Luis sachar biography

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

Addresses

Agent—Ellen Levine Literary Agency, 432 Fall-back Ave. S., Suite 1205, Additional York, NY 10016.

Career

Writer, 1977—.

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

Member

Authors Guild, Population of Children's Book Writers plus Illustrators.

Honors Awards

Ethical Culture School Make a reservation Award, 1978, and Children's Selection, International Reading Association and For kids Book Council, 1979, both vindicate Sideways Stories from Wayside School; Parents' Choice Award, 1987, Minor Reader's Choice Award, Pacific Nw Library Association, and Texas Lupin Award, Texas Library Association, both 1990, and Charlie May Dramatist Book Award, Arkansas Elementary Primary Council, Georgia Children's Book Reward, University of Georgia College sponsor Education, Indian Paintbrush Book Accord (Wyoming), Golden Sower Award, Chiwere Children's Choice Award, Land touch on Enchantment Children's Book Award, Another Mexico Library Association, Mark Couple Award, Missouri Association of Louis Sachar School Librarians, Milner Give, Friends of the Atlanta-Fulton Uncover Library (Georgia), Nevada Young Reader's Award, and West Virginia Album Award, Wise Library, West Town University, all for There's unadorned Boy in the Girls' Bathroom; Parents' Choice Award, 1989, Park State Children's Book Award, Another Jersey Library Association, 1992, suffer Arizona Young Reader's Chapter Paperback Award, 1993, all for Wayside School Is Falling Down; Blond Archer Award nomination, 1996-97, Parkland State Children's Book Award, 1998, and Indiana Young Hoosier's Tome Award, Massachusetts Children's Book Grant, and Young Reader's Choice Bestow, all for Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger; National Notebook Award, School Library Journal Suited Books designation, Horn Book Trumpetblast list, Voice of Youth Advocates Books in the Middle: Not completed Titles designation, and Bulletin jump at the Center for Children's Books, Blue Ribbon winner, all 1998, and Boston Globe/Horn Book Premium, and Newbery Medal, both 1999, all for Holes; Roger Renown.

Stevens Award, Kennedy Center Back for New American Plays, tube AT&T: OnStage Award, Theatre Field Group, both 2001, both reconcile stage adaptation of Holes.

Writings

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

Someday Angeline, telling by Barbara Samuels, Avon (New York, NY), 1983, reprinted, Fading (New York, NY), 1998.

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

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

The Boy Who Gone 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; too see below), Farrar, Straus & Giroux (New York, NY), 1998, expanded edition, Holt (Austin, TX), 2002.

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

Holes (screenplay; home-grown on novel of same name), Buena Vista/Walt Disney, 2003.

Also framer of adaptations of his novels There's a Boy in grandeur Girl's Bathroom and Holes confirm the stage.

"WAYSIDE SCHOOL" SERIES

Sideways Fictitious from Wayside School, illustrated make wet Dennis Hockerman, Follett (New Dynasty, NY), 1978, new edition pictorial by Julie Brinkloe, Avon (New York, NY), 1985, reprinted, On one\'s last legs (New York, NY), 1998.

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

Wayside School Psychotherapy Falling Down, illustrated by Prophet Schick, Lothrop, Lee & Spaceman (New York, NY), 1989.

More Laterally Arithmetic from Wayside School, Conjectural (New York, NY), 1994.

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

"MARVIN REDPOST" SERIES

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

Marvin Redpost: Is He a Girl?, vivid by Barbara Sullivan, Random Pied-а-terre (New York, NY), 1993.

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

Marvin Redpost: Get round in His Teacher's House, lucid by Barbara Sullivan, Random Igloo (New York, NY), 1994.

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

Marvin Redpost: Class President, Random Semi-detached (New York, NY), 1999.

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

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

Sidelights

Celebrated author Louis Sachar, winner snare a National Book Award cranium the 1999 Newbery Medal mean his novel Holes, is besides recognized for his popular action There's a Boy in prestige Girls' Bathroom, his "Wayside School" series for middle-graders, and enthrone "Marvin Redpost" chapter books pray for younger readers.

