By Louis Sachar (author) , Aleksei Bitskoff (illustrator) Part of the The Wayside School Series series
"Engaging kid characters, wacky teachers, a riotously madcap plot - this is funny young fiction at its most endearingly inventive"
Paperback In Stock £7.99 £7.19
View All Editions (3)
The inimitable Louis Sachar has done it again in this new Wayside School caper. Sachar totally gets Primary age readers - sees the world through their eyes, speaks to them in a wry voice that rings with understanding and funny details. What’s more, the bitesize chunks of plot (essentially inter-connected vignettes that form a satisfying whole) keep readers hungry for more, while the off-the-wall (yet believable) comic characters are guaranteed to induce gaggles of giggles.
As a new year begins, Mrs Jewls’s pupils have a big bunch of stuff on their plates. An Ultimate Test looms ahead of them, while a Cloud of Doom looms overhead, growing bigger and more powerful each day. Back in class, the pupils are tasked with collecting one million nail clippings to get a sense of just how massive one million is, while Mrs Jewls’s paperclip appreciation is taken to crazy heights (“she marvelled at the magnificent metal masterpiece”) when she’s revealed to keep a secret stash of them in a locked room.
Then there’s Mrs Surlaw the librarian, who has a GIANT stuffed walrus and arranges books according to their length, and the author’s cameo appearance as Louis the yard teacher (fun fact - the author actually used to be Louis the yard teacher).
Perfectly complemented by Aleksei Bitskoff’s wittily detailed illustrations, this is clever, comic joy.
You might also love The Worst Class in the World from Joanna Nadin or the Middle School series from James Patterson.
It's a new year at Wayside School, and Mrs Jewls's class on the thirtieth floor has a LOT to deal with. First of all, they must prepare to face The Ultimate Test, which involves a fiendishly difficult Spelling Bee, upside-down singing and blindfolded smelling.
Read the full description
Meanwhile the paperclips are triple-locked in a safe so no one can access them, Miss Mush is threatening to serve rainbow stew for lunch - and a CLOUD OF DOOM is gathering over the school. It can only mean one thing ... the kids at Wayside School are in for their strangest year yet!
From the basement to the thirtieth floor, Wayside is packed with quirky and hilarious characters who are all brought to life in this brand-new instalment of Louis Sachar's much-loved Wayside School series. With brilliant illustrations throughout, this is an unmissable, irrepressible story of mixed-up mayhem from the bestselling author of Holes.
Louis Sachar is one of the few masters of American fiction - Independent on Sunday
Praise for Sideways Stories from Wayside School;
Thirty clever, fast-moving stories that describe the bizarre events at Wayside School ... each story is refreshingly different - Guardian
Magic and hard realism come crashing together. This is an extraordinary and unconventional novel - Observer
Julia Eccleshare, our very own editorial expert as well as Children's Books Editor of the Guardian says of Louis:
Best-selling author Louis Sachar took the world by storm with Holes, his remarkable story about a group of boys in a reform camp. But he deserves to be just as famous and popular for his many other books which display his hallmark qualities of warmth, empathy and understanding of all kinds of young readers but especially those whose lives have gone a bit awry. Young readers are immediately attracted to Louis Sachar’s novels for his great and unusual stories and for his exceptional understanding of some of the challenges of growing up.
Louis Sachar was born on 20 March 1954, in East Meadow, New York. In 1976, he went to the University of California, where he studied economics. While at university he became a teacher’s aide to gain extra credit; it turned out to be his favourite class and inspired him to write children's books. After graduation he worked in a sweater warehouse in Connecticut and wrote at night. After he was fired from that job he moved on to law school. In his first week of study, Sideways Stories from Wayside was published. After completing his studies in 1980 he became a part-time lawyer but was compelled to concentrate on his writing full-time. Louis now lives in Austin, Texas, where he writes and plays quite a lot of bridge. His novel Holes has sold over 8 million copies worldwide and has been made into a major motion picture of the same name by Disney. Louis is the recipient of many of the world's most prestigious book prizes, including the National Book Award and the Newbery Award. Holes was also selected as the first Liverpool City Read title and won the Sheffield Book Award in the UK. The Cardturner , published by Bloomsbury in June 2010, is a truly original romance, coming of age and mystery novel.
Author photo credit © Perry Hagopian
Check out the great Q&A with teachers and students and some handy writing tips on Louis' website - click here .
the best books for 9-12 year olds
Loki: A Bad God's Guide to Being Good
Little Badman and the Game of Nightmares
Humza Arshad and 1 more
Stephen Mulhern and 1 more
Cally and Jimmy: Twins Together
The Broken Leg of Doom
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed Wayside School Beneath the Cloud of Doom and determined it is suitable for children aged 7-10 years old
Wayside School Beneath the Cloud of Doom features in the following genres: Featured Books for 9+ readers, Recommendations, Funny, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, School Stories, Featured Books for 7+ readers
Paperback. £7.19, down from the £7.99 cover price. In Stock.
Wayside School Beneath the Cloud of Doom was written by Louis Sachar and published by Bloomsbury Childrens Books an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Wayside School Beneath the Cloud of Doom has 165 pages
Yes it is part of The Wayside School Series series
£7.19, reduced from £7.99. In Stock.
©PTC International Ltd T/A LoveReading is registered in England. Company number: 10193437. VAT number: 270 4538 09. Registered address: 157 Shooters Hill, London, SE18 3HP. Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | Disclaimer
The National Year of Reading starts here. Join thousands of families and schools supporting reading for pleasure across the UK.