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Quick answer: If your child loves Wayside School, try Louis Sachar's Holes and Sideways Stories from Wayside School, then Frindle, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, The Bad Guys and Mr Gum. All are silly, quick stories with absurd humour and clever kids.
Louis Sachar's Wayside School books are about a school built sideways with thirty classrooms stacked on top of each other, where strange things happen to Mrs. Jewls's class on the thirtieth floor. The chapters are short, funny and logical in a mad way. The books below offer similar silliness and quirky characters.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sideways Stories from Wayside School | Louis Sachar | Ages 7-11 | absurd school |
| Holes | Louis Sachar | Ages 9-13 | mystery and humour |
| Frindle | Andrew Clements | Ages 8-12 | clever mischief |
| Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing | Judy Blume | Ages 7-11 | family comedy |
| Fudge-a-Mania | Judy Blume | Ages 8-12 | summer chaos |
| Freckle Juice | Judy Blume | Ages 6-9 | schemes and gullibility |
| Skinnybones | Barbara Park | Ages 8-12 | wisecracking narrator |
| Bunnicula | Deborah and James Howe | Ages 7-11 | mystery rabbit |
| Matilda | Roald Dahl | Ages 7-12 | clever child |
| The Bad Guys | Aaron Blabey | Ages 6-10 | villains turned good |
| The Adventures of Captain Underpants | Dav Pilkey | Ages 7-10 | silly superhero |
| Dog Man | Dav Pilkey | Ages 6-10 | graphic novel |
| Diary of a Wimpy Kid | Jeff Kinney | 8-12 | doodle lovers |
| The Terrible Two | Mac Barnett and Jory John | Ages 8-12 | prank wars |
| The Phantom Tollbooth | Norton Juster | 8–12 | wordplay |
1. Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar
Odd things happen on the thirtieth floor of a school built sideways. Short chapters, big laughs.
Best for: absurd school.
2. Holes by Louis Sachar
A boy is sent to a camp where he must dig holes. Clever and moving.
Best for: mystery and humour.
3. Frindle by Andrew Clements
A boy invents a new word and starts a movement that takes over his school. Smart, funny and quick.
Best for: clever mischief.
4. Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume
Peter's little brother Fudge makes every day chaotic. Classic, warm and laugh-out-loud funny.
Best for: family comedy.
5. Fudge-a-Mania by Judy Blume
Peter's family shares a summer house with his enemy's family. Fast and silly.
Best for: summer chaos.
6. Freckle Juice by Judy Blume
A boy pays for a recipe that promises freckles. A short, silly story for younger readers.
Best for: schemes and gullibility.
7. Skinnybones by Barbara Park
A baseball-loving boy uses humour to hide his worries. Quick and cheeky.
Best for: wisecracking narrator.
8. Bunnicula by Deborah and James Howe
A dog and a cat suspect the family rabbit is a vampire. Light, spooky and funny.
Best for: mystery rabbit.
9. Matilda by Roald Dahl
A brilliant girl uses her wits against awful adults. Funny, dark and beloved.
Best for: clever child.
10. The Bad Guys by Aaron Blabey
A wolf, snake, shark and piranha try to be heroes. Hilarious and fast.
Best for: villains turned good.
11. The Adventures of Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey
Two pranksters hypnotise their principal into a superhero. Pure silliness.
Best for: silly superhero.
12. Dog Man by Dav Pilkey
Half dog, half police officer, Dog Man fights crime. Silly and quick.
Best for: graphic novel.
13. Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
Greg Heffley records his middle school misadventures. The classic funny diary.
Best for: doodle lovers.
14. The Terrible Two by Mac Barnett and Jory John
Two pranksters at a new school team up against a strict principal. Smart and funny.
Best for: prank wars.
15. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
A bored boy drives through a tollbooth into a kingdom of words and numbers. A classic full of puns.
Best for: wordplay.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with Wayside School: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to Wayside School. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most.
How to Choose
For more Sachar begin with Sideways Stories from Wayside School or Holes. For funny school stories choose Frindle, Skinnybones or Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing. For silly comics pick Captain Underpants, Dog Man or The Bad Guys. For clever nonsense read The Phantom Tollbooth. Wayside School is a quick read, so these picks suit readers who like short chapters and big laughs. Wayside School has several sequels, including Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger, and an animated TV series. The chapters are self-contained, which makes them perfect for bedtime reading.
Related: Printable List of Weird School Books · Printable List of The Bailey School Kid Books
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Wayside School about?
A school built sideways with thirty classrooms stacked high.
Who wrote it?
Louis Sachar.
When was the first book published?
1978.
How many Wayside School books are there?
Four.
What age is it for?
Roughly ages 6 to 10.
Is it good for read-aloud?
Yes, with short, funny chapters.
Is it related to Holes?
They are by the same author but unrelated.
What should we read next?
Try Holes or Frindle.
Which book here is best for family comedy?
Try Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume, which suits readers looking for family comedy.
Which book here is best for wisecracking narrator?
Try Skinnybones by Barbara Park, which suits readers looking for wisecracking narrator.
Which book here is best for villains turned good?
Try The Bad Guys by Aaron Blabey, which suits readers looking for villains turned good.
Which book here is best for doodle lovers?
Try Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney, which suits readers looking for doodle lovers.