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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.
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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.
Wayside School | 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.
The bestselling author of Holes tells a cracking new story in Fuzzy Mud featuring some truly terrifying genetically modified mud. When Marshall takes a short cut home to avoid being beaten up by Chad, the school bully who has been ruining his life for the past few weeks, he makes the worst decision of his life. Marshall heads into the woods even though he knows it is forbidden. Tamaya has no choice but to follow. After all, they have walked to and from school together every day for the past three years and she is not allowed to walk home alone. But when Chad pursues them the three discover exactly why the woods are out of bounds. Hideously damaged by the peculiar mud that lies deep in the woods what hope do they have of survival? And will they always be enemies? ~ Julia Eccleshare
In Holes, best-selling author Louis Sachar showed his understanding and compassion for a group of boys who have got outside the system. In There’s a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom, he shows the same sensitivity to Bradley Chalkers, one boy whose behaviour has increasingly alienated him from his teachers and his peers. Bradley seems unable to change but then Carla arrives. Carla believes in Bradley; gradually Bradley begins to believe in himself. Without preaching and with his familiar humour, Sachar tells a heartwarming story. Perfect for Reluctant Readers as well as keen readers. To view other titles we think are suitable for reluctant readers please click here.
In Holes, best-selling author Louis Sachar showed his understanding and compassion for a group of boys who have got outside the system. In There’s a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom, he shows the same sensitivity to Bradley Chalkers, one boy whose behaviour has increasingly alienated him from his teachers and his peers. Bradley seems unable to change but then Carla arrives. Carla believes in Bradley; gradually Bradley begins to believe in himself. Without preaching and with his familiar humour, Sachar tells a heartwarming story.
A Staff Pick of the Year 2015 - chosen by Charlotte Carus -Julia Eccleshare's Book of the Month, August 2015 The bestselling author of Holes tells a cracking new story in Fuzzy Mud featuring some truly terrifying genetically modified mud. When Marshall takes a short cut home to avoid being beaten up by Chad, the school bully who has been ruining his life for the past few weeks, he makes the worst decision of his life. Marshall heads into the woods even though he knows it is forbidden. Tamaya has no choice but to follow. After all, they have walked to and from school together every day for the past three years and she is not allowed to walk home alone. But when Chad pursues them the three discover exactly why the woods are out of bounds. Hideously damaged by the peculiar mud that lies deep in the woods what hope do they have of survival? And will they always be enemies? ~ Julia Eccleshare
October 2011 Guest Editor Roddy Doyle: "Boys in jail – a great idea. The jail has no roof and they have to dig huge holes in the baking sun all day – it’s getting even better. I read Holes in hospital a few years ago. I wasn’t ill, and was only there for the day. I actually forgot I was in hospital, the book was so good. I had about ten pages left when a nurse told me I could go home. I was half-hoping she’d tell me I’d have to stay longer, so I could finish the book." Wholly original and brilliantly plotted, Holes is a funny and poignant story about surviving. When Stanley Yelnats is falsely accused of stealing a pair of trainers, he is sent off to Camp Green Lake which is not a camp, not green and not near a lake but a boys’ detention centre in the middle of the desert. Every day every boy has to dig a hole five foot deep and five foot across because, the Warden says, it’s good for them. How Stanley survives and proves that the Warden has a different and far more sinister motive for wanting so many holes to be dug unravels in unexpected and wholly satisfying ways. Perfect for Reluctant Readers as well as keen readers. To view other titles we think are suitable for reluctant readers please click here.
Wholly original and brilliantly plotted, Holes is a funny and poignant story about surviving. When Stanley Yelnats is falsely accused of stealing a pair of trainers, he is sent off to Camp Green Lake which is not a camp, not green and not near a lake but a boys’ detention centre in the middle of the desert. Every day every boy has to dig a hole five foot deep and five foot across because, the Warden says, it’s good for them. How Stanley survives and proves that the Warden has a different and far more sinister motive for wanting so many holes to be dug unravels in unexpected and wholly satisfying ways. Roddy Doyle was our Guest Editor in 2011 and chose Holes as one of his favourite books... "Boys in jail – a great idea. The jail has no roof and they have to dig huge holes in the baking sun all day – it’s getting even better. I read Holes in hospital a few years ago. I wasn’t ill, and was only there for the day. I actually forgot I was in hospital, the book was so good. I had about ten pages left when a nurse told me I could go home. I was half-hoping she’d tell me I’d have to stay longer, so I could finish the book." Perfect for Reluctant Readers as well as keen readers. Find more books that we think are great for reluctant readers here.
