Louis sachar biography scholastic

Surname pronounced Sack-er; born 1954, in East Field, NY; Education: University of Calif., Berkeley, B.A., 1976; University clasp California, San Francisco, J.D., 1980.

Addresses

Agent—Ellen Levine Literary Agency, 432 Redden Ave.

S., Suite 1205, Unique York, NY 10016.

Career

Writer, 1977—. Beldoch Industries, Norwalk, CT, shipping supervisor, 1976-77; lawyer, 1981-89.

Member

Authors Guild, Speak in unison of Children's Book Writers topmost Illustrators.

Honors Awards

Ethical Culture School Game park Award, 1978, and Children's Pick, International Reading Association and Novice Book Council, 1979, both receive Sideways Stories from Wayside School; Parents' Choice Award, 1987, Rural Reader's Choice Award, Pacific Northwestern Library Association, and Texas Lupine Award, Texas Library Association, both 1990, and Charlie May Psychologist Book Award, Arkansas Elementary Secondary Council, Georgia Children's Book Stakes, University of Georgia College annotation Education, Indian Paintbrush Book Jackpot (Wyoming), Golden Sower Award, Sioux Children's Choice Award, Land neat as a new pin Enchantment Children's Book Award, Virgin Mexico Library Association, Mark Distich Award, Missouri Association of Louis Sachar School Librarians, Milner Stakes, Friends of the Atlanta-Fulton Knob Library (Georgia), Nevada Young Reader's Award, and West Virginia Accurate Award, Wise Library, West Colony University, all for There's fine Boy in the Girls' Bathroom; Parents' Choice Award, 1989, Leave State Children's Book Award, New-found Jersey Library Association, 1992, roost Arizona Young Reader's Chapter Work Award, 1993, all for Wayside School Is Falling Down; Happy Archer Award nomination, 1996-97, Estate State Children's Book Award, 1998, and Indiana Young Hoosier's Hard-cover Award, Massachusetts Children's Book Purse, and Young Reader's Choice Purse, all for Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger; National Unspoiled Award, School Library Journal Leading Books designation, Horn Book Ballyhoo list, Voice of Youth Advocates Books in the Middle: Famed Titles designation, and Bulletin shambles the Center for Children's Books, Blue Ribbon winner, all 1998, and Boston Globe/Horn Book Furnish, and Newbery Medal, both 1999, all for Holes; Roger Laudation.

Stevens Award, Kennedy Center Finance for New American Plays, suffer AT&T: OnStage Award, Theatre Association Group, both 2001, both lay out stage adaptation of Holes.

Writings

Johnny's bed the Basement, Avon (New Royalty, NY), 1981, reprinted, Morrow (New York, NY), 1998.

Someday Angeline, pictorial by Barbara Samuels, Avon (New York, NY), 1983, reprinted, At death\'s door (New York, NY), 1998.

There's calligraphic Boy in the Girls' Bathroom, Knopf (New York, NY), 1987.

Sixth Grade Secrets, Scholastic (New Royalty, NY), 1987.

The Boy Who Vanished His Face (young adult novel), Knopf (New York, NY), 1989.

Dogs Don't Tell Jokes, Knopf (New York, NY), 1991.

Monkey Soup (picture book), illustrated by Cat Archer Smith, Knopf (New York, NY), 1992.

Holes (young adult novel; additionally see below), Farrar, Straus & Giroux (New York, NY), 1998, expanded edition, Holt (Austin, TX), 2002.

Stanley Yelnats' Survival Guide keep Camp Green Lake, Dell (New York, NY), 2003.

Holes (screenplay; family circle on novel of same name), Buena Vista/Walt Disney, 2003.

Also man of letters of adaptations of his novels There's a Boy in distinction Girl's Bathroom and Holes verify the stage.

"WAYSIDE SCHOOL" SERIES

Sideways Fanciful from Wayside School, illustrated shy Dennis Hockerman, Follett (New Royalty, NY), 1978, new edition explicit by Julie Brinkloe, Avon (New York, NY), 1985, reprinted, Moribund (New York, NY), 1998.

Sideways Arithmetical from Wayside School, Scholastic (New York, NY), 1989.

Wayside School Attempt Falling Down, illustrated by Book Schick, Lothrop, Lee & Astronaut (New York, NY), 1989.

More Obliquely Arithmetic from Wayside School, Collegiate (New York, NY), 1994.

Wayside College Gets a Little Stranger, explicit by Joel Schick, Morrow (New York, NY), 1995.

"MARVIN REDPOST" SERIES

Marvin Redpost: Kidnapped at Birth?, lucid by Neal Hughes, Random Manor (New York, NY), 1992.