Sachar's trademark abridge a humorous and realistic personation and exploration of relationships take precedence feelings; his storylines characteristically index the efforts of his many characters to discover and subsequently assert their young identities. Sachar's male and female protagonists hear to cope with the world—with not a little help get out of the funny bone—just as Sachar himself had to finally determination upon his own true veteran identity: lawyer or writer?

Born diminution East Meadow, New York, Sachar moved with his family mimic age nine to Orange Patch, California, at a time considering that orange groves were still complete there.

He was a agreeable student and specially excelled now math, but it was shout until high school that let go fell in love with point of reference. Sachar attended Antioch College because a freshman, but upon honourableness death of his father pacify returned to California to background close to his mother. Stick up to school at the Custom of California, Berkeley, he majored in economics, but also took creative-writing courses and continued be acquainted with indulge his voracious reading ethics.

At one point in queen studies, enchanted with Russian writings, Sachar decided to learn primacy language so he could distil his favorite novels in their original version. "After taking unadorned year of Russian," he formerly told Something about the Author (SATA), "I realized it was still Greek to me. Dialect trig week into the semester Uncontrolled dropped out of Russian Fully and tried to figure manage what other class I requisite take instead."

At this point, mischance intruded.

An elementary school juvenile was handing out leaflets enviable Sachar's campus in the contemplation of recruiting teacher's aides. Much work, he reasoned, would warrant him three college credits, sufficient to make up for prestige dropped language class. Without in reality thinking about it, Sachar took one of the leaflets other signed on as a teacher's aide.

"Prior to that firmly I had no interest any in kids," he admitted focus on SATA. "It turned out criticism be not only my pet class, but also the nigh important class I took nearby my college career." His transmission with the school kids was heightened when he became integrity lunchtime supervisor and was crush affectionately as "Louis, the Railway sidings Teacher."

At about this same pause, Sachar was reading In Address Town, a series of greatly short, interrelated stories by Friend Runyon that gave him decency idea of doing the equal sort of treatment for unblended fictionalized school called Wayside.

"All the kids are named aft the kids I knew win the school where I worked," Sachar explained. He even violate himself in the book variety the character Louis the Pen Teacher. "I probably had additional fun writing that book better any of my others, due to it was just a recreation then, and I never in reality expected to be published."

After smartness graduated from college, Sachar extended working on his thirty petite stories about Wayside School, accept sent off the finished text at the same time misstep was applying to law schools.

"My first book was pitch for publication during my premier week at University of Calif., beginning a six-year struggle make up trying to decide between produce an author or a lawyer," Sachar once recalled to SATA. The book was a fair success with young readers, manufacture Sachar's deliberations more difficult.

Care for graduating and passing the Calif. Bar Exam, Sachar proceeded in both write and practice paw part-time. He continued working intricate this manner through his trice several books, until he was established enough as an columnist to write full time.

Sideways Legendary from Wayside School tells justness tale of an elementary faculty thirty stories high, each auditorium stacked on top of class other.

There is a widespread cast of characters, from educational institution clown to bully to ethics favorite teacher, Mrs. Jewls. Sachar provides vignettes from many entrance of view, all of which add up to a bumpkin take on school days.

Readers were so impressed with Sideways n from Wayside School that aficionado mail began to arrive shell a regular basis.

The tome seemed to be an specially big hit in Texas; style Sachar explained to Anne Appliance of Texas Monthly, a company of young girls wanted him to come to their educational institution to meet their "cute, sui generis incomparabl teacher [who] thinks you're in truth great!" As Dingus wrote, Sachar "obligingly showed up for on the rocks signing and fell not courier the cute, single teacher however for the cute single adviser, Clara Askew." The two were married, and Clara later became the model for the counsel in Someday Angeline, Sachar's bag book.

In between, however, came Sachar's less-episodic second book, Johnny's girder the Basement, the story outline eleven-year-old Johnny Laxatayl whose weird bottle-cap collection is his asseverate to fame.

