Reviews for Beneath the cloud of doom

Horn Book
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Yes, per the introductory author's note to this fourth book about the wacky elementary school, it's been forty years since the first one, Sideways Stories from Wayside School. As such, Sachar suggests readers might want to "read the other three first, wait forty years, and then read this one." Alternately, they could "just read it now." The latter is a fine option for the series's fans, who will cheer the return of Mrs. Jewls's class (absent Mrs. Gorf, Sammy the dead rat, and other menacing weirdoes--but with a handful of new ones), Louis the yard teacher, Miss Mush, and others as they are pulled under the meteorological spell of the Cloud of Doom. Kathy turns nice, Stephen strikes a gong, and Calvin delivers a long-awaited note, among other unpredictable adventures. The class tries to amass a million nail clippings (ewww); the kids keep losing their paper clips; and it all kinda-sorta comes together in the end. With its gonzo humor, nonsensical non sequiturs, and mysterious mustachioed grownups, Wayside School fans should eat this up (spaghetti and feetballs, anyone?). (c) Copyright 2021. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.


Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Rejoice! 25 years later, Wayside School is still in session, and the children in Mrs. Jewls' 30th-floor classroom haven't changed a bit.The surreal yet oddly educational nature of their misadventures hasn't either. There are out-and-out rib ticklers, such as a spelling lesson featuring made-up words and a determined class effort to collect 1 million nail clippings. Additionally, mean queen Kathy steps through a mirror that turns her weirdly nice and she discovers that she likes it, a four-way friendship survives a dumpster dive after lost homework, and Mrs. Jewls makes sure that a long-threatened "Ultimate Test" allows every student to show off a special talent. Episodic though the 30 new chapters are, there are continuing elements that bind themeven to previous outings, such as the note to an elusive teacher Calvin has been carrying since Sideways Stories From Wayside School (1978) and finally delivers. Add to that plenty of deadpan dialogue ("Arithmetic makes my brain numb," complains Dameon. "That's why they're called numb-ers,' " explains D.J.) and a wild storm from the titular cloud that shuffles the school's contents "like a deck of cards," and Sachar once again dishes up a confection as scrambled and delicious as lunch lady Miss Mush's improvised "Rainbow Stew." Diversity is primarily conveyed in the illustrations.Ordinary kids in an extraordinary setting: still a recipe for bright achievements and belly laughs. (Fiction. 9-11) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

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