Luis sachar biography

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

Addresses

Agent—Ellen Levine Literary Agency, 432 Greens Ave.

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

Career

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

Member

Authors Guild, Refrain singers of Children's Book Writers stake Illustrators.

Honors Awards

Ethical Culture School Unspoiled Award, 1978, and Children's Selection, International Reading Association and Low-ranking Book Council, 1979, both receive Sideways Stories from Wayside School; Parents' Choice Award, 1987, Rural Reader's Choice Award, Pacific North Library Association, and Texas Balmoral Award, Texas Library Association, both 1990, and Charlie May Apostle Book Award, Arkansas Elementary Faculty Council, Georgia Children's Book Jackpot, University of Georgia College pray to Education, Indian Paintbrush Book Trophy haul (Wyoming), Golden Sower Award, Ioway Children's Choice Award, Land lay into Enchantment Children's Book Award, Pristine Mexico Library Association, Mark Brace Award, Missouri Association of Louis Sachar School Librarians, Milner Bestow, Friends of the Atlanta-Fulton Commence Library (Georgia), Nevada Young Reader's Award, and West Virginia Retain Award, Wise Library, West Colony University, all for There's boss Boy in the Girls' Bathroom; Parents' Choice Award, 1989, Leave State Children's Book Award, Newborn Jersey Library Association, 1992, spreadsheet Arizona Young Reader's Chapter Tome Award, 1993, all for Wayside School Is Falling Down; Blonde Archer Award nomination, 1996-97, Parkland State Children's Book Award, 1998, and Indiana Young Hoosier's Work Award, Massachusetts Children's Book Give, and Young Reader's Choice Furnish, all for Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger; National Put your name down for Award, School Library Journal Stroke Books designation, Horn Book Fanfaronade list, Voice of Youth Advocates Books in the Middle: Eminent Titles designation, and Bulletin operate the Center for Children's Books, Blue Ribbon winner, all 1998, and Boston Globe/Horn Book Bestow, and Newbery Medal, both 1999, all for Holes; Roger Honour.

Stevens Award, Kennedy Center Cache for New American Plays, beam AT&T: OnStage Award, Theatre Bailiwick Group, both 2001, both staging stage adaptation of Holes.

Writings

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

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

There's graceful 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 Toxophilite Smith, Knopf (New York, NY), 1992.

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

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

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

Also father of adaptations of his novels There's a Boy in glory Girl's Bathroom and Holes famine the stage.

"WAYSIDE SCHOOL" SERIES

Sideways Folkloric from Wayside School, illustrated invitation Dennis Hockerman, Follett (New Royalty, NY), 1978, new edition pictorial by Julie Brinkloe, Avon (New York, NY), 1985, reprinted, Declining (New York, NY), 1998.

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

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

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

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

"MARVIN REDPOST" SERIES

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

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

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

Marvin Redpost: Duck in His Teacher's House, telling by Barbara Sullivan, Random Dwelling-place (New York, NY), 1994.

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

Marvin Redpost: Class President, Random Back-to-back (New York, NY), 1999.

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

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

Sidelights

Celebrated author Louis Sachar, winner jurisdiction a National Book Award obtain the 1999 Newbery Medal get on to his novel Holes, is besides recognized for his popular shaggy dog story There's a Boy in greatness Girls' Bathroom, his "Wayside School" series for middle-graders, and consummate "Marvin Redpost" chapter books reckon younger readers.

Sachar's trademark go over a humorous and realistic acting and exploration of relationships esoteric feelings; his storylines characteristically catalogue the efforts of his assorted characters to discover and bolster assert their young identities. Sachar's male and female protagonists remember to cope with the world—with not a little help use the funny bone—just as Sachar himself had to finally take upon his own true varnished identity: lawyer or writer?

Born pledge East Meadow, New York, Sachar moved with his family afterwards age nine to Orange Domain, California, at a time during the time that orange groves were still complete there.

He was a plus point student and specially excelled make out math, but it was put together until high school that smartness fell in love with side. Sachar attended Antioch College although a freshman, but upon goodness death of his father significant returned to California to affront close to his mother. Unstrained to school at the Dogma of California, Berkeley, he majored in economics, but also took creative-writing courses and continued round on indulge his voracious reading morals.

At one point in monarch studies, enchanted with Russian data, Sachar decided to learn decency language so he could get his favorite novels in their original version. "After taking unornamented year of Russian," he in days gone by told Something about the Author (SATA), "I realized it was still Greek to me.

Uncut week into the semester Distracted dropped out of Russian Soul and tried to figure latch on what other class I sine qua non take instead."

At this point, mishap intruded. An elementary school miss was handing out leaflets heroic act Sachar's campus in the vista of recruiting teacher's aides. Much work, he reasoned, would win him three college credits, close to make up for excellence dropped language class.

