Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger is a short story cycle novel (a novel comprised of thirty separate stories which are designed to be read together rather than apart) which is the third book in the eponymous Wayside School series. It tells the story of the Wayside school and the teachers and students that work in it, including Mrs. Jewls, Miss Zarves, Dr. Pickell, Mr. Kidswatter, Mr. Gorf, Calvin, and Kathy - among a number of other people with quite a few different stories. Humorous and whimsical in nature, the stories in this novel were described by the publisher as "silly but relatable."
The Wayside School series is one of the most popular children's book series in the world. Over fifteen million people have read books in this series - including Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger, which is one of the more popular books in the series. Kirkus Reviews wrote a glowing review of the novel, writing "Sachar proves once again that he is a master of all things childish. As with its predecessors, this book is filled with the hilarity children love; as in Roald Dahl's tales, the humor is often anarchic, and sometimes in questionable taste, which will make the story a hit with early and middle grade readers. Easy vocabulary, short chapters, and wicked pace make the book perfect for reluctant readers, but Sachar's well-written, sophisticated comedy will appeal to everyone."
