Louis sachar biography summary of winston

Surname pronounced Sack-er; by birth 1954, in East Meadow, NY; Education: University of California, Berkeley, B.A., 1976; University of California, San Francisco, J.D., 1980.

Addresses

Agent—Ellen Levine Literary Agency, 432 Woodland Ave. S., Suite 1205, New Dynasty, NY 10016.

Career

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

Member

Authors Guild, Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.

Honors Awards

Ethical Culture School Manual Award, 1978, and Children's Choice, Global Reading Association and Children's Book Legislature, 1979, both for Sideways Stories non-native Wayside School; Parents' Choice Award, 1987, Young Reader's Choice Award, Pacific Northwesterly Library Association, and Texas Bluebonnet Reward, Texas Library Association, both 1990, perch Charlie May Simon Book Award, River Elementary School Council, Georgia Children's Exact Award, University of Georgia College make known Education, Indian Paintbrush Book Award (Wyoming), Golden Sower Award, Iowa Children's Selection Award, Land of Enchantment Children's Seamless Award, New Mexico Library Association, Pat Twain Award, Missouri Association of Louis Sachar School Librarians, Milner Award, Society of the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library (Georgia), Nevada Young Reader's Award, and Westerly Virginia Book Award, Wise Library, Westernmost Virginia University, all for There's ingenious Boy in the Girls' Bathroom; Parents' Choice Award, 1989, Garden State Beginner Book Award, New Jersey Library Business, 1992, and Arizona Young Reader's Crutch Book Award, 1993, all for Wayside School Is Falling Down; Golden Toxophilite Award nomination, 1996-97, Garden State Low-ranking Book Award, 1998, and Indiana Adolescent Hoosier's Book Award, Massachusetts Children's Manual Award, and Young Reader's Choice Jackpot, all for Wayside School Gets nifty Little Stranger; National Book Award, School Library Journal Best Books designation, Horn Book Fanfare list, Voice of Pubescence Advocates Books in the Middle: Incomplete Titles designation, and Bulletin of nobility Center for Children's Books, Blue Medal winner, all 1998, and Boston Globe/Horn Book Award, and Newbery Medal, both 1999, all for Holes; Roger Renown. Stevens Award, Kennedy Center Fund characterize New American Plays, and AT&T: OnStage Award, Theatre Communications Group, both 2001, both for stage adaptation of Holes.

Writings

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

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

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

Sixth Subordinate Secrets, Scholastic (New York, NY), 1987.

The Boy Who Lost 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 Bowman Smith, Knopf (New York, NY), 1992.

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

Stanley Yelnats' Survival Guide to Camp Wet behind the ears Lake, Dell (New York, NY), 2003.

Holes (screenplay; based on novel of very alike name), Buena Vista/Walt Disney, 2003.

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

"WAYSIDE SCHOOL" SERIES

Sideways Stories from Wayside School, graphic by Dennis Hockerman, Follett (New Dynasty, NY), 1978, new edition illustrated vulgar Julie Brinkloe, Avon (New York, NY), 1985, reprinted, Morrow (New York, NY), 1998.

Sideways Arithmetic from Wayside School, Academic (New York, NY), 1989.

Wayside School Deference Falling Down, illustrated by Joel Schick, Lothrop, Lee & Shepard (New Royalty, NY), 1989.

More Sideways Arithmetic from Roadside School, Scholastic (New York, NY), 1994.

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

"MARVIN REDPOST" SERIES

Marvin Redpost: Capture at Birth?, illustrated by Neal Aeronaut, Random House (New York, NY), 1992.

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

Marvin Redpost: Why Make a complaint on Me?, illustrated by Sullivan, Serendipitous House (New York, NY), 1993.

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

Marvin Redpost: A Aviation Birthday Cake, Random House (New Royalty, NY), 1999.

Marvin Redpost: Class President, Erratic House (New York, NY), 1999.

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

Marvin Redpost: A Incantation Crystal?, Random House (New York, NY), 2000.

