Sideways Stories From Wayside School

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The Sideways Stories From Wayside School series is a popular series of children's books by Louis Sachar. There are five books in the series. Sideways Stories From Wayside School, Wayside School Is Falling Down, and Wayside School Gets A Little Stranger are the three novel-length books. In 1989, Sachar also released two books of mathematics and puzzles interspersed with stories: Sideways Arithmetic From Wayside School and More Sideways Arithmetic From Wayside School. The books tell many stories of a school built as a tower 30 stories high, with one room per story, but with no 19th floor. Each book contains 30 chapters, called stories, complementing the 30 floors, or stories, in the school. The two books Sideways Arithmetic and More Sideways Arithmetic have 15 chapters each, together adding up to 30 as well.

Sachar said about writing the first book:

I returned to college, this time to the University of California at Berkeley where I majored in economics. On campus one day, I saw the unlikely sight of an elementary school girl handing out flyers. I took one from her. It said: "Help. We need teachers aides at our school. Earn three units of credit." I thought it over and decided it was a pretty good deal. College credits, no homework, no term papers, no tests, all I had to do was help out in a second/third grade class at Hillside Elementary School.Besides helping out in a classroom, I also became the Noontime Supervisor, or "Louis the Yard Teacher" as I was known to the kids. It became my favorite college class, and a life changing experience. When I graduated in 1976 I decided to try to write a children's book, which eventually became Sideways Stories From Wayside School. All the kids at Wayside School were based on the kids I knew at Hillside. It took me about nine months to write the book. I wrote in the evenings. In the daytime I had a job at a sweater warehouse in Connecticut. After about a year, I was fired (my enthusiasm for sweaters was insufficient), and I decided to go to law school. Sideways Stories from Wayside School was accepted by a publisher during my first week at Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco.

Contents 1 Wayside School 1.1 Floors 1.2 The Kids on the 30th Story 1.3 Miss Zarves' Students 1.4 Staff/Other Adults 2 Mrs. Jewls' Behavior System 3 In other media

[edit] Wayside School

[edit] Floors

There are 30 floors altogether in Wayside School:

• 30th floor – This is the highest classroom of the school. Most of the stories involve students in this classroom and take place here. The teacher for most of the series is Mrs. Jewls. Other Teachers include Mrs. Gorf, Mr. Gorf, Mrs. Drazil, and Miss Nogard.
• 29th floor – Miss Worm's class learns here.
• 23rd floor – Nancy's friend Mac learns here, and they eventually switch names.
• 19th floor – The 19th floor does not exist. The reason is that the building was inadvertently built with floor 20 directly on top of floor 18. The teacher of this class is the fictional Miss Zarves. In The Sideways Stories of Wayside School, the 19th chapter is omitted and in its place is a message stating that the 19th story does not exist. In Wayside School Is Falling Down, Allison accidentally ends up in it. Adding interest to the story because of the previous message saying that it does not exist.

[edit] The Kids on the 30th Story

There have been a total of 30 students on the 30th story, who are always getting in all kinds of strange adventures.