Johnny's punning blare name is intentional, for interpretation boy looks something like topping dog; however, he "lacks efficient tail." After his eleventh banquet, Johnny's parents suddenly push responsibilities on him in the transformation of dancing lessons and their plan for him to barter his prized cap collection, beg for which he receives $86.33.

Johnny and his new friend, Valerie, blow the money on vacuous junk, "a preadolescent way hit upon show contempt for adults' exploitation," according to School Library Journal contributor Jack Forman. Joan McGrath, writing in Emergency Librarian, misconstrue the book "full of surreptitious humor." A Publishers Weekly assessor called Johnny's in the Basement "another corker" and concluded deviate "all the many characters create the story are superbly realistic, particularly Johnny's eldritch little sister."

Sachar's third novel, Someday Angeline, legal action told with "unaffected humor stake linguistic art," characteristics that "invest the story of Angeline Persopolis with pure magic," according rear a Publishers Weekly critic.

Angeline is eight years old nuisance an I.Q. that soars thong the charts, but this virtuoso aspect has made her come outsider at school. Her spread is dead and her lecturer loves to embarrass the forward child. Angeline finds another individualist, Gary Boone, known as Dunderhead, as well as a ground teacher, Miss Turbone—Mr.

Bone preserve the pun-loving Sachar—who "gladden" inclusion life and support her plunder tough times in a game park that readers will not hope for to see end, according join a commentator in Publishers Paper. Booklist critic Ilene Cooper respected that children will enjoy "the sense of fun … captain the feeling of hope meander comes shining through" in Someday Angeline. Gary "Goon" Boone assembles another appearance in Sachar's Dogs Don't Tell Jokes.

Sachar's fourth whole was the work of a few years, both in writing extra in placing it with swell publisher.

Despite the troubles Sachar had with it, There's shipshape and bristol fashion Boy in the Girls' Bathroom is still one of authority most popular and best-known books. The author intended in that work to tell the be included of the transformation of elegant fifth-grade bully from both decency point of view of rendering bully-ish outcast in question, Pol Chalkers, and also from dignity point of view of influence new kid, Jeff Fishkin, who befriends Bradley.

Publishers wanted Sachar to stick with Bradley's decide of view, so publication was delayed with rewrites. The hang fire and extra work were trait it, however. The recipient domination over a dozen state brownie points, There's a Boy in blue blood the gentry Girls' Bathroom has charmed critics and readers alike. A Kirkus Reviews critic called the "fall and rise of Bradley Chalkers, class bully" a "humorous, highly appealing story," and noted stroll the character's transformation, under justness tutelage of his shaky spanking friend and the school consultant, "is beautiful to see." Scribble in School Library Journal, Painter Gale called the novel "unusual, witty, and satisfying," and add-on that Sachar "ably captures both middle-grade angst and joy." Sam Leaton Sebesta dubbed Sachar's tome "a triumph" in Reading Teacher.

Sixth Grade Secrets follows in rectitude same vein, mining preadolescent community problems, when Laura starts spiffy tidy up secret club known as Live City, whose members must up to secrets to each other flavour ensure they keep the actuality of the club between them.

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

Fit into place this work, David, the partisan, has a fling with interpretation in-crowd, only to learn now the end that there idea more rewarding friendships to enter pursued.

Letters from fans of crown first book of stories persuaded Sachar to return to jurisdiction tales from Wayside School be a sign of Wayside School Is Falling Down and Sideways Arithmetic from Hard shoulder School. Lee Galda, writing come to terms with Reading Teacher, maintained that "humorous is the best way" manage describe the former title, neat "zany novel [that] will acceptably cheered" by its audience.

On a former occasion again, Sachar's humorous take torment school life and his under enemy control of short chapters make buy a perfect book to say-so in oral reading. Reviewing Wayside School Is Falling Down, Carolyn Phelan remarked in Booklist lose one\'s train of thought "Sachar's humor is right take five target for middle-grade readers," identify episodes from the school snack bar to a lesson in burden from Mrs.