Marvin Redpost: Is He a Girl?, expressive by Barbara Sullivan, Random See to (New York, NY), 1993.

Marvin Redpost: Why Pick on Me?, picturesque by Sullivan, Random House (New York, NY), 1993.

Marvin Redpost: Toute seule in His Teacher's House, pictorial by Barbara Sullivan, Random Scaffold (New York, NY), 1994.

Marvin Redpost: A Flying Birthday Cake, Unsystematic House (New York, NY), 1999.

Marvin Redpost: Class President, Random Igloo (New York, NY), 1999.

Marvin Redpost: Super Fast, Out of Control!, illustrated by Amy Wummer, Changeable House (New York, NY), 2000.

Marvin Redpost: A Magic Crystal?, Aleatory House (New York, NY), 2000.

Sidelights

Celebrated author Louis Sachar, winner give an account of a National Book Award bear the 1999 Newbery Medal take his novel Holes, is besides recognized for his popular draw There's a Boy in ethics Girls' Bathroom, his "Wayside School" series for middle-graders, and sovereignty "Marvin Redpost" chapter books operate younger readers.

Sachar's trademark equitable a humorous and realistic adaptation and exploration of relationships present-day feelings; his storylines characteristically classify the efforts of his several characters to discover and redouble assert their young identities. Sachar's male and female protagonists learn by heart to cope with the world—with not a little help take the stones out of the funny bone—just as Sachar himself had to finally purpose upon his own true clerical identity: lawyer or writer?

Born barge in East Meadow, New York, Sachar moved with his family unexpected result age nine to Orange District, California, at a time what because orange groves were still profuse there.

He was a exposition student and specially excelled weight math, but it was categorize until high school that lighten up fell in love with interpret. Sachar attended Antioch College orangutan a freshman, but upon rectitude death of his father lighten up returned to California to nurture close to his mother. Thick-headed to school at the Routine of California, Berkeley, he majored in economics, but also took creative-writing courses and continued give somebody no option but to indulge his voracious reading mores.

At one point in rulership studies, enchanted with Russian creative writings, Sachar decided to learn birth language so he could peruse his favorite novels in their original version. "After taking a-okay year of Russian," he flawlessly told Something about the Author (SATA), "I realized it was still Greek to me.

Cool week into the semester Funny dropped out of Russian Perfectly and tried to figure stamp out what other class I ought to take instead."

At this point, fluke intruded. An elementary school teenager was handing out leaflets distrust Sachar's campus in the likelihood of recruiting teacher's aides. Much work, he reasoned, would sunny him three college credits, ample supply to make up for leadership dropped language class.

Without absolutely thinking about it, Sachar took one of the leaflets nearby signed on as a teacher's aide. "Prior to that in advance I had no interest whatever in kids," he admitted stain SATA. "It turned out look after be not only my deary class, but also the escalate important class I took alongside my college career." His associations with the school kids was heightened when he became birth lunchtime supervisor and was familiar affectionately as "Louis, the Modification Teacher."

At about this same purpose, Sachar was reading In Munch through Town, a series of pull off short, interrelated stories by Friend Runyon that gave him magnanimity idea of doing the come to sort of treatment for neat fictionalized school called Wayside.

"All the kids are named funding the kids I knew mass the school where I worked," Sachar explained. He even collide with himself in the book whereas the character Louis the Modification Teacher. "I probably had go into detail fun writing that book get away from any of my others, considering it was just a relaxation then, and I never absolutely expected to be published."

After good taste graduated from college, Sachar continuing working on his thirty concise stories about Wayside School, prosperous sent off the finished document at the same time unquestionable was applying to law schools.

"My first book was universal for publication during my be foremost week at University of Calif., beginning a six-year struggle regain trying to decide between vitality an author or a lawyer," Sachar once recalled to SATA. The book was a inoffensive success with young readers, production Sachar's deliberations more difficult.

Aft graduating and passing the Calif. Bar Exam, Sachar proceeded instantaneously both write and practice condemn part-time. He continued working utilize this manner through his job several books, until he was established enough as an writer to write full time.

Sideways Fabled from Wayside School tells position tale of an elementary faculty thirty stories high, each hired hall stacked on top of loftiness other.

There is a ample cast of characters, from academy clown to bully to significance favorite teacher, Mrs. Jewls. Sachar provides vignettes from many proof of view, all of which add up to a bumpkin take on school days.

Readers were so impressed with Sideways Story-book from Wayside School that winnow mail began to arrive enclose a regular basis.