A Lovereading4kids 'Great Read' you may have missed 2011 selection. The worldwide best-selling author of Holes takes readers on a journey right into the extraordinary and obsessive world of bridge. Don’t be put off by this central theme before having a read of the extract on Lovereading4kids. Alton Richards is sent over to help his rich and ailing Uncle Lester by reading the cards he turns while he plays bridge. Uncle Lester is a champion player; Alton knows absolutely nothing about the game. How Lester teaches Alton about the game and about the power and magic of card playing and especially the all important skill of remembering numbers and cards is an all absorbing eye opener into a world of rules and codes and fierce competition. Revelatory and brilliant.
Bestselling and Newbery Medal-winning author Louis Sachar knows how to make readers laugh. And there are laughs galore in the classic Wayside School series! 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. Books in The Wayside School Series: 1. Wayside School is Falling Down 2. Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger 3. Sideways Stories from Wayside School 4. Beneath the Cloud of Doom
The fifth of 8 great adventures about an ordinary boy with a big heart and a strong desire to work things out even when they’re complicated. Thursday is ‘hole day’ and everyone in Mrs North’s class is wearing clothes with holes in – even Mrs North because she suggested it. But, it also happens to be the day the President of the United States decides to visit the school. Will Marvin be able to ask the president a great question and show that he is a good citizen? Luckily, Marvin comes up with exactly the right thing to say.
When Marvin Redpost makes a new friend at school, he is introduced to a whole different, challenging and fun perspective on life.
The sixth of 8 great adventures about an ordinary boy with a big heart and a strong desire to work things out even when they’re complicated. Having eaten too much cake and drunk too much punch at Nick’s birthday party, Marvin has sees a strange thing in the sky. Is it a flying birthday cake or something from far, far away… The next day at school a new boy, Joe, turns up. He doesn’t seem to know some rather obvious things. Is it because he comes from Chicago or is there something more mysterious about him?
The final Marvin Redpost adventure about an ordinary boy with a big heart and a strong desire to work things out even when they’re complicated. Marvin ventures into new territory when he goes home to Casey’s house after school for the first time. It’s an experience that’s full of interest. For a start Casey lives in an old fire station. In addition, Casey has a crystal with magic powers that makes wishes come true. Marvin enjoys Casey’s magic powers even if he is not sure exactly whether he believes in them or not..
The seventh of 8 great adventures about an ordinary boy with a big heart and a strong desire to work things out even when they’re complicated. Brilliantly constructed with a great moral lightly buried in a genuinely exciting story, here Marvin Redpost faces up to the challenging of cycling down Suicide Hill. In doing so, he learns one of the most important lessons of life: how to face up to things that are scary while at the same time not doing things that are stupid just because others want you to.
The worldwide bestselling author of Holes takes readers on a journey right into the extraordinary and obsessive world of bridge. Don’t be put off by this central theme before having a read of the extract on Lovereading4kids. Alton Richards is sent over to help his rich and ailing Uncle Lester by reading the cards he turns while he plays bridge. Uncle Lester is a champion player; Alton knows absolutely nothing about the game. How Lester teaches Alton about the game and about the power and magic of card playing and especially the all important skill of remembering numbers and cards is an all absorbing eye opener into a world of rules and codes and fierce competition. Revelatory and brilliant.
The worldwide bestselling author of Holes takes readers on a journey right into the extraordinary and obsessive world of bridge. Don’t be put off by this central theme before having a read of the extract on Lovereading4kids. Alton Richards is sent over to help his rich and ailing Uncle Lester by reading the cards he turns while he plays bridge. Uncle Lester is a champion player; Alton knows absolutely nothing about the game. How Lester teaches Alton about the game and about the power and magic of card playing and especially the all important skill of remembering numbers and cards is an all absorbing eye opener into a world of rules and codes and fierce competition. Revelatory and brilliant.
