Sideways Stories from Wayside School

　　《Sideways Stories From Wayside School》是一本由三十則小故事所組成的小說，內容描寫在一所有三十層樓高、每層卻只有一間教室，且座落於路旁的小學裡面所發生的師生趣事（當然，如果你讀了這本小說，就會發現這間學校的十九層是不存在的，所以第十九篇故事也就沒什麼好寫的了）。不過呢，Wayside School的特殊之處不僅止於其建築，書裡的每一個章節重點描述一名小說人物，而故事就從有著尖耳朵、長舌頭，會把她討厭的學生變成一顆顆蘋果的Mrs. Gorf身上展開。到頭來，Mrs. Gorf也被自己的法術變成了蘋果，而學校的體育老師Louis正巧肚子餓，就一口把那顆蘋果吃掉了。這群學生的第一位老師就這麼離奇地消失無蹤，也讓新的級任老師Mrs. Jewls有機會登場。就像這樣，每一個新角色在作者幽默滑稽的生花妙筆之下一一出場，為整本小說增加了新的面向，發展出更深的層次。

　　由於《Wayside School》小說大受歡迎，儘管作者Louis Sachar原本並沒有設想要將之寫成系列小說，但是他仍然應小讀者們的要求，依循同樣的小說架構撰寫了《Wayside School》的續集《Wayside School Is Falling Down》 (1989)以及《Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger》(1995)，同樣充滿了令人捧腹的情節與瘋狂的想像。

　　Louis Sachar在作品中巧妙地融入似非而是的議論與出人意表的情節轉折，並且孕含了無人能及的幽默感，讀來讓人手不釋卷。然而，在他古靈精怪的故事背後，往往也能讓讀者從字裡行間感受到作者的人性關懷與溫暖，並且從中讀到一些發人省思的警句，這也正是這個系列最為成功之處。

Bestselling and Newbery Medal-winning author Louis Sachar knows how to make readers laugh. And there are laughs galore in perennial favorite Sideways Stories from Wayside School

Accidentally built sideways and standing thirty stories high (the builder said he was very sorry for the mistake), Wayside School has some of the wackiest classes in town, especially on the thirtieth floor. That''s where you''ll meet Bebe, the fastest draw in art class; John, who only reads upside down; Myron, the best class president, ever; and Sammy, the new kid--he''s a real rat.

And get ready for Wayside School Beneath the Cloud of Doom, the brand-new, fourth installment in the series, and the first in twenty-five years

More than fifteen million readers have laughed at the clever and hilarious stories of Wayside School. So what are you waiting for? Come visit Wayside School