What do You think about Wayside School Is Falling Down (1990)?
Sachar, L. (1989). Wayside School Is Falling Down. New York: Avon Books.0380731509Continuing with the Wayside Series, what’s interesting with the second book is that, while the majority of chapters are still character sketches, there is more overlap and continuation of conflicts among the chapters. (The same is true for the third book as well).Students that liked the first book will undoubtedly like the second and third books as well (however, usually disappointments about with the fourth book). Readers get to see more into the mysteriously missing nineteenth floor, the school basement, learn more about the characters and their families as well as have fun with language.Rereading these books, I always want to re-check Sachar’s biography. With his writing, I feel like he has spent more time as a teacher.Activities to do with the book:The entire series is great for dramatization or having students write their own chapters or stories in response.An unexpected lesson of these books is best for teachers. Within the first three books of the series, multiple teaching styles are presented. Teachers can take away views of teaching and discipline from the child’s perspective, which is always a wonderful view to keep in mind.Favorite Quotes:“You don’t hate stories, Dana,” Mrs. Jewls told her. “You love stories. I wish everybody laughed and cried as much as you” (p. 65).“Miss Zarves assigns us a lot of busy work so we don’t have time to think. She makes us memorize stupid things so that we don’t think about the important things. And then she gives us good grades to keep us happy” (p. 102).For more reviews, visit sjkessel.com.
—Shel
Have you ever attended a school with thirty floors and no elevator? What’s even weirder is that there’s no nineteenth floor? How can that be, a tall thirty story building with no nineteenth floor? Is that possible? It sure seems to be at Wayside School, and the students and teachers are all a bit strange themselves. Every chapter is wackier and funnier than the previous ones.In the very first chapter the janitor of Wayside School carries a heavy package all the way up to the top floor, the thirtieth floor for Mrs. Jewels. He loves the students, so he does his best to clamber all the way up the stairs, sweating and breathing heavily. Once he reaches the classroom door, it takes quite a bit of time for someone to help him with the door. And once he finally drops the box off, Mrs. Jewels opens her classroom window and demonstrates gravity. How? She drops the heavy package out the window, which finally lands on the school playground. The janitor’s mouth drops and his shoulders slump. 3rd through 6th graders will enjoy this story. Louis Sachar knows humor and knows how to make kids laugh out loud. His characters and teachers are super silly, all of whom readers will enjoy getting acquainted with. There’s no real plot in the whole story, instead each chapter is an episode in itself, a short story within a story. This helps to keep the readers’ attention, as well as all the mysteries of the school, especially chapter nineteen. This chapter will have the readers scratching their heads in delight.
—Benjamin
Those zany Wayside kids are at it again. A nugget: "Who would like the triangle?" asked Mrs. Jewls. Joe raised his hand, and Mrs. Jewls gave it to him. "Why is it called a triangle?" asked Joe. "I don't know," said Mrs. Jewls. "Maybe because it's shaped like a triangle," suggested John. "No, that can't be it," said Mrs. Jewls. "Then the tambourine would have to be called a circle." "Maybe it was invented by a person named Joe Triangle," said Rondi. "That's probably it," said Mrs. Jewls. She held up the next instrument. It was a glockenspiel. "Who would like the glockenspiel?" she asked. Sharie raised her hand. Nobody asked why it was called a glockenspiel. It was obvious. Mrs. Jewls gave the bells to Stephen. "Why are they called bells?" he asked. Nobody knew.
—Lafcadio