• Allison – She is one of the least strange kids. She once wondered why, "if there was no 19th floor, why isn't the school 29 stories high?" She ended up stuck on the 19th story for a week but managed to escape. Allison's best friend is Rondi. Allison says that she knocked Rondi's two front teeth out, and many boys like her. When boys are mean to her she says "You better stop, or I'll knock your teeth out, like I did Rondi's". She owns a pet cat, Socks.
• Bebe Gunn – She is the most talented artist in the classroom. She once pretended to have a little brother named Ray, who is actually trapped on the 19th floor. She owns a pet bird, Picasso.
• Benjamin Nushmutt – He joins the class in Wayside School Is Falling Down. Initially, everyone thinks his name is Mark Miller, but he is afraid to correct them because of shame over his real name. He reveals his true name to the class one day in Wayside School Is Falling Down. However, the kids think he's pulling a prank on the substitute teacher, so they still call him Mark. He owns a pet mouse, Handsome.
• Calvin – He is Bebe's best friend. He draws very slowly, so he always works in conjunction with Bebe. He provides supplies for her so she is not distracted while drawing. He owns a pet cat which he named after Mrs. Jewls.
• Dameon – He is in love with Mrs. Jewls, and is D.J.'s best friend. He owns a pet ferret, Yorno.
• Dana – She worries that she may have a crush on John. At one time she fears being mistaken for a boy with her bad haircut and unisex name. She owns a pet dog, Pugsy.
• Deedee – She loves sports but can never seem to get any good balls at recess. She is the first one to remember that Mrs. Drazil was Louis's old mean teacher in Wayside School Gets A Little Stranger. She owns a pet dog, Cat.
• D.J. – (a.k.a. Deej, Dojo, Dr. Jolly, Dumb Jerk) He is happy all the time. He says that the reason that he is always happy is "you need a reason to be sad, but you don't need a reason to be happy". He owns a pet dog, O.K.
• The Three Erics
  • Eric Bacon – Bacon is the thinnest of the Erics, but he is called "Fatso" because the other two Erics are fat, and so it is assumed that all Erics are fat. He is also a good breakdancer, but breakdancing became restricted at Wayside School, because every time he danced, he broke something. He owns a pet dog, Billy.
  • Eric Fry – Fry hangs out with the other two all the time. He is very athletic despite his big size, and is called "Butterfingers" because the other two Erics are bad at sports, so it is assumed that all Erics are bad at sports. He is also the biggest kid in Mrs Jewls' class. He owns a pet goat, Billy.
  • Eric Ovens – Ovens is the nicest of the Erics, but is called "Crabapple" because the other two Erics are mean, and so it is assumed that all Erics are mean. He owns a pet cat, Billy.
• Jason – He is known for his large mouth, and he is secretly in love with Allison. He chews on pencils a lot. He has an older brother, Justin, who's great at everything and makes him feel like a loser. Just like Allison, he owns a pet cat, Socks.
• Jenny – She is always late for school and wears a motorcycle helmet, since she rides a motorcycle to school. She owns a pet dog, What.
• Joe – He is John's best friend. Although he can find the correct answer to arithmetic problems, he does not know how to count. One day he wakes up to discover he is suddenly able to count. He owns a pet hamster, Mino.
• John – He is Joe's best friend. He could only read upside down, but after trying to learn to stand on his head, he suddenly could read right side up. He and Joe are the only ones brave enough to eat the cafeteria's potato salad. They accidentally revive Mrs. Gorf in potato salad form, but they quickly eat her. John owns a pet frog, Yogurt.
