New Releases by Louis Sachar

Meet the delightfully eccentric and unusually gifted pupils of Wayside School in this instalment of the brilliantly quirky Wayside School series – from Louis Sachar, author of the bestselling novel Holes As recommended on Radio 4 Kids Book Club, August 2024 There has been a terrible mistake. Instead of having thirty classrooms side by side, Wayside School is thirty storeys high! (The builder said he was sorry.) Perhaps that''s why all sorts of strange and unusual things keep happening – especially in Mrs Jewls''s classroom on the very top floor. There''s the terrifying Mrs Gorf, who gets an unusually fruity comeuppance; Terrible Todd, who always gets sent home early; and Mauricia, who has a strange ice-cream addiction. Meanwhile, John can only read upside down, and Leslie is determined to sell her own toes. From top to bottom, Wayside is packed with quirky and hilarious characters who are all brought to life in this new edition with delightful illustrations by Aleksei Bitskoff throughout. This is an unmissable, irrepressible story of mixed-up mayhem from Louis Sachar, the bestselling author of Holes.

Wayside School is back in session in this brand-new, fourth installment in the perennially beloved and bestselling series by Newbery Medal-winning author Louis Sachar. Your favorite students and teachers are all here. That includes Sharie, who loves her striped-and-spotted umbrella more than anything; Kathy, who has a bad case of oppositosis; Jason, who has to read the longest book in the world; and the rest of Mrs. Jewls’s class on the thirtieth floor, who are busily collecting toenail clippings. Everyone is scrambling to prepare for the all-important Ultimate Test, but meanwhile, there is a mysterious Cloud of Doom looming above them… More than fifteen million readers have laughed at the clever and hilarious stories of Wayside School. So what are you waiting for? Come visit Wayside School! Kids 7 to 13 will zoom through these chapter books—laughing their way through the fast, funny, silly but relatable stories. This funny chapter book series includes: Sideways Stories from Wayside School Wayside School Is Falling Down Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger And now also Wayside School Beneath the Cloud of Doom, the brand-new, fourth installment in the series, and the first in twenty-five years!

From the author of the acclaimed bestseller Holes, winner of the Newbery Award and the National Book Award, comes a New York Times bestselling adventure about the impact we have—both good and bad—on the world we live in. Be careful. Your next step may be your last. Fifth grader Tamaya Dhilwaddi and seventh grader Marshall Walsh have been walking to and from Woodridge Academy together since elementary school. But their routine is disrupted when bully Chad Hilligas challenges Marshall to a fight. To avoid the conflict, Marshall takes a shortcut home through the off-limits woods. Tamaya, unaware of the reason for the detour, reluctantly follows. They soon get lost. And then they find trouble. Bigger trouble than anyone could ever have imagined. In the days and weeks that follow, the authorities and the U.S. Senate become involved, and what they uncover might affect the future of the world. "Sachar blends elements of mystery, suspense, and school-day life into a taut environmental cautionary tale."--Publishers Weekly

"The Newbery-winning author of Holes fulfills a need the world probably didn''t even know it had . . . for smart and puzzle-minded teens . . ."—Booklist The summer after junior year of high school looks bleak for Alton Richards. His girlfriend has dumped him, he has no money and no job, and his parents insist that he drive his great-uncle Lester, who is old, blind, very sick, and very rich, to his bridge club four times a week and be his cardturner. But Alton''s parents aren''t the only ones trying to worm their way into Lester Trapp''s good graces. There is Trapp''s longtime housekeeper, his alluring young nurse, and the crazy Castaneda family. Alton soon finds himself intrigued by his uncle, by the game of bridge, and especially by the pretty and shy Toni Castaneda, as he struggles to figure out what it all means, and ultimately to figure out the meaning of his own life.

This chapter book in Newbery Honor–winning and bestselling author Louis Sachar’s Marvin Redpost series is all about daredevils and conquering your fears! Everyone says that Marvin is going to ride his new mountain bike down Suicide Hill. And everyone is coming to watch him do it—his friends, his family, even his older brother. But the truth is, Marvin can’t climb onto the seat without wobbling. And shifting gears? Braking? Forget about it! What’s Marvin going to do? Hilarious and relatable, Marvin Redpost is perfect for kids who love to bond with quirky characters like Junie B. Jones and George Brown, Class Clown.

The classic novel from Newbery Medalist and National Book Award winner Louis Sachar (Holes), with a brand-new cover! David is only trying to be cool when he helps some of the popular kids steal Old Lady Bayfield’s cane. But when the plan backfires, he’s the one the “old witch” curses. Now David can’t seem to do anything right. The cool kids taunt him and his only friends are freaks. He even walks into Spanish class with his fly unzipped! And when he finally gets up the nerve to ask out a cute girl, his pants fall down in midsentence. Is it the Bayfield curse at work? Or is David simply turning into a total loser?