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

Jewls' absence company maternity leave. Deborah Stevenson, hand in the Bulletin of authority Center for Children's Books, callinged Wayside School Gets a Around Stranger "smart, funny, and in foreign lands appealing," while a Kirkus Reviews commentator noted that "Sachar chest once again that he task a master of all astonishing childish."

Sachar has also written fastidious series of stories for junior readers, the "Marvin Redpost" episode books, featuring a protagonist whose problems include nose-picking, questions recognize the value of his identity, and troubles get the gist his teacher.

In the extreme title in the series, Marvin Redpost: Kidnapped at Birth?, nine-year-old Marvin, the only redhead splotch his family, thinks he was stolen from his real parents at birth. Marvin's friends correspond that his concerns are totally valid, prompting the boy manuscript confront his parents with jurisdiction suspicions and urge them deal get a blood test censure prove him wrong.

School Look at Journal contributor Kenneth E. Kowen noted that the book enquiry written almost totally in colloquy, and praised it as "fast paced, easy to read, lecture full of humor." Kowen over that Sachar's story "deals rigging issues of friendship, school, spell being different, all handled go one better than the author's typical light touch." Nose-picking gets the Sachar maltreatment in Marvin Redpost: Why Combat on Me?, in which Marvin is unjustly accused of yield his nose and becomes far-out social outcast as a mix.

Stevenson had high praise tend this beginning chapter book, notating in the Bulletin of distinction Center for Children's Books zigzag Sachar, "a consistently talented scribbler of books for grade-school readers," circumvents the usual cutesy pitfalls of writing easy-readers "to conceal yourself a tour de force disbursement the genre, a trim book of energy, hilarity, and wisdom." Marvin gets in trouble reassess when he is entrusted shorten the care of his vacationing teacher's dog, Waldo, in Marvin Redpost: Alone in His Teacher's House. Waldo refuses to inhuman and eventually dies, leaving Marvin to deal with his cast a shadow feelings of guilt.

Further chance of Marvin include befriending aliens in Marvin Red-post: A Evanescent Birthday Cake, which Horn Book reviewer Roger Sutton deemed "a smart, funny twist on honesty new-kid theme"; being pressured study ride down "Suicide Hill" telltale his bicycle in Marvin Redpost: Super Fast, Out of Control!, about which Roger Sutton believe Horn Book noted that "Marvin's fans will enjoy this stake to ride alongside him"; nearby making wishes that seem finished come true in Marvin Redpost: A Magic Crystal?

One departure go over the top with Sachar's norm is his 1998 novel Holes. Sachar's humor add-on ear for dialogue are atmosphere evidence here as in top other books, but at 235 pages, Holes weighs in laugh a real YA novel.

Honesty story of Stanley Yelnats, whose name, a palindrome, can skin spelled backward and forward, glory award-winning Holes prompted Bulletin decay the Center for Children's Books contributor Roger Sutton to conclude: "We haven't seen a tome with this much plot, as follows suspensefully and expertly deployed, hamper too long a time." Accumulate the novel, Stanley is confused accused of stealing a in a state of sneakers and is hurl to Texas's Camp Green Power point for bad boys as chastening.

There the harsh female keeper assigns him the task—along make contact with other boys held there—of fact-finding five-feet-deep holes in the camp's dried-up lake bed. A Publishers Weekly critic, calling the exact "a wry and loopy novel," asserted: "Just when it seems as though this is bright and breezy to be a weird YA cross between One Flew intimation the Cuckoo's Nest and Cool Hand Luke, the story takes off—along with Stanley" as forbidden and his new buddy, Cardinal, manage to escape.

What ensues, the Publishers Weekly commentator coupled with, is a "dazzling blend answer social commentary, tall tale stake magic realism," as Stanley goes about getting rid of primacy Yelnats curse that has bowled over his family for three generations. School Library Journal contributor Alison Follos also praised Sachar's latest, maintaining: "A multitude of ablaze characters coupled with the dextrous braiding of ethnic folklore, Denizen legend, and contemporary issues commission a brilliant achievement.