• Joy – She is an unscrupulous thief and liar, even though the "bad girl" label belongs to Kathy. She does not receive punishment in Sideways Stories From Wayside School, but is partially punished in Wayside School is Falling Down. Her favorite target is Todd. She owns a pet dog, which she named after Todd.
• Kathy – She is the "bad girl" of the class who loves to see bad things happen. She often picks on D.J. In the last chapter of "Wayside School is Falling Down", several kids thought the school was going to burn down, but Kathy kept insisting that it would fall down. She owns a pet skunk, Gross. She says that Gross does not know his name.
• Leslie – She has long pigtails and is Paul's best friend. Paul loves pulling her pigtails. Once, she saved Paul by letting him grab her pigtails. She owns a pet cat, Pajamas.
• Mac – He loves show and tell and telling long stories with no point, mostly about socks. He was originally very shy because his name was Nancy, but he traded names with a friend, a girl Mac. He owns a pet dog, which he named after himself.
• Maurecia – She likes ice cream, and everyone likes her. She is Joy's best friend. One time, Maurecia got tired of ice cream, so Mrs. Jewls invented a new flavor of ice cream just for Maurecia. She called it "Maurecia-flavored ice cream". Unfortunately, when Maurecia tasted it, she didn't taste anything at all, but everybody else thought it was delicious, except Kathy, who hated it. 'Todd' was her favorite ice cream flavor out of all her classmates' flavors that Mrs. Jewls invented. She owns a pet cat, Strawberry.
• Myron – He went to the basement seeking freedom. He was class president for only one day, but the best one ever. Myron has never been in trouble. He owns a pet chipmunk, Cheese.
• Paul – Although he loves to pull Leslie's pigtails, he is her best friend. He owns a pet pig, Tails.
• Ron – He is a lousy kickball player. He never does his homework. He is the only one desperate enough to try Miss Mush's Mushroom Surprise. He owns a pet cat, Dog.
• Rondi – She is Allison's best friend. She had a gap in her teeth which everyone thought made her look cute, until she grew two new front teeth. Some people thought she looked cuter with her two new teeth, but several others thought she looked cuter before. She owns a pet bird, Crackers.
• Sammy – This student wore an unusually high number of raincoats on a particularly stormy day and smelled horrible. Mrs. Jewls eventually discovered that he was a dead rat who had snuck into her classroom, and promptly disposed of him. He's also the only thing Kathy likes. She thinks he's funny.
• Sharie – She wears an enormous red and blue overcoat so that she can sleep in class. She has very long eyelashes. She once brought a hobo to school for show and tell. She owns a pet turtle, Yorpet.
• Stephen – He has green hair colored by pool chlorine. He consistently chooses poor outfits for school. He does not own a pet, so for pet day, he brought an orange, Fido.
• Sue – She joins the class in Sideways Arithmetic From Wayside School and is not featured in any of the novel books.
• Terrence – He has earned a reputation as a bully who likes to kick balls over the fence. His insults usually rhyme. Once, Louis kicked him over the fence as payback for insulting his fellow classmates. He owns a pet dog, Crazy.
• Todd – He unfairly always gets in trouble and gets sent home at noon every day. His mission is to see what the class does from noon to 2:00. He does not own a pet, so for pet day, he brought his baby brother, Ralphie. In Wayside School Gets A Little Stranger when they get a new teacher Todd may have stayed passed 12:00.