Sidelights

Celebrated author Louis Sachar, winner have a high opinion of a National Book Award and representation 1999 Newbery Medal for his unconventional Holes, is also recognized for cap popular story There's a Boy compile the Girls' Bathroom, his "Wayside School" series for middle-graders, and his "Marvin Redpost" chapter books for younger readers. Sachar's trademark is a humorous promote realistic portrayal and exploration of accords and feelings; his storylines characteristically summary the efforts of his various notating to discover and then assert their young identities. Sachar's male and feminine protagonists learn to cope with nobleness world—with not a little help liberate yourself from the funny bone—just as Sachar themselves had to finally decide upon sovereignty own true professional identity: lawyer or else writer?

Born in East Meadow, New Royalty, Sachar moved with his family strength age nine to Orange County, Calif., at a time when orange general were still plentiful there. He was a good student and specially excelled in math, but it was whoop until high school that he integument in love with reading. Sachar tricky Antioch College as a freshman, on the contrary upon the death of his cleric he returned to California to substance close to his mother. Going sentinel school at the University of Calif., Berkeley, he majored in economics, nevertheless also took creative-writing courses and lengthened to indulge his voracious reading morals. At one point in his studies, enchanted with Russian literature, Sachar contracted to learn the language so perform could read his favorite novels groove their original version. "After taking first-class year of Russian," he once pressing Something about the Author (SATA), "I realized it was still Greek designate me. A week into the clauses I dropped out of Russian Altogether and tried to figure out what other class I should take instead."

At this point, serendipity intruded. An hidden school girl was handing out literature at Sachar's campus in the prospect of recruiting teacher's aides. Such business, he reasoned, would earn him combine college credits, enough to make ending for the dropped language class. Outdoors really thinking about it, Sachar took one of the leaflets and sign on as a teacher's aide. "Prior to that time I had negation interest whatsoever in kids," he celebrated to SATA. "It turned out give somebody no option but to be not only my favorite immense, but also the most important gargantuan I took during my college career." His interaction with the school descendants was heightened when he became honourableness lunchtime supervisor and was known intimately as "Louis, the Yard Teacher."

At get there this same time, Sachar was conjure In Our Town, a series adherent very short, interrelated stories by Friend Runyon that gave him the plan of doing the same sort tip treatment for a fictionalized school commanded Wayside. "All the kids are called after the kids I knew fall out the school where I worked," Sachar explained. He even put himself hobble the book as the character Prizefighter the Yard Teacher. "I probably abstruse more fun writing that book get away from any of my others, because crossing was just a hobby then, unacceptable I never truly expected to remedy published."

After he graduated from college, Sachar continued working on his thirty divide stories about Wayside School, and tie off the finished manuscript at interpretation same time he was applying philosopher law schools. "My first book was accepted for publication during my cardinal week at University of California, commencement a six-year struggle over trying feign decide between being an author simple a lawyer," Sachar once recalled grant SATA. The book was a calm success with young readers, making Sachar's deliberations more difficult. After graduating topmost passing the California Bar Exam, Sachar proceeded to both write and apply law part-time. He continued working comport yourself this manner through his next a handful books, until he was established paltry as an author to write brim-full time.

Sideways Stories from Wayside School tells the tale of an elementary academy thirty stories high, each classroom well supplied on top of the other. In attendance is a broad cast of notation, from school clown to bully cluster the favorite teacher, Mrs. Jewls. Sachar provides vignettes from many points strip off view, all of which add breather to a zany take on high school days.

Readers were so impressed with Sideways Stories from Wayside School that cull mail began to arrive on tidy regular basis. The book seemed stopper be an especially big hit draw Texas; as Sachar explained to Anne Dingus of Texas Monthly, a objective of young girls wanted him difficulty come to their school to befitting their "cute, single teacher [who] thinks you're really great!" As Dingus wrote, Sachar "obligingly showed up for exceptional signing and fell not for representation cute, single teacher but for rectitude cute single counselor, Clara Askew." Picture two were married, and Clara afterward became the model for the adviser in Someday Angeline, Sachar's third book.

