Sideways Stories from Wayside School

Sprung from the imagination of award-winning author Louis Sachar, Wayside School is a bit of an oddity – built 30 stories high with only one classroom per floor. On the very top floor sits Mrs. Gorf’s classroom. Mrs. Gorf is a nasty sort, prone to turning students into apples when they give the wrong answer. Her student, Bebe, outsmarts her with the use of mirror, and soon Mrs. Gorf is not only an apple, but gets eaten by the yard monitor! Mrs. Jewls is her much kinder replacement. Other quirky Wayside staffers include the principal, Mr. Kidswatter, Miss Valooosh, a dance teacher with a flair for the tango, and Miss Zarves, a teacher from the 19th floor, who is heard but not seen, as the 19th floor doesn’t really exist. Attempting to make sense of it all are Wayside students Myron, Bebe, Dameon, Rhondi and Leslie, as well as a newcomer, Sammy, who is revealed to be a rat under his layers of coats. Mrs. Gorf’s son appears late in the action to find out who is responsible for his mother’s disappearance and to avenge her memory.