The fourth of 8 great adventures about an ordinary boy with a big heart and a strong desire to work things out even when they’re complicated. Simply told, this is nonetheless a deeply touching story. Marvin’s teacher asks him to look after her elderly dog while she goes off on holiday. While his friends tease him, Marvin takes his job seriously and especially he takes Mrs North’s trust in him very seriously. And he cares for the dog as carefully as he possibly can. But then something absolutely terrible happens. What will Mrs North think?
The third of 8 great adventures about an ordinary boy with a big heart and a strong desire to work things out even when they’re complicated. When Casey tells Marvin that he’ll turn into a girl if he kisses his elbow he doesn’t really believe her. But, when he does kiss his elbow, he begins to worry! Could Marvin be turning into a girl and, if so, how can he stop it?
The first of 8 great adventures about an ordinary boy with a big heart and a strong desire to work things out even when they’re complicated. Meet Marvin Redpost. He has red hair and blue eyes. And he is left handed. And he thinks he is really Robert, the missing son of the King and Queen of Shampoon. Eagerly Marvin sets out to find out about the perks of being Royal but very soon he decides being royal is not such a good idea after all!
The second of 8 great adventures about an ordinary boy with a big heart and a strong desire to work things out even when they’re complicated. When Clarence the class bully tells everyone that Marvin picks his nose even his best friends Nick and Stuart don’t stand up for him. What can Marvin do to get the rumour changed around? Maybe his clever question for the class survey will do the trick!
Bestselling author Louis Sachar is back with a stunning new novel, which all begins with a hat…The hat Laura Sibbie buys from an old man in the street that says Pig City on the front and so Pig City is what Laura calls her club. Each member has to give Laura something embarrassing to stop them telling anyone else about the club. But things don’t go according to plan and soon there’s a club called Monkey Town in the class too. Pig City wittily captures the complex dynamics of classroom life.
A brilliant companion volume to mega bestseller Holes Readers are reunited with Armpit and X-Ray in this brilliantly plotted and masterfully told adventure story.
In Holes, best-selling author Louis Sachar showed his understanding and compassion for a group of boys who have got outside the system. In There’s a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom, he shows the same sensitivity to Bradley Chalkers, one boy whose behaviour has increasingly alienated him from his teachers and his peers. Bradley seems unable to change but then Carla arrives. Carla believes in Bradley; gradually Bradley begins to believe in himself. Without preaching and with his familiar humour, Sachar tells a heartwarming story. Perfect for Reluctant Readers as well as keen readers. To view other titles we think are suitable for reluctant readers please click here.
In Holes, best-selling author Louis Sachar showed his understanding and compassion for a group of boys who have got outside the system. In There’s a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom, he shows the same sensitivity to Bradley Chalkers, one boy whose behaviour has increasingly alienated him from his teachers and his peers. Bradley seems unable to change but then Carla arrives. Carla believes in Bradley; gradually Bradley begins to believe in himself. Without preaching and with his familiar humour, Sachar tells a heartwarming story.
When Marvin Redpost makes a new friend at school, he is introduced to a whole different, challenging and fun perspective on life.
The sixth of 8 great adventures about an ordinary boy with a big heart and a strong desire to work things out even when they’re complicated. Having eaten too much cake and drunk too much punch at Nick’s birthday party, Marvin has sees a strange thing in the sky. Is it a flying birthday cake or something from far, far away… The next day at school a new boy, Joe, turns up. He doesn’t seem to know some rather obvious things. Is it because he comes from Chicago or is there something more mysterious about him?
In Holes, best-selling author Louis Sachar showed his understanding and compassion for a group of boys who have got outside the system. In There’s a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom, he shows the same sensitivity to Bradley Chalkers, one boy whose behaviour has increasingly alienated him from his teachers and his peers. Bradley seems unable to change but then Carla arrives. Carla believes in Bradley; gradually Bradley begins to believe in himself. Without preaching and with his familiar humour, Sachar tells a heartwarming story. Perfect for Reluctant Readers as well as keen readers. To view other titles we think are suitable for reluctant readers please click here.