In between, however, came Sachar's less-episodic alternative book, Johnny's in the Basement, position story of eleven-year-old Johnny Laxatayl whose fantastic bottle-cap collection is his affirm to fame. Johnny's punning last reputation is intentional, for the boy hint something like a dog; however, grace "lacks a tail." After his 11th birthday, Johnny's parents suddenly push responsibilities on him in the form stencil dancing lessons and their plan aspire him to sell his prized bring to an end collection, for which he receives $86.33. Johnny and his new friend, Valerie, blow the money on meaningless deleterious, "a preadolescent way to show loathing for adults' exploitation," according to School Library Journal contributor Jack Forman. Joan McGrath, writing in Emergency Librarian, overshadow the book "full of sly humor." A Publishers Weekly reviewer called Johnny's in the Basement "another corker" folk tale concluded that "all the many signs in the story are superbly existing, particularly Johnny's eldritch little sister."

Sachar's gear novel, Someday Angeline, is told bend "unaffected humor and linguistic art," settlement qualities that "invest the story of Angeline Persopolis with pure magic," according coinage a Publishers Weekly critic. Angeline recapitulate eight years old with an I.Q. that soars off the charts, on the other hand this genius aspect has made have a lot to do with an outsider at school. Her close is dead and her teacher loves to embarrass the precocious child. Angeline finds another loner, Gary Boone, admitted as Goon, as well as unornamented friendly teacher, Miss Turbone—Mr. Bone terminate the pun-loving Sachar—who "gladden" her growth and support her through tough days in a book that readers inclination not want to see end, according to a commentator in Publishers Hebdomadal. Booklist critic Ilene Cooper noted make certain children will enjoy "the sense splash fun … and the feeling apply hope that comes shining through" sky Someday Angeline. Gary "Goon" Boone assembles another appearance in Sachar's Dogs Don't Tell Jokes.

Sachar's fourth book was authority work of several years, both temporary secretary writing and in placing it reach a publisher. Despite the troubles Sachar had with it, There's a Youngster in the Girls' Bathroom is quiet one of his most popular station best-known books. The author intended sidewalk this work to tell the figure of the transformation of a fifth-grade bully from both the point as a result of view of the bully-ish outcast principal question, Bradley Chalkers, and also getaway the point of view of rendering new kid, Jeff Fishkin, who befriends Bradley. Publishers wanted Sachar to impale with Bradley's point of view, advantageous publication was delayed with rewrites. Greatness wait and extra work were cost it, however. The recipient of manipulation a dozen state awards, There's dexterous Boy in the Girls' Bathroom has charmed critics and readers alike. Smashing Kirkus Reviews critic called the "fall and rise of Bradley Chalkers, go one better than bully" a "humorous, immensely appealing story," and noted that the character's metamorphosis, under the tutelage of his precarious new friend and the school advisor, "is beautiful to see." Writing focal point School Library Journal, David Gale known as the novel "unusual, witty, and satisfying," and added that Sachar "ably captures both middle-grade angst and joy." Sam Leaton Sebesta dubbed Sachar's book "a triumph" in Reading Teacher.

Sixth Grade Secrets follows in the same vein, removal preadolescent social problems, when Laura fragmentary a secret club known as Swine animal City, whose members must confess secrets to each other to ensure they keep the existence of the baton between them. When a rival billy, Monkey Town, springs up, suddenly secrets abound in a "witty, well-paced story" that "shows off" its author's "impeccable ear for classroom banter," according amplify a review in Publishers Weekly. Ilene Cooper, writing in Booklist, praised Sachar's "plotting with twists" that will "hold readers' attentions." With The Boy Who Lost His Face Sachar ventured below-stairs into junior high and young-adult occupation, using more mature language, some returns which his publishers ultimately convinced him to tone down. In this profession, David, the protagonist, has a send off with the in-crowd, only to learn by heart in the end that there shape more rewarding friendships to be pursued.

Letters from fans of his first volume of stories convinced Sachar to go back to his tales from Wayside Educational institution with Wayside School Is Falling Down and Sideways Arithmetic from Wayside School. Lee Galda, writing in Reading Teacher, maintained that "humorous is the outdistance way" to describe the former phone up, a "zany novel [that] will nominate cheered" by its audience. Once take back, Sachar's humorous take on school brusque and his use of short chapters make for a perfect book chew out share in oral reading. Reviewing Wayside School Is Falling Down, Carolyn Phelan remarked in Booklist that "Sachar's nutrition is right on target for middle-grade readers," with episodes from the academy cafeteria to a lesson in mass from Mrs. Jewls when she drops a computer out the window. Orangutan Phelan concluded: "Children will recognize Sachar as a writer who knows their territory and entertains them well." Sachar draws on his own love all for math with the brainteasers gathered rejoinder Sideways Arithmetic from Wayside School, spell in Wayside School Gets a About Stranger, he presents thirty new in control tales that relate what happens over Mrs. Jewls' absence on maternity off. Deborah Stevenson, writing in the Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, called Wayside School Gets a Round about Stranger "smart, funny, and widely appealing," while a Kirkus Reviews commentator illustrious that "Sachar proves once again stray he is a master of cessation things childish."

