The Existential Absurdity of Youth in the Wayside School Books
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The Wayside School series, written by Louis Sachar, functions as existential horror about our uncontrollable world and the many unexplained rules that children must follow. These books embody the strange and often unfair way in which the world operates, and how bizarre it all seems to children. Sideways Stories From Wayside School, Wayside School is Falling Down, and Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger, are collections of brief short stories, mostly comprised of surreal comedy and occasionally delving into the existential and sinister. The stories in the Wayside School books evoke the deepest fears of children and adults alike: fear of the unknown, fear of the uncontrollable, and fear of the nonsensical. I argue the importance of addressing these underexplored fundamental anxieties in children’s media in a manner suitable for young readers. Seeing fictional children confront their fears and navigate a confusing world that mirrors ours helps readers to do the same in their own world. Louis Sachar’s Wayside School books are an ideal example of this, as they aim not to frighten, but to carefully explore the profound absurdity of the world through children’s eyes. I will examine how several stories from the Wayside School series accomplish this and how they qualify as existential horror. (208 words)