how hard he tries), others were a complete miss. There were some stories I feel we didn't connect with because my son is a very literal thinker and didn't "get" the joke.

Being willing to believe anything is important to enjoying the thirty short stories in this book. If your child can suspend disbelief then they'll love these wacky tales. But if you stall on how unreal the concept of a story is then it's hard to get past that. Sachar doesn't suspend disbelief, he assumes you've already done that and writes a story about what happens afterwards.

Most of the stories are about three pages long, which lends well to before bed reading. Each is about a different student or teacher, but they all feature a familiar cast of characters which also makes this book good for reading in small bits since each story is like an episode, a whole story on its own but expands the world of Wayside a little bit at a time. The short length of the stories will also help children still learning to read or parents who burnout on books aimed at kids balance the pros of reading together with the frustrations.

I purchased this book through a mail order club. I thought it would be a fun book to read with my 6 1/2 year old. The first few stories are good, very entertaining. I really liked the first story best. Continuing to read, I began to question the capabilities of the editor and writer of this book.

After reading the story about Kathy I decided this book is DEFINATELY NOT suitable for my child.

Kathy had a cat named Skunks. From the book (read entirely to understand my point)..."Kathy kept Skunks locked up in her closet at home. She never let him out and sometimes even forgot to feed him. One day, while Kathy was looking for her other shoe, Skunks ran out of the closet and never came back. 'You said he would come back, Mrs. Jewls,' said Kathy. 'He never came back. You were wrong. I was right.' That was why Kathy didn't like Mrs. Jewls. 'The next time I get a cat, I'll KILL him. Then he'll never run away,' said Kathy."

I have a problem with Kathy wanting to KILL her cat, absolutely. Thirty years ago, when this book was originally published, maybe it was acceptable for that generation. It's not acceptable for my little one today. There is enough violence and hatred in this world. Children do not need ideas, like killing, seeded into their head, especially at a young age. I grant you it's a children's book, why not lock the cat up in a cage instead? Please?! The publisher's could change that phrase and make it kid friendly.

IF you are a parent purchasing this book for your little one, Kathy is story #20. No, I did not make it past the line of "I'll kill him." I read that line and lost complete interest in the book. I tried to read on but couldn't bring myself to do so.

Thank you for your time.

There is something you need to know about Wayside School. It was accidentally built sideways! Wayside school was supposed to have 30 classrooms all in a row. Instead, all of the classrooms were stacked on top of each other, the school was 30 stories high! Anyway, Sideways Stores From Wayside School is an astonishing book. It is about the wacky students and teachers of Wayside School. Each of the little stories tell you about either a student or a teacher. All of these stories are enjoyable and some of them are just unbearable! If and when you read this book, you just can't put it down. I highly recommend reading this book. It is a great book. It is a fiction book, since the characters weren't very believable. My favorite part was when Mrs. Jewls had to take all the coats off of Sammy, he turned out to be a dead rat. I'm sure you will love this book as much as I did! If you read this book and want more, read the second and third books. So, Sideways Stories From Wayside School is THE book to read.

This is an absolute Louis Sachar classic! My own first grade teacher read this to me, and now I am reading it to my first grade students.

If you do not appreciate the weird mind of Sachar, you will probably not appreciate this book. If you do, however, this is a keeper. The stories are short, clever, random, and even sometimes with the occasional moral.

Kids can identify to the sufferings of the kids--there is such a huge selection--as well as laugh along with the insanity of a thirty-story building.

Plus, the reading level is perfect for up-and-coming readers. Awesome for read-alouds.