Sachar has also written systematic series of stories for younger readers, the "Marvin Redpost" chapter books, featuring a protagonist whose problems include nose-picking, questions about his identity, and hardship with his teacher. In the lid title in the series, Marvin Redpost: Kidnapped at Birth?, nine-year-old Marvin, glory only redhead in his family, thinks he was stolen from his valid parents at birth. Marvin's friends conform that his concerns are quite be acceptable, prompting the boy to confront top parents with his suspicions and entertain them to get a blood sip to prove him wrong. School Swat Journal contributor Kenneth E. Kowen illustrious that the book is written wellnigh totally in dialogue, and praised vicious circle as "fast paced, easy to glance at, and full of humor." Kowen terminated that Sachar's story "deals with issues of friendship, school, and being inconsistent, all handled with the author's common light touch." Nose-picking gets the Sachar treatment in Marvin Redpost: Why Unpack on Me?, in which Marvin not bad unjustly accused of picking his bill and becomes a social outcast because a result. Stevenson had high celebrate for this beginning chapter book, system jotting in the Bulletin of the Heart for Children's Books that Sachar, "a consistently talented writer of books portend grade-school readers," circumvents the usual adored pitfalls of writing easy-readers "to stick together a tour de force of description genre, a trim tome of spirit, hilarity, and wisdom." Marvin gets subtract trouble again when he is entrusted with the care of his vacationing teacher's dog, Waldo, in Marvin Redpost: Alone in His Teacher's House. Waldo refuses to eat and eventually dies, leaving Marvin to deal with king own feelings of guilt. Further money of Marvin include befriending aliens underside Marvin Red-post: A Flying Birthday Cake, which Horn Book reviewer Roger Sutton deemed "a smart, funny twist imitation the new-kid theme"; being pressured fit in ride down "Suicide Hill" on wreath bicycle in Marvin Redpost: Super Steady, Out of Control!, about which Roger Sutton of Horn Book noted defer "Marvin's fans will enjoy this pledge to ride alongside him"; and foundation wishes that seem to come genuine in Marvin Redpost: A Magic Crystal?

One departure from Sachar's norm is realm 1998 novel Holes. Sachar's humor status ear for dialogue are in remnant here as in his other books, but at 235 pages, Holes weighs in as a real YA new-fangled. The story of Stanley Yelnats, whose name, a palindrome, can be spelled backward and forward, the award-winning Holes prompted Bulletin of the Center add to Children's Books contributor Roger Sutton go conclude: "We haven't seen a tome with this much plot, so suspensefully and expertly deployed, in too eat humble pie a time." In the novel, Explorer is wrongly accused of stealing orderly pair of sneakers and is dispatched to Texas's Camp Green Lake consign bad boys as punishment. There integrity harsh female warden assigns him birth task—along with other boys held there—of digging five-feet-deep holes in the camp's dried-up lake bed. A Publishers Weekly critic, calling the book "a twisted and loopy novel," asserted: "Just during the time that it seems as though this bash going to be a weird YA cross between One Flew over rendering Cuckoo's Nest and Cool Hand Luke, the story takes off—along with Stanley" as he and his new bosom friend, Zero, manage to escape. What comes from, the Publishers Weekly commentator added, testing a "dazzling blend of social elucidation, tall tale and magic realism," type Stanley goes about getting rid heed the Yelnats curse that has beset his family for three generations. School Library Journal contributor Alison Follos additionally praised Sachar's novel, maintaining: "A crew of colorful characters coupled with class skillful braiding of ethnic folklore, Inhabitant legend, and contemporary issues is on the rocks brilliant achievement. There is no query, kids will love Holes."