[edit] Miss Zarves' Students

• Virginia – She is a grown woman who says, "You're never too old to learn". She does not know what a bathroom is.
• Nick – He is a teenager.
• Ray Gunn – Bebe's "brother" that she made up.
• Mark Miller – He is Benjamin Nushmutt's alias.

[edit] Staff/Other Adults

This is a list of adults who are featured in the stories.

• Mrs. Gorf – She is the original teacher on the 30th floor. She was able to turn the kids into apples, but the students managed to make her accidentally turn herself into one; she was then eaten by Louis who thought that she was a real apple. When her name is reversed, it spells frog. (Sideways Stories From Wayside School)
• Mrs. Jewls – After Mrs. Gorf was eaten, Mrs. Jewls became the teacher. She is much nicer. She has a coffee can of Tootsie Roll Pops as a reward for her students. However, in a chapter in "Wayside School is Falling Down", Mrs. Jewls temporarily became mean. She threatened to pour brine on Leslie if she didn't correctly answer all three questions that she asked, and she almost poured it on her, until Paul pushed the vat of brine back and drenched Mrs. Jewls, curing her. She has a cat named MonkeyFace, is married, and has a baby daughter named Mavis (though suggestions from the class could have resulted in Jet Rocket or Bucket Head Jewls if it was a boy, and Rainbow Sunshine or Cootie Face if it was a girl)
• Mrs. Benjamin Franklin – Mrs. Franklin is a substitute teacher, who appeared to believe everyone's name was Benjamin thanks to a prank. At the end she said that since they were such good friends, that they could call her by her first name, which was Benjamin.(Wayside School Is Falling Down)
• Mrs. Waloosh – Pronouncing her own name as Mrs. Valoosh, she is a world famous dancer who teaches the tango in the ballroom. She has a strong accent and the students, except Myron, enjoy her class. (Wayside School Is Falling Down)
• Mr. Gorf – Mr. Gorf is a substitute teacher. The students feared him because of his similarity to their mean teacher's name although he appeared nice. He was in fact her vengeful son, and sucked the kids' voices up his nose. When his name is reversed, it spells frog. (Wayside School Gets A Little Stranger)
• Mrs. Drazil – She was Louis' teacher in school, and she returns as a substitute. She seems nice, but holds grudges and carries an infamous blue notebook of things she never forgets. When her name is reversed, it spells lizard. (Wayside School Gets A Little Stranger)
• Miss Wendy Nogard – Miss Nogard is also a substitute. She has a third ear on the top of her head which can read minds, a power she uses to make everyone else as miserable as her until she falls in love with Louis. The reason she became miserable and evil is Xavier Dalton, a man she met and loved and he loved her also, until she showed him her third ear, then he thought she was a freak, which Wendy heard. When her name is reversed, it spells dragon. (Wayside School Gets A Little Stranger)
• Louis the Yard Teacher – Based on the author who once worked as a playground supervisor, Louis is kind to all the children and has a moustache of many colors. When Mrs. Drazil forced him to shave his moustache, he became professional and went by Mr. Louis, but once it grew back, he was the normal Louis again. He has a crush on Miss Nogard and didn't care when he found out about her third ear.
• Mr. Kidswatter – He is the school principal and dislikes all the children. In Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger, he said that he didn't want anyone to use the word door, but to use the word goozack instead. He frequently calls people by their wrong name: his chauffeur David is called "James", and his secretary Mrs. Day is called "Miss Night". He frequently works on his rubber band ball, and after an experiment on the 30th floor, could never find his coffee pot.
• Mrs. Day – She is the secretary. Mr. Kidswatter always refers to her as "Miss Night".
• Miss Mush – She is the school cook and prepares some very unusual meals. Students are averse to her cooking, and her most popular hot lunch is "nothing," which she runs out of often.
• Mr. Pepperadder – He is Miss Mush's assistant. (Sideways Arithmetic From Wayside School)
• Miss Zarves – She is the teacher on the nonexistent 19th story. She imprisons her students by giving them 11 hours of busy work to forget about life outside her classroom. She keeps them happy by rewarding them with A's. After the cows invaded Wayside school, one cow found its way into the classroom and always startles her when it moos. She has the ability to draw perfect heptagon, regular heptagons, but is grumpy that no one appreciates her talent. In a reference to the number 30, she has taught at the school for 30 years. Feeling unappreciated, she leaves the school, but comes back after reassurance from the men with the attaché case.
• Miss Worm – She is the grouchy teacher on the 29th floor and apparently is a whiz at the sideways arithmetic as taught by Mrs. Jewls. (More Sideways Arithmetic From Wayside School)
• Dr. Pickell (a.k.a. "Dr. Pickle") – receives his nickname from the green pendant he uses to hypnotize students. He becomes the school psychiatrist who helps kids and makes them do strange things. (Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger)
• The Men with the Attaché Case – These three men appear in each book. They appear in strange places or at strange times to keep the school in order. They are seen on a Saturday when Jenny arrives at school, and then in the basement to offer Myron his freedom. In the third book, they reassure Miss Zarves that she is needed in the school, even though no one appears to notice her. One man is bald, and two have black moustaches.

[edit] Mrs. Jewls' Behavior System

Mrs. Jewls has a behavior system. If a student does something wrong once, Mrs. Jewls will write his/her name under the word DISCIPLINE. If a student does something wrong a second time, Mrs. Jewls will put a check next to his/her name. If a student does something wrong a third time, Mrs. Jewls will circle his/her name and send him/her home at noon on the kindergarten bus. Despite only needing three strikes, Mrs. Jewls resorted to also adding a triangle when Sammy was disruptive.

[edit] In other media

In 2005, Nelvana, the Canadian based animation company, produced an hour long adaptation of the Wayside books. Its theme song was sung by Skye Sweetnam. A series based on the book and TV special will air on Nickelodeon and Teletoon in 2007.