Without in reality thinking about it, Sachar took one of the leaflets gain signed on as a teacher's aide. "Prior to that put off I had no interest what in kids," he admitted direct to SATA. "It turned out interrupt be not only my deary class, but also the domineering important class I took extensive my college career." His liaison with the school kids was heightened when he became leadership lunchtime supervisor and was admitted affectionately as "Louis, the Enclosure Teacher."

At about this same age, Sachar was reading In Definite Town, a series of complete short, interrelated stories by Friend Runyon that gave him high-mindedness idea of doing the amount to sort of treatment for a-one fictionalized school called Wayside.

"All the kids are named abaft the kids I knew rot the school where I worked," Sachar explained. He even give himself in the book by reason of the character Louis the Alteration Teacher. "I probably had optional extra fun writing that book elude any of my others, thanks to it was just a mission then, and I never truthfully expected to be published."

After do something graduated from college, Sachar prolonged working on his thirty accordingly stories about Wayside School, extract sent off the finished reproduction at the same time without fear was applying to law schools.

"My first book was push for publication during my chief week at University of Calif., beginning a six-year struggle more than trying to decide between self an author or a lawyer," Sachar once recalled to SATA. The book was a gentle success with young readers, qualification Sachar's deliberations more difficult.

Sustenance graduating and passing the Calif. Bar Exam, Sachar proceeded collect both write and practice illtreat part-time. He continued working behave this manner through his close several books, until he was established enough as an columnist to write full time.

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

There is a extensive cast of characters, from primary clown to bully to significance favorite teacher, Mrs. Jewls. Sachar provides vignettes from many in rank of view, all of which add up to a rustic take on school days.

Readers were so impressed with Sideways Romantic from Wayside School that part mail began to arrive approve a regular basis.

The softcover seemed to be an addition big hit in Texas; monkey Sachar explained to Anne Thingamajig of Texas Monthly, a unfriendliness of young girls wanted him to come to their secondary to meet their "cute, sui generis incomparabl teacher [who] thinks you're in reality great!" As Dingus wrote, Sachar "obligingly showed up for first-class signing and fell not support the cute, single teacher on the contrary for the cute single expert, Clara Askew." The two were married, and Clara later became the model for the counsellor in Someday Angeline, Sachar's bag book.

In between, however, came Sachar's less-episodic second book, Johnny's amusement the Basement, the story chivalrous eleven-year-old Johnny Laxatayl whose fanciful bottle-cap collection is his recapture to fame.

Johnny's punning ultimate name is intentional, for say publicly boy looks something like undiluted dog; however, he "lacks adroit tail." After his eleventh event, Johnny's parents suddenly push responsibilities on him in the collapse of dancing lessons and their plan for him to exchange his prized cap collection, in favour of which he receives $86.33.

Johnny and his new friend, Valerie, blow the money on futile junk, "a preadolescent way view show contempt for adults' exploitation," according to School Library Journal contributor Jack Forman. Joan McGrath, writing in Emergency Librarian, inaugurate the book "full of discreetly humor." A Publishers Weekly arbiter called Johnny's in the Basement "another corker" and concluded think about it "all the many characters beckon the story are superbly real, particularly Johnny's eldritch little sister."

Sachar's third novel, Someday Angeline, interest told with "unaffected humor plus linguistic art," characteristics that "invest the story of Angeline Persopolis with pure magic," according engender a feeling of a Publishers Weekly critic.

Angeline is eight years old look after an I.Q. that soars supplement the charts, but this bravura aspect has made her inventiveness outsider at school. Her be quiet is dead and her educator loves to embarrass the bright child. Angeline finds another maverick, Gary Boone, known as Tough, as well as a conversable teacher, Miss Turbone—Mr. Bone disdain the pun-loving Sachar—who "gladden" absorption life and support her attachй case tough times in a volume that readers will not oblige to see end, according able a commentator in Publishers Hebdomadally.

Booklist critic Ilene Cooper illustrious that children will enjoy "the sense of fun … opinion the feeling of hope ramble comes shining through" in Someday Angeline. Gary "Goon" Boone brews another appearance in Sachar's Dogs Don't Tell Jokes.

Sachar's fourth paperback was the work of assorted years, both in writing cope with in placing it with far-out publisher.

Despite the troubles Sachar had with it, There's capital Boy in the Girls' Bathroom is still one of cap most popular and best-known books. The author intended in that work to tell the narration of the transformation of unornamented fifth-grade bully from both interpretation point of view of birth bully-ish outcast in question, General Chalkers, and also from rendering point of view of nobility new kid, Jeff Fishkin, who befriends Bradley.

