Published in 1989 by Louis Sachar, Wayside School Is Falling Down is a middle-grade short story cycle with elements of fantasy and absurd humor. Each loosely interconnected story focuses on a different character at the eccentric Wayside School. As the tapestry of stories unfolds, the characters’ quirky behavior and ridiculous predicaments reflect a broader emphasis on celebrating individual freedom and demonstrating the resulting absurdities that such freedom can cause. Wayside School Is Falling Down won the 1989 Parents’ Choice Award, the 1992 Garden State Children's Book Award, and the 1993 Arizona Young Reader's Chapter Book Award.

This study guide refers to the 1989 paperback edition published by HarperCollins Children’s Books.

Content Warning: The source text uses outdated and offensive terms for unhoused people and the Romani culture, replicated in this guide in direct quotes only. In addition, as an older text, Wayside School Is Falling Down makes occasional references to mild gender-based aggressions that are no longer considered acceptable.

Plot Summaries

The stories in Wayside School Is Falling Down can be read individually or out of order, for although they feature the same characters and setting, they have separate plots that can easily stand alone, for each story focuses on a different character and situation. However, some of the collection’s humor builds from story to story, for the author makes key references to previous stories, along with callback jokes, repetitions of certain ideas, and allusions to earlier incidents.

“A Package for Mrs. Jewls,” the collection’s first story, focuses on Louis, the yard teacher, and his struggle to deliver a heavy package to Mrs. Jewls’s classroom. When he finally delivers the package, it is revealed to be a brand-new computer. Mrs. Jewls drops it from her classroom window to demonstrate the concept of gravity to her students.

“Mark Miller” details Benjamin Nushmutt’s first morning in Mrs. Jewls’s class. Mrs. Jewls is convinced that Benjamin’s name is Mark Miller, and Benjamin does not find a good way to correct her mistake; by the end of the story, he is still going by the name of Mark Miller.

In “Bebe’s Baby Brother,” Mrs. Jewls admonishes Bebe for the rude and insulting comments written on her homework. Bebe claims that the rude insults to Mrs. Jewls are the work of her younger brother, Ray. Mrs. Jewls calls Bebe’s mother, who has no idea who “Ray” is.

“Homework” reveals why the students in Mrs. Jewls’s class have so much homework. Despite Mrs. Jewls’s best efforts to keep them on track, they often take up class time with unhelpful digressions. The chief offender is Mac, who constantly interrupts with irrelevant stories.

“Another Story About Socks” describes the visit of a “hobo” named Bob to Mrs. Jewls’s class. Bob tells the students that he once won a school spelling bee, but on that day he was wearing no socks. After Bob leaves, Mrs. Jewls tries to start the class’s weekly spelling test, but she must pause while all the children remove their socks.

In “Pigtails,” Paul has recently given up pulling the pigtails of a girl named Leslie because she hates it so much. When Paul falls out the classroom window, Leslie is the only one who can save him. She leans out the window and uses her pigtails to pull him to safety.

“Freedom” is the story of Myron’s decision to escape from the constant rules that govern his life as an elementary-school student. He braves the school basement, where he encounters three strange men who ask him whether he wants to be safe or free. When Myron chooses freedom, they have him sign a cryptic document, after which they pronounce him free.

“The Best Part” describes the antics that ensue when Todd, a student who is always getting into undeserved trouble with Mrs. Jewls, brings a toy puppy to school. Joy tries to steal the toy twice, but on her second attempt, the toy dog bites her. Todd says that this is the best part of what the toy can do.

“Mush” describes a day in the cafeteria when Ron is brave enough to eat Miss Mush’s Mushroom Surprise. The “surprise” is that when he swallows the first bite, he flushes and begins to shake. His eyes change color, and he is compelled to kiss Deedee. Immediately afterward, he has no memory of having done so. Just as he prepares to take another bite, Mrs. Jewls approaches his table.

In “Music,” Benjamin Nushmutt tries once again to tell Mrs. Jewls his real name, but he chooses a bad moment for the attempt. The class is playing instruments loudly, and every time Mrs. Jewls asks Benjamin to speak more loudly, the class thinks that she is asking them to play more loudly. Benjamin gives up once again.

“Kathy and D.J.” focuses on an interaction between D.J., who is ordinarily a very happy person, and Kathy, who dislikes him because he is so happy. D.J. is upset about losing his great-grandfather’s watch. As Kathy gleefully tries to make him feel even worse, she inadvertently cheers him up.