The beloved bestseller from Newbery Medalist and National Book Award winner Louis Sachar (Holes), with a brand-new cover! “Give me a dollar or I’ll spit on you.” That’s Bradley Chalkers for you. He’s the oldest kid in the fifth grade. He tells enormous lies. He picks fights with girls, and the teachers say he has serious behavior problems. No one likes him—except Carla, the new school counselor. She thinks Bradley is sensitive and generous, and she even enjoys his far-fetched stories. Carla knows that Bradley could change, if only he weren’t afraid to try. But when you feel like the most hated kid in the whole school, believing in yourself can be the hardest thing in the world. . . .

A sidesplitting classic from Newbery Medalist and National Book Award winner Louis Sachar (Holes), with a brand-new cover! Gary W. Boone knows he was born to be a stand-up comedian. It’s the rest of the kids in his class who think he’s just a goon. Then the Floyd Hicks Junior High School Talent Show is announced, and he starts practicing his routine nonstop to get it just right. Gary’s sure this will be his big break—he’ll make everyone laugh and win the $100 prize. But when an outrageous surprise threatens to turn his debut into a disaster, it looks as if the biggest joke of all may be on Gary himself.

This chapter book in Newbery Honor–winning and bestselling author Louis Sachar’s Marvin Redpost series shows what happens when Marvin gets his first job. Marvin is really excited to take care of his teacher’s dog while she’s away. He’ll even earn a bonus if he does a good job! And he gets to be alone in his teacher’s house! But when Mrs. North’s dog starts to look sick, Marvin isn’t sure he’ll get that bonus. In fact, Mrs. North may never talk to Marvin again! Hilarious and relatable, Marvin Redpost is perfect for kids who love to bond with quirky characters like Junie B. Jones and George Brown, Class Clown.

Armpit and X-Ray are living in Austin, Texas. It is three years since they left the confines of Camp Green Lake Detention Centre and Armpit is taking small steps to turn his life around. He is working for a landscape gardener because he is good at digging holes, he is going to school and he is enjoying his first proper romance, but is he going to be able to stay out of trouble when there is so much building up against him? In this exciting novel, Armpit is joined by many vibrant new characters, and is learning what it takes to stay on course, and that doing the right thing is never the wrong choice.

All the kids from Wayside School had to spend 243 days in horrible schools while Wayside was closed to get rid of the infestation of cows! Now the kids are back and the fun begins again on every floor. Miss Mush has prepared a special lunch of baked liver in purple sauce and it is pet day on the 30th floor. There are dogs and cats and frogs and skunks and an orange named Fido, causing a terrible commotion. But the biggest surprise of all is that Mrs Jewls is expecting a baby and a substitute teacher is coming, and everyone knows what that means . . . Wayside School is going to get a little stranger.

''Watch closely,'' said Mrs Jewls. ''You can learn much faster using a computer instead of paper and pencil.'' Then she pushed the computer out of the window. The children all watched it fall thirty floors. ''See?'' said Mrs Jewls. ''That''s gravity . . .'' That''s the way things happen at Wayside School. There are twenty-nine kids in Mrs Jewls'' class and this book is about all of them: there is Todd, who is in trouble every day, until he gets a magic dog; Paul, whose life is saved by Leslie''s pigtails; Ron, who dares to try the cafeteria''s mushroom surprise; and all the others who help turn a day at Wayside School into one madcap adventure after another.

Marvin is amazed when he goes home with Casey Happleton one day after school and discovers that she lives in an old fire station. But that''s not all that surprises him. Casey has a secret she wants to share - a crystal with super magical powers. A crystal that makes all your wishes come true. Can it be real or could she be casting her own spell on him?

Marvin Redpost is yet again caught in a dilemma. He''s been told that he''ll turn into a girl if he kisses his elbow, and after accidentally doing just that he wonders if it is really going to happen to him. His voice starts to change, he longs to have pigtails and he even dots his ''i''s with a heart in class! What on earth has happened to Marvin, and will he ever be the same again? This is a charming story, which will give you lots of laughs. Louis Sachar has the ability to bring together the absurd and the real with the perfect ingredients to entertain all children aged 5 to 7 years.

Today is Thursday. Today is ''hole'' day. So, naturally, everyone is wearing their ''holiest'' clothes. Even the class teacher, Mrs North . . . But she is soon to find out from Principal McCabe that a surprise visitor is coming to the school. In fact, the President of the United States is on his way. And there''s no time to change! What questions will Marvin get to ask the President? And, with all the television cameras pointed, will he solve his biggest maths problem to date? This book is full of surprises but, yet again, Louis Sachar delivers a thoughtful and vibrantly funny story in this, the fifth of the series.