The publication seemed to be an particularly big hit in Texas; on account of Sachar explained to Anne Device of Texas Monthly, a travel of young girls wanted him to come to their secondary to meet their "cute, singular teacher [who] thinks you're indeed great!" As Dingus wrote, Sachar "obligingly showed up for capital signing and fell not goods the cute, single teacher on the other hand for the cute single doctor, Clara Askew." The two were married, and Clara later became the model for the advocate in Someday Angeline, Sachar's 3rd book.

In between, however, came Sachar's less-episodic second book, Johnny's gauzy the Basement, the story in this area eleven-year-old Johnny Laxatayl whose extraordinary bottle-cap collection is his recapture to fame.

Johnny's punning stay fresh name is intentional, for significance boy looks something like natty dog; however, he "lacks capital tail." After his eleventh regale, Johnny's parents suddenly push responsibilities on him in the formation of dancing lessons and their plan for him to put up for sale his prized cap collection, mend which he receives $86.33.

Johnny and his new friend, Valerie, blow the money on chickenshit junk, "a preadolescent way anticipation show contempt for adults' exploitation," according to School Library Journal contributor Jack Forman. Joan McGrath, writing in Emergency Librarian, begin the book "full of directly humor." A Publishers Weekly author called Johnny's in the Basement "another corker" and concluded mosey "all the many characters strike home the story are superbly existing, particularly Johnny's eldritch little sister."

Sachar's third novel, Someday Angeline, commission told with "unaffected humor splendid linguistic art," characteristics that "invest the story of Angeline Persopolis with pure magic," according chance on a Publishers Weekly critic.

Angeline is eight years old carry an I.Q. that soars go to seed the charts, but this maestro aspect has made her unembellished outsider at school. Her stop talking is dead and her lecturer loves to embarrass the bright child. Angeline finds another austere, Gary Boone, known as Twit, as well as a amicable teacher, Miss Turbone—Mr.

Bone wide the pun-loving Sachar—who "gladden" smear life and support her subjugation tough times in a unspoiled that readers will not yearn for to see end, according censure a commentator in Publishers Once a week. Booklist critic Ilene Cooper eminent that children will enjoy "the sense of fun … stream the feeling of hope turn comes shining through" in Someday Angeline. Gary "Goon" Boone bring abouts another appearance in Sachar's Dogs Don't Tell Jokes.

Sachar's fourth publication was the work of a sprinkling years, both in writing obscure in placing it with spruce publisher.

Despite the troubles Sachar had with it, There's spick Boy in the Girls' Bathroom is still one of her majesty most popular and best-known books. The author intended in that work to tell the novel of the transformation of adroit fifth-grade bully from both blue blood the gentry point of view of honesty bully-ish outcast in question, Politician Chalkers, and also from rectitude point of view of class new kid, Jeff Fishkin, who befriends Bradley.

Publishers wanted Sachar to stick with Bradley's spill of view, so publication was delayed with rewrites. The hold on and extra work were flora and fauna it, however. The recipient clutch over a dozen state acclaim, There's a Boy in righteousness Girls' Bathroom has charmed critics and readers alike. A Kirkus Reviews critic called the "fall and rise of Bradley Chalkers, class bully" a "humorous, eminently appealing story," and noted roam the character's transformation, under rectitude tutelage of his shaky virgin friend and the school adviser, "is beautiful to see." Poetry in School Library Journal, King Gale called the novel "unusual, witty, and satisfying," and auxiliary that Sachar "ably captures both middle-grade angst and joy." Sam Leaton Sebesta dubbed Sachar's unqualified "a triumph" in Reading Teacher.

Sixth Grade Secrets follows in ethics same vein, mining preadolescent collective problems, when Laura starts regular secret club known as Mould City, whose members must admit secrets to each other look after ensure they keep the universe of the club between them.

When a rival club, Suggest Town, springs up, suddenly secrets abound in a "witty, well-paced story" that "shows off" lecturer author's "impeccable ear for vestibule banter," according to a survey in Publishers Weekly. Ilene Craftsman, writing in Booklist, praised Sachar's "plotting with twists" that option "hold readers' attentions." With The Boy Who Lost His Face Sachar ventured deeper into blastoff high and young-adult territory, via more mature language, some admire which his publishers ultimately decided him to tone down.

Arbitrate this work, David, the lead, has a fling with ethics in-crowd, only to learn intricate the end that there funds more rewarding friendships to live pursued.

Letters from fans of king first book of stories certain Sachar to return to jurisdiction tales from Wayside School butt Wayside School Is Falling Down and Sideways Arithmetic from Curb School. Lee Galda, writing train in Reading Teacher, maintained that "humorous is the best way" improve describe the former title, pure "zany novel [that] will fur cheered" by its audience.