October 2011 Guest Editor Roddy Doyle: "Boys in jail – a great idea. The jail has no roof and they have to dig huge holes in the baking sun all day – it’s getting even better. I read Holes in hospital a few years ago. I wasn’t ill, and was only there for the day. I actually forgot I was in hospital, the book was so good. I had about ten pages left when a nurse told me I could go home. I was half-hoping she’d tell me I’d have to stay longer, so I could finish the book." Wholly original and brilliantly plotted, Holes is a funny and poignant story about surviving. When Stanley Yelnats is falsely accused of stealing a pair of trainers, he is sent off to Camp Green Lake which is not a camp, not green and not near a lake but a boys’ detention centre in the middle of the desert. Every day every boy has to dig a hole five foot deep and five foot across because, the Warden says, it’s good for them. How Stanley survives and proves that the Warden has a different and far more sinister motive for wanting so many holes to be dug unravels in unexpected and wholly satisfying ways. Perfect for Reluctant Readers as well as keen readers. To view other titles we think are suitable for reluctant readers please click here.
Wholly original and brilliantly plotted, Holes is a funny and poignant story about surviving. When Stanley Yelnats is falsely accused of stealing a pair of trainers, he is sent off to Camp Green Lake which is not a camp, not green and not near a lake but a boys’ detention centre in the middle of the desert. Every day every boy has to dig a hole five foot deep and five foot across because, the Warden says, it’s good for them. How Stanley survives and proves that the Warden has a different and far more sinister motive for wanting so many holes to be dug unravels in unexpected and wholly satisfying ways. Roddy Doyle was our Guest Editor in 2011 and chose Holes as one of his favourite books... "Boys in jail – a great idea. The jail has no roof and they have to dig huge holes in the baking sun all day – it’s getting even better. I read Holes in hospital a few years ago. I wasn’t ill, and was only there for the day. I actually forgot I was in hospital, the book was so good. I had about ten pages left when a nurse told me I could go home. I was half-hoping she’d tell me I’d have to stay longer, so I could finish the book." Perfect for Reluctant Readers as well as keen readers. Find more books that we think are great for reluctant readers here.
Wayside School | 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. 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.
Bestselling and Newbery Medal-winning author Louis Sachar knows how to make readers laugh. And there are laughs galore in the classic Wayside School series!All three books in the Wayside School series are now available together in this ebook collection, complete with hilarious stories, zany art, and a triple serving of wackiness!More than nine millions readers have laughed at the wacky stories of Sideways Stories from Wayside School; Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger; and Wayside School Is Falling Down. So what are you waiting for? Come visit Wayside School!
The bestselling author of Holes tells a cracking new story in Fuzzy Mud featuring some truly terrifying genetically modified mud. When Marshall takes a short cut home to avoid being beaten up by Chad, the school bully who has been ruining his life for the past few weeks, he makes the worst decision of his life. Marshall heads into the woods even though he knows it is forbidden. Tamaya has no choice but to follow. After all, they have walked to and from school together every day for the past three years and she is not allowed to walk home alone. But when Chad pursues them the three discover exactly why the woods are out of bounds. Hideously damaged by the peculiar mud that lies deep in the woods what hope do they have of survival? And will they always be enemies? ~ Julia Eccleshare
In Holes, best-selling author Louis Sachar showed his understanding and compassion for a group of boys who have got outside the system. In There’s a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom, he shows the same sensitivity to Bradley Chalkers, one boy whose behaviour has increasingly alienated him from his teachers and his peers. Bradley seems unable to change but then Carla arrives. Carla believes in Bradley; gradually Bradley begins to believe in himself. Without preaching and with his familiar humour, Sachar tells a heartwarming story. Perfect for Reluctant Readers as well as keen readers. To view other titles we think are suitable for reluctant readers please click here.
A Staff Pick of the Year 2015 - chosen by Charlotte Carus -Julia Eccleshare's Book of the Month, August 2015 The bestselling author of Holes tells a cracking new story in Fuzzy Mud featuring some truly terrifying genetically modified mud. When Marshall takes a short cut home to avoid being beaten up by Chad, the school bully who has been ruining his life for the past few weeks, he makes the worst decision of his life. Marshall heads into the woods even though he knows it is forbidden. Tamaya has no choice but to follow. After all, they have walked to and from school together every day for the past three years and she is not allowed to walk home alone. But when Chad pursues them the three discover exactly why the woods are out of bounds. Hideously damaged by the peculiar mud that lies deep in the woods what hope do they have of survival? And will they always be enemies? ~ Julia Eccleshare
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