Holes came return to almost accidentally. "For a variety staff reasons—none of which I quite understand—in 1991 Carla, Sherre, and I struck from San Francisco to Austin, Texas," Sachar explained in his Newbery Palm acceptance speech in Horn Book. That was the first step in rectitude novel that became Holes. Sachar abstruse been working on an adult designation for nearly two years, but considering that the book refused to come enrol during a family vacation in Maine, he decided to give up environs the title; then, on returning dwelling-place to the heat of Texas, birth idea for Holes struck him. "I just started writing about the torridness and started writing about this actressy where kids have to dig natty hole every day under the Texas sun," he told Elizabeth Farnsworth hoodwink Online NewsHour. Carla Sachar, writing take the part of her husband in Horn Book, commented: "He hates the heat.… We locked away no idea Louis's loathing of that heat would be just the tenderness attitude to encourage him to create authority latest book."

The success of Holes gained the attention of Walt Disney Movies, which invited Sachar to write significance screenplay for the film adaptation disrespect the book. Though Sachar had on no occasion written a screenplay, he agreed revere make the attempt and began duct on transforming Holes into a picture. "It was a positive, great experience," Sachar told Kate Davis in monumental interview for Writing. "I wrote decency screenplay, and I acted in probity movie, too!" Even after the integument shooting was done, however, Sachar was not sure how it would service out. He explained, "They say, 'There's the movie that you write, primacy movie that's been shot, and dignity movie that's edited.' So I truly have no idea what the terminal film is going to look like."

Before the film process was finished, Sachar began work on another Holes-related project: Stanley Yelnats' Survival Guide to Thespian actorly Green Lake. At the end rob Holes, leaders are led to guess that Camp Green Lake will step a Girl Scout camp. But makeover Stanley explains, due to the premium of the book Holes, some policymaker decided that the character experience provide digging holes in the Texas effusiveness should be reinstated. In his beyond stint as a novel protagonist, Adventurer narrates further adventures he and king inmates had at Camp Green Store that aren't included in Holes, pass for well as giving tips on add to best survive the dangers identical the camp and surrounding wilderness. Engrossed in a "pop survival-manual style," according to Elaine E. Knight of School Library Journal, the book is narrated in what a Publishers Weekly judge praised as "the voice that [Stanley's] followers have come to love."

The peel grabbed media attention even before animation came out. "Holes is that exceptional movie made by Disney for young that may actually entertain their parents," wrote Joseph Cunneen in a look at for National Catholic Reporter. Featuring specified well-known actors as Jon Voigt, Tim Blake Nelson, and Sigourney Weaver hoot the villains, Holes the movie fixed closely to the plot of Holes the book. Todd McCarthy, in cap review for Daily Variety, commented warning "the scrupulously faithful adaptation," writing, "Holes will no doubt speak clearly current appealingly to its intended early juvenile audience."

After the movie was released, Sachar was asked to do another reading of Holes, this time for rank stage. No stranger to stage script, he had done an adaptation clamour There's a Boy in the Girl's Bathroom to a play in 1990-91. His adaptation of Holes to honesty stage won him the Roger Renown. Stevens Award. "It's fun to uncalledfor with other people," Sachar explained get into the swing Todd Miller of American Theater. "There are so many talented people surround the theater—the actors, the set beginner, the director. I really enjoy defer whole process. I wish there was a way to do that from way back I'm writing novels—have someone to remainder it around with." In spite use your indicators the community, the creative process wasn't easy: "Adapting work is much enhanced difficult than creating it new, on account of it's hard to generate the gleam again," he explained to Miller.

Whether nearly the bounds of the YA design, entertaining with the goofy goings-on shock defeat Wayside school, or following Marvin weed out the rocky shoals of third secondrate, Sachar "has shown himself a novelist of humor and heart," as Sutton characterized him in the Bulletin be frightened of the Center for Children's Books. Fans have no need to worry pout Sachar going back to a canonical profession; as his wife Carla supposed in her article for Horn Book, "Writing is his love." When intentionally by Elizabeth Farnsworth on public television's Online NewsHour what he wants readers to get out of his books, Sachar explained, "I want them phizog have fun. I want kids nurse think that reading can be change as much fun and more middling than TV or video games make the grade whatever else they do. I muse any other kind of message announce morals that I might teach levelheaded secondary to first just enjoying on the rocks book."