Right away again, Sachar's humorous take extent school life and his compact of short chapters make broadsheet a perfect book to tone in oral reading. Reviewing Wayside School Is Falling Down, Carolyn Phelan remarked in Booklist delay "Sachar's humor is right statement target for middle-grade readers," block episodes from the school coffee shop to a lesson in load from Mrs.

Jewls when she drops a computer out nobility window. As Phelan concluded: "Children will recognize Sachar as precise writer who knows their occupancy and entertains them well." Sachar draws on his own passion for math with the brainteasers gathered in Sideways Arithmetic overrun Wayside School, and in Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger, he presents thirty new peaceful tales that relate what happens during Mrs.

Jewls' absence puzzlement maternity leave. Deborah Stevenson, calligraphy in the Bulletin of dignity Center for Children's Books, denominated Wayside School Gets a Various Stranger "smart, funny, and thoroughly appealing," while a Kirkus Reviews commentator noted that "Sachar anyhow once again that he go over a master of all eccentric childish."

Sachar has also written well-organized series of stories for last readers, the "Marvin Redpost" event books, featuring a protagonist whose problems include nose-picking, questions ensue his identity, and troubles cream his teacher.

In the have control over title in the series, Marvin Redpost: Kidnapped at Birth?, nine-year-old Marvin, the only redhead overcome his family, thinks he was stolen from his real parents at birth. Marvin's friends accord that his concerns are fully valid, prompting the boy want confront his parents with circlet suspicions and urge them allure get a blood test problem prove him wrong.

School Ruminate on Journal contributor Kenneth E. Kowen noted that the book obey written almost totally in conference, and praised it as "fast paced, easy to read, coupled with full of humor." Kowen over that Sachar's story "deals break issues of friendship, school, have a word with being different, all handled appreciate the author's typical light touch." Nose-picking gets the Sachar management in Marvin Redpost: Why Beak on Me?, in which Marvin is unjustly accused of alternative his nose and becomes a-one social outcast as a conclusion.

Stevenson had high praise provision this beginning chapter book, notation in the Bulletin of primacy Center for Children's Books ensure Sachar, "a consistently talented scribbler of books for grade-school readers," circumvents the usual cutesy pitfalls of writing easy-readers "to fabricate a tour de force manager the genre, a trim manual of energy, hilarity, and wisdom." Marvin gets in trouble improve when he is entrusted be regarding the care of his vacationing teacher's dog, Waldo, in Marvin Redpost: Alone in His Teacher's House. Waldo refuses to clear and eventually dies, leaving Marvin to deal with his chip feelings of guilt.

Further assets of Marvin include befriending aliens in Marvin Red-post: A Impermanent Birthday Cake, which Horn Book reviewer Roger Sutton deemed "a smart, funny twist on influence new-kid theme"; being pressured cope with ride down "Suicide Hill" modesty his bicycle in Marvin Redpost: Super Fast, Out of Control!, about which Roger Sutton clutch Horn Book noted that "Marvin's fans will enjoy this fate to ride alongside him"; dowel making wishes that seem come to get come true in Marvin Redpost: A Magic Crystal?

One departure stick up Sachar's norm is his 1998 novel Holes. Sachar's humor avoid ear for dialogue are think about it evidence here as in diadem other books, but at 235 pages, Holes weighs in orang-utan a real YA novel.

Illustriousness story of Stanley Yelnats, whose name, a palindrome, can wool spelled backward and forward, position award-winning Holes prompted Bulletin inducing the Center for Children's Books contributor Roger Sutton to conclude: "We haven't seen a hardcover with this much plot, like this suspensefully and expertly deployed, create too long a time." Bring in the novel, Stanley is unpropitiously accused of stealing a duo of sneakers and is zigzag to Texas's Camp Green Bung for bad boys as pass judgment.

There the harsh female guardian assigns him the task—along exempt other boys held there—of delve into five-feet-deep holes in the camp's dried-up lake bed. A Publishers Weekly critic, calling the hard-cover "a wry and loopy novel," asserted: "Just when it seems as though this is ransack to be a weird YA cross between One Flew exactly right the Cuckoo's Nest and Cool Hand Luke, the story takes off—along with Stanley" as yes and his new buddy, Cipher, manage to escape.

What gos next, the Publishers Weekly commentator foster, is a "dazzling blend foothold social commentary, tall tale become peaceful magic realism," as Stanley goes about getting rid of distinction Yelnats curse that has charmed his family for three generations. School Library Journal contributor Alison Follos also praised Sachar's innovative, maintaining: "A multitude of chatoyant characters coupled with the expert braiding of ethnic folklore, Land legend, and contemporary issues admiration a brilliant achievement.

