Wayside School Beneath the Cloud of Doom

Wayside School Beneath the Cloud of Doom
By Louis Sachar
New York, NY: Harper, 2020. Fiction.

Like many readers, I grew up with the Wayside School books. As an elementary school student, I loved the wacky stories from this completely bizzaro school -- built 30 classrooms tall instead of 30 classrooms long. This latest entry in the series, published forty years after the first, picks up with the student's of Mrs. Jewls's class on the 30th floor of Wayside School. As the students prepare for their upcoming Ultimate Test, collect toenail clippings to see what a million looks like, and do things like read the longest book in the world - they are faced with an unprecedented danger. A Cloud of Doom has suddenly appeared above Wayside School.

I met this book with nervous anticipation - anxious to see whether it would live up to its predecessors and still be funny. In a time where the whole world feels like it is under a looming Cloud of Doom, I was so relieved to find that yes, indeed, Wayside School is still funny. And even more than that, this book was the exact relief I needed right now - a reminder that Louis Sachar writes books to make you laugh-out-loud but also make you think:

"'Someday the Cloud of Doom will be gone,' said Mrs. Jewls. 'And the world will be a much better place, even better than before the cloud. Colors will be more colorful. Music will be more musical. Even Miss Mush's food will taste good. The bigger the storm, the brighter the rainbow.'"

Comments

Dude, That's Rude! (Get Some Manners) by Pamela Espeland & Elizabeth Verdick

If there's one book today's kids need to read, it is Dude, That's Rude! (Get Some Manners) . The authors provide a fun format for teaching etiquette to children. They discuss proper behavior at home, at school, at other people's homes and in public places. The information is completely up-to-date with cellphone manners and netiquette included. Fun, cartoony illustrations are on practically every page giving the book great visual appeal. This book is perfect for boys and girls in the fourth grade or older. WARNING: Bodily functions are discussed.

Faces of the Moon by Bob Crelin

Faces of the Moon by Bob Crelin Illustrated by Leslie Evans Charlesburg; 2009; unpaged Faces of the Moon is a short nonfiction book that describes the different phases of the moon and why the moon appears like it does on certain nights. This book is short and sweet so even the youngest of moon lovers will enjoy it. The layout is simplistic and easy to follow. I don’t know much about the moon so I found it very interesting.

Books That Take You There: Egypt

My parents are currently planning their first visit to Egypt. And they’re going without me . Like many of you, I’ve always found Egypt fascinating, whether learning about the gross details of making a mummy or eating delicious Egyptian food eaten by people who live there today. And if we can’t all go to Cairo with my parents, we can at least take a little trip through a few books that can take us straight to Egypt! Tail of the Mummy Cat Written by Chas! Pangburn Illustrated by Nic Touris Miami, FL: Papercutz, an imprint of Mad Cave Studios, 2024. Comic. 132 pages. Nana and Otto are siblings who visit Egypt with their travel-blogger mom. Nan loves learning about Egypt and its history, while Otto wishes he could’ve stayed home. However, both of their plans change when they accidentally let a mummified cat loose from a Pharaoh’s tomb. This graphic novel lets you see both of the sibling’s perspectives through this adventure —and their stories don’t always agree! This...

Provo Library Children's Book Blog

Search This Blog