“Pencil” describes Jason’s constant pencil chewing and Mrs. Jewls’s unusual solution. She tapes Jason’s mouth closed and is proud of solving the pencil-chewing problem; she is also pleasantly surprised by how quiet Jason becomes.

In “A Giggle Box, a Leaky Faucet, and a Foghorn,” Dana is teased by the other students for her extreme emotional reactions to stories. She is comforted when Mrs. Jewls explains that Dana’s reaction simply means that she loves stories. Mrs. Jewls wishes that more of her students were like Dana.

In “Calvin’s Big Decision,” Calvin’s parents have agreed to let him get a tattoo for his birthday. After considering many options, he elects to have a small potato tattooed on his ankle.

In “She’s Back!” Deedee believes that she sees Mrs. Gorf, the mean teacher who taught her class before Mrs. Jewls. After Louis gets Deedee to agree that she must be imagining things, the narrative reveals that underneath the monkey bars, next to Deedee’s footprints, there is also a set of adult footprints.

“Love and a Dead Rat” tells the story of Dameon, who tries to disguise his crush on Mrs. Jewls by playing a prank on her involving a dead rat. At the end of the story, Mrs. Jewls explains to Dameon that she has enough love for both her husband and her students, and Dameon feels much better.

“What?” tells the story of what happens on the day that Jenny is late for school because she was reluctant to drink her prune juice at breakfast. She arrives feeling nauseous, reads a story, and vomits purple juice.

“The Substitute” brings a temporary teacher, Mrs. Franklin, to Mrs. Jewls’s classroom. Benjamin Nushmutt tells this teacher his real name, which causes everyone else to claim that their name is Benjamin, as well; they think that Benjamin is playing a prank, and they all want to participate.

“A Bad Case of the Sillies” takes place on the day that Allison suddenly realizes that no one in Mrs. Jewls’s class can see or hear her anymore. She ends up joining Mrs. Zarves’s class on the legendary nonexistent 19th floor.

“A Wonderful Teacher” continues Allison’s adventure. She learns that Mrs. Zarves’s students are permanently trapped in her classroom, and she begins to forget about her own life the longer she is trapped there.

“Forever Is Never” concludes Allison’s story as she realizes that disobedience is the key to escaping Mrs. Zarves’s classroom. She returns to the moment when she first disappeared and resumes her old life as one of Mrs. Jewls’s students.

“Eric, Eric, & Eric” details Mr. Kidswatter’s failed investigation. He believes that Eric, a student in in Mrs. Jewls’s class, might be responsible for a silly insult written about him on a barbershop appointment card.

“Teeth” tells what happens when Rhondi’s two front teeth finally grow back in, and she worries that no one will think she is cute anymore. However, just as she is about to get Terrance to punch her in the mouth to remove the new teeth, she finds out that people like her new teeth. She narrowly avoids Terrance’s punch, saving her teeth.

In “Another Story About Potatoes,” Joe accidentally recreates Mrs. Gorf’s face using potato salad. The sculpture comes to life and threatens him and his friend John, but they quickly save themselves by eating the potatoes.

“A Story That Isn’t About Socks” is about Stephen’s proper suit and tie on picture day and his mistaken idea that this attire makes him look important. Mrs. Jewls explains that it is what is underneath a person’s clothes that makes a person important; she then clarifies that she is talking about expensive underwear.

When Mrs. Jewls has a frustrating day with her students in “The Mean Mrs. Jewls,” she lets out the “mean” teacher inside of her. She behaves so badly that she has to send herself home on the kindergarten bus at noon.

In “Lost and Found,” Joy steals Maurecia’s lunch. Maurecia then goes on to find a paper bag full of money. Although Joy plots to get the money, Maurecia does the right thing and ensures that the money is returned to its rightful owner, who gives Maurecia a wonderful reward for her honesty.

“Valooosh” describes a dance class that the students are dreading. However, when their unusual teacher allows them to essentially batter one another under the guise of dancing, they develop a keen appreciation for dance class.

In “The Lost Ear,” Mac tells a story about a barber accidentally cutting off a man’s ear, after which the hospital loses the ear. Benjamin finally reveals his real name. Allison runs into the real Mark Miller, who has finally been released from Mrs. Zarves’s class. Mark shows her a bag holding an ear; he has been instructed to take it back to the hospital.

“Wayside School Is Falling Down,” the collection’s final story, tells about a day when the students are all convinced that various disasters are about to befall the school. However, they do not predict the disaster that actually strikes. Suddenly, thousands of cows invade the school, temporarily shutting it down.