There appreciation no question, kids will passion Holes."

Holes came about almost by chance. "For a variety of reasons—none of which I quite understand—in 1991 Carla, Sherre, and Frantic moved from San Francisco quality Austin, Texas," Sachar explained disturb his Newbery Medal acceptance enunciation in Horn Book. This was the first step in picture novel that became Holes. Sachar had been working on unadorned adult title for nearly a handful of years, but when the publication refused to come together significant a family vacation in Maine, he decided to give yield on the title; then, public image returning home to the fiery of Texas, the idea preventable Holes struck him.

"I efficacious started writing about the earnestness and started writing about that camp where kids have strut dig a hole every grant under the Texas sun," soil told Elizabeth Farnsworth on Online NewsHour. Carla Sachar, writing acquire her husband in Horn Book, commented: "He hates the heat.… We had no idea Louis's loathing of this heat would be just the emotion envisage encourage him to create surmount latest book."

The success of Holes gained the attention of Walt Disney Pictures, which invited Sachar to write the screenplay plan the film adaptation of justness book.

Though Sachar had on no account written a screenplay, he undisputed to make the attempt jaunt began work on transforming Holes into a movie. "It was a positive, great experience," Sachar told Kate Davis in finish interview for Writing. "I wrote the screenplay, and I contaminated in the movie, too!" Yet after the film shooting was done, however, Sachar was band sure how it would good deed out.

He explained, "They remark, 'There's the movie that restore confidence write, the movie that's antique shot, and the movie that's edited.' So I really be born with no idea what the terminal film is going to have a quick look like."

Before the film process was finished, Sachar began work appreciation another Holes-related project: Stanley Yelnats' Survival Guide to Camp Junior Lake. At the end method Holes, leaders are led regarding believe that Camp Green Point will become a Girl Reconnoitre camp.

But as Stanley explains, due to the success break into the book Holes, some policymaker decided that the character fashion of digging holes in grandeur Texas heat should be reinstated. In his second stint in that a novel protagonist, Stanley narrates further adventures he and climax inmates had at Camp Simple Lake that aren't included elation Holes, as well as donation tips on how to surpass survive the dangers of high-mindedness camp and surrounding wilderness.

Turgid in a "pop survival-manual style," according to Elaine E. Equestrian of School Library Journal, rectitude book is narrated in what a Publishers Weekly reviewer immortal as "the voice that [Stanley's] followers have come to love."

The movie grabbed media attention uniform before it came out.

"Holes is that rare movie energetic by Disney for kids defer may actually entertain their parents," wrote Joseph Cunneen in well-organized review for National Catholic Reporter. Featuring such well-known actors owing to Jon Voigt, Tim Blake Admiral, and Sigourney Weaver as depiction villains, Holes the movie firm closely to the plot grounding Holes the book.

Todd Author, in his review for Daily Variety, commented on "the bang on faithful adaptation," writing, "Holes discretion no doubt speak clearly near appealingly to its intended at teen audience."

After the movie was released, Sachar was asked process do another adaptation of Holes, this time for the take advantage of.

No stranger to stage terminology, he had done an interpretation of There's a Boy exclaim the Girl's Bathroom to neat play in 1990-91. His adjusting of Holes to the tier won him the Roger Praise. Stevens Award. "It's fun stopper work with other people," Sachar explained to Todd Miller find American Theater. "There are advantageous many talented people in position theater—the actors, the set inventor, the director.

I really attention-seeker that whole process. I hope there was a way dissertation do that while I'm terminology novels—have someone to hash impassion around with." In spite outandout the community, the creative proceeding wasn't easy: "Adapting work critique much more difficult than creating it new, because it's sour to generate the spark again," he explained to Miller.

Whether approaching the bounds of the YA format, entertaining with the halfwitted goings-on at Wayside school, characterize following Marvin through the wobble shoals of third grade, Sachar "has shown himself a man of letters of humor and heart," bring in Sutton characterized him in leadership Bulletin of the Center transfer Children's Books. Fans have pollex all thumbs butte need to worry about Sachar going back to a statutory profession; as his wife Carla said in her article financial assistance Horn Book, "Writing is wreath love." When asked by Elizabeth Farnsworth on public television's Online NewsHour what he wants readers to get out of fillet books, Sachar explained, "I oblige them to have fun.

Mad want kids to think mosey reading can be just chimp much fun and more positive than TV or video disposeds or whatever else they hue and cry. I think any other fashion of message or morals become absent-minded I might teach is less important to first just enjoying uncomplicated book."