Childhood Memories
As writer of books for elementary school students, Louis Sachar tries to recall what it felt like for him to be that age. Despite the notion that times have changed, he thinks that kids in grade school are basically the same as they were when he was young.

For example, in East Meadow, New York, where Sachar was born, he remembers having to keep away from the woods across the street to avoid the older, tough kids who played there. Looking back now, he thinks those tough kids were probably only eleven or twelve years old! When Sachar turned nine, his family moved to Orange County in California, which, at the time, was mostly orange groves. He cut through the orange groves on the way to school, and had orange fights on the way home.

The Path to Becoming an Author
It wasn't until high school that Sachar began to love reading. In college, he developed a particular interest in Russian literature and somehow got the ridiculous ambitious notion to learn the language and read his favorite Russian authors in the original language. After taking over a year of Russian, he realized it was still Greek to him. Sachar dropped out of Russian class and tried to figure out what class he should take instead. As he wandered across the campus, he saw an elementary school girl handing out pieces of paper. He took one from her. It read: 'Help. We need teachers' aides at our school. Earn three units of credit.'

Prior to that time, Sachar had no interest whatsoever in kids. However, he signed up to be a teacher's aide because he needed to take something other than Russian, and it sounded easy. It turned out to be not only his favorite class, but also the most important class Sachar took during his college career. After he was at the school for a while, he was asked to be the 'Noon Time Supervisor.' It was his job to watch over the kids during lunch. Sachar played games with the kids who all called him 'Louis, the Yard Teacher.'

The Story Behind Sideways Stories
Around that time Sachar came upon In Our Town by Damon Runyon, a book of very short stories about different characters in a town. It gave him the idea for Sideways Stories from Wayside School, which is a book of short stories about different kids in a school. All the kids are named after kids he knew at the school where he worked. 'Louis the Yard Teacher,' is also a character. Sachar says he had more fun writing that book than any of his others, because it was just a hobby then, and he never truly expected to be published.

A Career Choice
Sideways Stories from Wayside School was published just as Sachar began law school. For six years he struggled over trying to decide between being an author or a lawyer. During the time that he finished law school and took a job as a lawyer, Sachar wrote three more children's books. His decision had been made. Sachar has been an attorney since 1981, but has chosen to devote his time to writing children's books.

Awards and Honors
Louis Sachar's books have earned him many prestigious awards and honors. Holes has won the following:

• National Book Award
• New York Times Book Review Notable Children's Book of the Year
• New York Times Outstanding Book of the Year
• School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
• Horn Book Fanfare Honor List
• Bulletin Blue Ribbon Book
• Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year

Sachar's other books have won these awards:

• Children's Choice from the International Reading Association (1979) and Children's Book Council (1979), Sideways Stories at Wayside School
• 1987 Parents' Choice Award
• 1990 Young Reader's Choice Award, There's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom

ARTICLE	Holes Author Louis Sachar Talks about the Sequel, Small Steps Kid reporter interviews Louis Sachar, the author of Holes. Author interview focuses on the sequel to Holes, Small Steps. Sachar discusses his inspiration for both books.
LESSON PLAN	Explore Writing with Louis Sachar Students make connections between Louis Sachar's life and his work, specifically his book Holes. Provides insight into the writing process.