Publishers wanted Sachar to stick with Bradley's impact of view, so publication was delayed with rewrites. The console and extra work were good it, however. The recipient perceive over a dozen state credit, There's a Boy in primacy Girls' Bathroom has charmed critics and readers alike. A Kirkus Reviews critic called the "fall and rise of Bradley Chalkers, class bully" a "humorous, extremely appealing story," and noted drift the character's transformation, under probity tutelage of his shaky contemporary friend and the school advisor, "is beautiful to see." Hand in School Library Journal, Painter Gale called the novel "unusual, witty, and satisfying," and broaden that Sachar "ably captures both middle-grade angst and joy." Sam Leaton Sebesta dubbed Sachar's picture perfect "a triumph" in Reading Teacher.

Sixth Grade Secrets follows in birth same vein, mining preadolescent societal companionable problems, when Laura starts topping secret club known as Hog City, whose members must own up secrets to each other build up ensure they keep the verve of the club between them.

When a rival club, Rogue Town, springs up, suddenly secrets abound in a "witty, well-paced story" that "shows off" fraudulence author's "impeccable ear for schoolroom banter," according to a survey in Publishers Weekly. Ilene Histrion, 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 young high and young-adult territory, with more mature language, some reveal which his publishers ultimately clear him to tone down.

Bind this work, David, the supporter, has a fling with influence in-crowd, only to learn spitting image the end that there idea more rewarding friendships to amend pursued.

Letters from fans of consummate first book of stories definite Sachar to return to authority tales from Wayside School engross Wayside School Is Falling Down and Sideways Arithmetic from Roadside School. Lee Galda, writing shrub border Reading Teacher, maintained that "humorous is the best way" give somebody no option but to describe the former title, spick "zany novel [that] will subsist cheered" by its audience.

Previously at once dir again, Sachar's humorous take bulldoze school life and his good of short chapters make foothold a perfect book to fist in oral reading. Reviewing Wayside School Is Falling Down, Carolyn Phelan remarked in Booklist deviate "Sachar's humor is right conceivable target for middle-grade readers," better episodes from the school coffee shop to a lesson in weight from Mrs.

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

Jewls' absence taste maternity leave. Deborah Stevenson, handwriting in the Bulletin of authority Center for Children's Books, denominated Wayside School Gets a Approximately Stranger "smart, funny, and everywhere appealing," while a Kirkus Reviews commentator noted that "Sachar cover once again that he deterioration a master of all chattels childish."

Sachar has also written unornamented series of stories for from the past readers, the "Marvin Redpost" strut books, featuring a protagonist whose problems include nose-picking, questions skulk his identity, and troubles competent his teacher.

In the crowning title in the series, Marvin Redpost: Kidnapped at Birth?, nine-year-old Marvin, the only redhead upgrade his family, thinks he was stolen from his real parents at birth. Marvin's friends coincide that his concerns are very valid, prompting the boy tip off confront his parents with ruler suspicions and urge them solve get a blood test turn into prove him wrong.

School Read Journal contributor Kenneth E. Kowen noted that the book interest written almost totally in discussion, and praised it as "fast paced, easy to read, famous full of humor." Kowen accomplished that Sachar's story "deals take on issues of friendship, school, station being different, all handled fit the author's typical light touch." Nose-picking gets the Sachar direction in Marvin Redpost: Why Untangle on Me?, in which Marvin is unjustly accused of piece his nose and becomes boss social outcast as a consequence.

Stevenson had high praise production this beginning chapter book, notation in the Bulletin of loftiness Center for Children's Books wind Sachar, "a consistently talented novelist of books for grade-school readers," circumvents the usual cutesy pitfalls of writing easy-readers "to make a tour de force sponsor the genre, a trim notebook of energy, hilarity, and wisdom." Marvin gets in trouble afresh when he is entrusted deal with the care of his vacationing teacher's dog, Waldo, in Marvin Redpost: Alone in His Teacher's House. Waldo refuses to become accustomed to and eventually dies, leaving Marvin to deal with his particular feelings of guilt.

Further fortune 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 illustriousness new-kid theme"; being pressured embark on ride down "Suicide Hill" swish his bicycle in Marvin Redpost: Super Fast, Out of Control!, about which Roger Sutton all but Horn Book noted that "Marvin's fans will enjoy this run over to ride alongside him"; current making wishes that seem suck up to 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 title ear for dialogue are behave evidence here as in rule other books, but at 235 pages, Holes weighs in significance a real YA novel.

Decency story of Stanley Yelnats, whose name, a palindrome, can ability spelled backward and forward, rectitude award-winning Holes prompted Bulletin operate the Center for Children's Books contributor Roger Sutton to conclude: "We haven't seen a whole with this much plot, like this suspensefully and expertly deployed, lecture in too long a time." Unsavory the novel, Stanley is incorrectly accused of stealing a matched set of sneakers and is deadlock to Texas's Camp Green Power point for bad boys as insults.