There deterioration no question, kids will enjoy Holes."

Holes came about almost casually. "For a variety of reasons—none of which I quite understand—in 1991 Carla, Sherre, and Rabid moved from San Francisco comparable with Austin, Texas," Sachar explained look onto his Newbery Medal acceptance speaking in Horn Book. This was the first step in class novel that became Holes. Sachar had been working on apartment house adult title for nearly mirror image years, but when the complete refused to come together generous a family vacation in Maine, he decided to give set a date for on the title; then, entertaining returning home to the hotness of Texas, the idea back Holes struck him.

"I stiffnecked started writing about the hotness and started writing about that camp where kids have agree to dig a hole every dowry under the Texas sun," earth told Elizabeth Farnsworth on Online NewsHour. Carla Sachar, writing let somebody see 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 kindhearted encourage him to create wreath latest book."

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

Though Sachar had not under any condition written a screenplay, he impressive to make the attempt view began work on transforming Holes into a movie. "It was a positive, great experience," Sachar told Kate Davis in highrise interview for Writing. "I wrote the screenplay, and I interest in the movie, too!" Collected after the film shooting was done, however, Sachar was troupe sure how it would recover out.

He explained, "They constraint, 'There's the movie that sell something to someone write, the movie that's antique shot, and the movie that's edited.' So I really suppress no idea what the in response film is going to place like."

Before the film process was finished, Sachar began work top secret another Holes-related project: Stanley Yelnats' Survival Guide to Camp Grassy Lake. At the end commemorate Holes, leaders are led act upon believe that Camp Green Cap will become a Girl Case camp.

But as Stanley explains, due to the success contempt the book Holes, some lawmaker decided that the character technique of digging holes in birth Texas heat should be reinstated. In his second stint type a novel protagonist, Stanley narrates further adventures he and crown inmates had at Camp Verdant Lake that aren't included play a part Holes, as well as award tips on how to stroke survive the dangers of justness camp and surrounding wilderness.

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

The movie grabbed media attention regular before it came out. "Holes is that rare movie uncomplicated by Disney for kids cruise may actually entertain their parents," wrote Joseph Cunneen in unembellished review for National Catholic Reporter. Featuring such well-known actors despite the fact that Jon Voigt, Tim Blake Admiral, and Sigourney Weaver as picture villains, Holes the movie caught closely to the plot shop Holes the book.

Todd Pol, in his review for Daily Variety, commented on "the systematically faithful adaptation," writing, "Holes option no doubt speak clearly gain appealingly to its intended awkward teen audience."

After the movie was released, Sachar was asked assail do another adaptation of Holes, this time for the situation.

No stranger to stage expressions, he had done an conversion of There's a Boy show the Girl's Bathroom to topping play in 1990-91. His modifying of Holes to the abuse won him the Roger Acclaim. Stevens Award. "It's fun grant work with other people," Sachar explained to Todd Miller operate American Theater. "There are advantageous many talented people in primacy theater—the actors, the set beginner, the director.

I really say that whole process. I hope there was a way disturb do that while I'm print novels—have someone to hash out of use around with." In spite be worthwhile for the community, the creative outward appearance wasn't easy: "Adapting work quite good much more difficult than creating it new, because it's work up a sweat to generate the spark again," he explained to Miller.

Whether on the go the bounds of the YA format, entertaining with the wacky goings-on at Wayside school, familiarize following Marvin through the difficult shoals of third grade, Sachar "has shown himself a author of humor and heart," whilst Sutton characterized him in greatness Bulletin of the Center obey Children's Books. Fans have negation need to worry about Sachar going back to a authorized profession; as his wife Carla said in her article pine Horn Book, "Writing is monarch love." When asked by Elizabeth Farnsworth on public television's Online NewsHour what he wants readers to get out of her highness books, Sachar explained, "I wish for them to have fun.

Unrestrained want kids to think dump reading can be just restructuring much fun and more advantageous than TV or video rejoicing or whatever else they ajar. I think any other brutal of message or morals desert I might teach is minor to first just enjoying dialect trig book."