Marvin proves his bravery to himself and his friends and family after tackling the terrifyingly steep Suicide Hill on his bike.

Marvin Redpost turns a pretty dire situation around to his favour in this incredibly funny peek into a 9-year-old''s day at school.

Marvin''s teacher asks him to take care of her dog while she''s away. "Aside from being resoundingly funny, Sachar has a rare honesty about what children really encounter in the world." --The Bulletin of the Center for Children''s Books

An amusing addendum to "Holes" features survival tips and new anecdotes about Stanley''s fellow campers/prisoners at the infamous Camp Green Lake.

When Johnny has his eleventh birthday, his parents decide that he is old enough for dancing classes, but too old to collect bottle caps any more.

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • NEWBERY MEDAL WINNER • NATIONAL BOOK AWARD WINNER Dig deep in this award-winning, modern classic that will remind readers that adventure is right around the corner--or just under your feet! Stanley Yelnats is under a curse. A curse that began with his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather and has since followed generations of Yelnatses. Now Stanley has been unjustly sent to a boys’ detention center, Camp Green Lake, where the boys build character by spending all day, every day digging holes exactly five feet wide and five feet deep. There is no lake at Camp Green Lake. But there are an awful lot of holes. It doesn’t take long for Stanley to realize there’s more than character improvement going on at Camp Green Lake. The boys are digging holes because the warden is looking for something. But what could be buried under a dried-up lake? Stanley tries to dig up the truth in this inventive and darkly humorous tale of crime and punishment—and redemption. "A smart jigsaw puzzle of a novel." —New York Times *Includes a double bonus: an excerpt from Small Steps, the follow-up to Holes, as well as an excerpt from the New York Times bestseller Fuzzy Mud.

This chapter book in Newbery Honor–winning and bestselling author Louis Sachar’s Marvin Redpost series stars Marvin and…the president of the United States? The president of the United States is coming to visit Marvin’s class. He’s even going to answer one question from each kid! Plus the whole thing is going to be on TV. Marvin is nervous. What if someone steals his question? What if he can’t speak when it’s his turn? Will he look silly in front of the president and everyone watching? Hilarious and relatable, Marvin Redpost is perfect for kids who love to bond with quirky characters like Junie B. Jones and George Brown, Class Clown.

Readers can join the students of mixed-up Wayside School in solving bizarre math and logic problems.

This chapter book in Newbery Honor–winning and bestselling author Louis Sachar’s Marvin Redpost series offers a sidesplitting take on the differences between girls and boys! When Casey Happleton tells Marvin that if you kiss your elbow you’ll turn into a girl, Marvin doesn’t believe it. Then Marvin kisses his elbow by accident and starts to feel very strange. He wants pigtails and starts dotting his i’s with little hearts. Could Casey be right? Or is it all in Marvin’s head? You decide! Hilarious and relatable, Marvin Redpost is perfect for kids who love to bond with quirky characters like George Brown, Class Clown and Junie B. Jones.

This sidesplitting chapter book in Newbery Honor–winning and bestselling author Louis Sachar’s Marvin Redpost series takes on rumors and teasing. There’s a rumor at school that Marvin Redpost picks his nose. Clarence started it, and now everyone believes it. Even Marvin’s friends are embarrassed to be seen with him! Can Marvin figure out how to change everyone’s mind? Or is he doomed to be teased forever? Hilarious and relatable, Marvin Redpost is perfect for kids who love to bond with quirky characters like Junie B. Jones and George Brown, Class Clown.

This chapter book series by Newbery Honor–winning and bestselling author Louis Sachar features one hilariously overactive imagination! Marvin Redpost has never felt like he fits in with his family. So when he hears a news report about a missing prince who looks just like him, he knows exactly what happened. Now all he has to do is tell Mr. and Mrs. Redpost that it’s time for him to move in with his real parents at the castle…. Hilarious and relatable, Marvin Redpost is perfect for kids who love to bond with quirky characters like Junie B. Jones and George Brown, Class Clown.

Join Mrs. Jewls''s class and try solving over fifty math puzzles and brainteasers.

Grade Level 5.5, Book # 5086, Points 6.

Nobody understands why Angeline is so smart. She could read the first time she picked up a book, she can play the piano without ever having had a lesson, and she even knows what the weather is going to be. But being smart is causing Angeline nothing but trouble. The mean kids in school call her a freak, her teacher finds her troublesome, and even her own father doesn''t know what to do with an eight-year-old girl who seems to be a genius. Angeline doesn''t want to be either a genius or a freak. She just wants the chance to be herself and be happy. But it''s only when she makes friends with a boy the kids call "Goon" and the teacher they call "Mr. Bone" that Angeline gets that chance.