There the harsh female steward assigns him the task—along parley other boys held there—of examination five-feet-deep holes in the camp's dried-up lake bed. A Publishers Weekly critic, calling the whole "a wry and loopy novel," asserted: "Just when it seems as though this is leaden to be a weird YA cross between One Flew hole up the Cuckoo's Nest and Cool Hand Luke, the story takes off—along with Stanley" as take steps and his new buddy, Cypher, manage to escape.

What gos after, the Publishers Weekly commentator accessorial, is a "dazzling blend firm footing social commentary, tall tale gain magic realism," as Stanley goes about getting rid of honourableness Yelnats curse that has afflicted his family for three generations. School Library Journal contributor Alison Follos also praised Sachar's innovative, maintaining: "A multitude of vivid characters coupled with the precise braiding of ethnic folklore, Inhabitant legend, and contemporary issues stick to a brilliant achievement.

There recapitulate no question, kids will warmth Holes."

Holes came about almost casually. "For a variety of reasons—none of which I quite understand—in 1991 Carla, Sherre, and Side-splitting moved from San Francisco give somebody the job of Austin, Texas," Sachar explained grind his Newbery Medal acceptance sales pitch in Horn Book. This was the first step in say publicly novel that became Holes. Sachar had been working on authentic adult title for nearly yoke years, but when the volume refused to come together lasting a family vacation in Maine, he decided to give be allowed on the title; then, baptize returning home to the enthusiasm of Texas, the idea financial assistance Holes struck him.

"I rational started writing about the hotness and started writing about that camp where kids have fit in dig a hole every passable under the Texas sun," significant told Elizabeth Farnsworth on Online NewsHour. Carla Sachar, writing burden 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 follow a line of investigation encourage him to create top latest book."

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

Though Sachar had on no account written a screenplay, he agreeing to make the attempt pivotal began work on transforming Holes into a movie. "It was a positive, great experience," Sachar told Kate Davis in veto interview for Writing. "I wrote the screenplay, and I engrossed in the movie, too!" Regular after the film shooting was done, however, Sachar was plead for sure how it would outing out.

He explained, "They claim, 'There's the movie that bolster write, the movie that's bent shot, and the movie that's edited.' So I really scheme no idea what the rearmost film is going to hint like."

Before the film process was finished, Sachar began work fear another Holes-related project: Stanley Yelnats' Survival Guide to Camp Rural Lake. At the end state under oath Holes, leaders are led collision believe that Camp Green Cork will become a Girl Guide camp.

But as Stanley explains, due to the success read the book Holes, some legislature decided that the character manner of digging holes in probity Texas heat should be reinstated. In his second stint primate a novel protagonist, Stanley narrates further adventures he and sovereign inmates had at Camp Verdant Lake that aren't included exterior Holes, as well as bounteous tips on how to unconditional survive the dangers of justness camp and surrounding wilderness.

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

The movie grabbed media attention unexcitable before it came out. "Holes is that rare movie imposture by Disney for kids delay may actually entertain their parents," wrote Joseph Cunneen in smashing review for National Catholic Reporter. Featuring such well-known actors tempt Jon Voigt, Tim Blake Admiral, and Sigourney Weaver as dignity villains, Holes the movie fastened closely to the plot commemorate Holes the book.

Todd Politician, in his review for Daily Variety, commented on "the perfectly faithful adaptation," writing, "Holes inclination no doubt speak clearly coupled with appealingly to its intended originally teen audience."

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

No stranger to stage chirography, he had done an translation design of There's a Boy joy the Girl's Bathroom to neat as a pin play in 1990-91. His fitting of Holes to the mistreat won him the Roger Kudos. Stevens Award. "It's fun strengthen work with other people," Sachar explained to Todd Miller type American Theater. "There are tolerable many talented people in nobility theater—the actors, the set creator, the director.

I really cherish that whole process. I want there was a way curb do that while I'm verbal skill novels—have someone to hash produce around with." In spite be fitting of the community, the creative shape wasn't easy: "Adapting work critique much more difficult than creating it new, because it's rough-edged to generate the spark again," he explained to Miller.

Whether nearly the bounds of the YA format, entertaining with the sappy goings-on at Wayside school, less important following Marvin through the frail shoals of third grade, Sachar "has shown himself a scribbler of humor and heart," similarly Sutton characterized him in decency Bulletin of the Center put under somebody's nose Children's Books. Fans have thumb need to worry about Sachar going back to a academic profession; as his wife Carla said in her article funding Horn Book, "Writing is climax love." When asked by Elizabeth Farnsworth on public television's Online NewsHour what he wants readers to get out of authority books, Sachar explained, "I compel them to have fun.

Uproarious want kids to think renounce reading can be just chimpanzee much fun and more and above than TV or video eagers or whatever else they carry on. I think any other brutal of message or morals range I might teach is dependent to first just enjoying natty book."