by Louis Sachar
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To my mother
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Contents
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“Huh?”
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Clues
Hints
Answers
About Louis Sachar
Imprint
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“Huh?”
That is the reaction I have heard most often from kids who have read ‘Sideways Arithmetic From Wayside School’.
I’ve also gotten lots of letters from kids who say things like,
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“Dear Mr. Sachar,
I liked your book ‘Sideways Arithmetic From Wayside School’, but I don’t understand the problems.”
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Now I don’t understand how kids can like the book if they don’t understand the problems. Maybe they’re just being polite.
But it’s not just kids. Teachers have also confided in me that they didn’t understand the book.
So you may be wondering why I have written this sequel. It is because I think the problems are a lot of fun. They were fun for me to make up, and they are fun to solve — once you get the hang of it.
Yes, the problems are hard. You have to think. You can’t just read quickly through it, like the other Wayside School books. You may want to ask a parent or teacher to help you get started, although like I said, many adults will have trouble, too. Actually I think this would be a great book for a parent and child to figure out together. The parent could help the child, and vice-versa.
You do not need to read ‘Sideways Arithmetic From Wayside School’ first. Some of the problems in that book are harder than the problems in this book. Some may be easier.
I organized this book a little differently, and I think that should help. At the back of the book, there are ‘clues’, ‘hints’ and finally, ‘answers’.
The ‘clues’ tell you how to begin to try to solve each problem. That is very important. Probably the hardest part of each problem is just trying to figure out where to begin. Once you figure out how to get started, the rest of the problem is much easier.
A ‘hint’ will give you part of the answer.
And the ‘answer’ will tell you the answer.
(Duh!)
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Chapter 1
Why Boys and Girls Are Silly
Allison’s birthday was next Saturday. She brought birthday party invitations to class. She invited every girl in Mrs. Jewls’s class, but only two boys, Jason and Stephen.
Jason wasn’t sure he wanted to go. “Why don’t you invite some more boys?” he said.
“I can’t,” said Allison. “Two are okay. But if more than two boys come, then all the boys start acting real silly.”
“That’s right,” said Rondi. “Two’s the limit, when it comes to boys.”
“That’s ridiculous,” said Jason.
“I’m insulted,” said Stephen.
“It’s true,” said Allison.
Just then Joe and John came over. “What’s going on?” asked John.
“Allison says if more than two boys get together, we all act real silly,” said Stephen.
“That’s dumb!” said John, pounding his fist on a desk. “Ouch!” he exclaimed, and shook his hand in the air.
“Hey, I’m not silly!” said Jason. He stuck out his tongue and jumped up and down.
“It’s redickle-dockle!” agreed Joe.
Stephen raised his arms in the air and made monkey noises.
“Settle down!” called Mrs. Jewls. “What’s the matter with you children?”
“Allison invited Stephen and me to her birthday party,” complained Jason.
“That’s good, isn’t it?” asked Mrs. Jewls.
“We’re the only boys,” said Stephen. “She says if she invites more boys, then all the boys will act silly.”
“She’s right,” said Mrs. Jewls. “It’s a matter of simple arithmetic.” She picked up a piece of chalk and wrote the equation on the board.
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PROBLEM 1
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s = ?ggo = ?ggi = ?ggl = ?ggb = ?ggy = ?
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Jason studied the board. “I guess we are silly,” he said. “Arithmetic doesn’t lie.”
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(Looking at the problem, each letter stands for a single digit number (a number between zero and nine). All the s’s are the same number. All the b’s are the same number, but different from s. And so forth. You have to figure out what number each letter represents, so that it all adds up correctly.
If you need help a clue can be found on page 40. If you still need help after that, a hint can be found on page 45.)
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All the girls were very excited. They danced around the room singing, “Boys and boys are silly! Boys and boys are silly! Boys and boys are silly!”
“Girls and girls are silly, too,” said Mrs. Jewls.
The girls stopped singing.
Mrs. Jewls put it on the board.
PROBLEM 2
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s = ?ggl = ?ggy = ?ggr = ?ggi = ?ggg = ?
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The girls yelled and screamed, and made faces, and once again proved that arithmetic doesn’t lie.
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(You need to forget about the first problem in solving this one. In other words, s may stand for a different number in this problem than it did in the last problem.
A clue is on page 40. A hint is on page 45.)
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Chapter 2
Some Crass Words About Women’s Underwear
“What are arcs and bras?” asked Mrs. Jewls. Dana gasped. “A teacher shouldn’t talk about bras!” she said.
“Why not?” asked Mrs. Jewls.
“It’s crass,” said Rondi.
“You’re right!” said Mrs. Jewls. She put it on the board.
PROBLEM 3
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c = ?gggr = ?ggga = ?gggb = ?gggs = ?
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(Clue on page 40. Hint on page 45.)
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Mrs. Jewls put the following problems on the board. Can you solve them?
PROBLEM 4
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m = ?ggge = ?ggga = ?gggl = ?gggs = ?
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(Clue on page 40. Hint on page 45.)
PROBLEM 5
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t = ?ggge = ?gggp = ?gggi = ?gggl = ?
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(Clue on page 40. Hint on page 45.)
PROBLEM 6
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p = ?ggge = ?gggn = ?gggr = ?
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(Clue on page 40. Hint on page 45.)
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(The problems will now get a little bit harder
… .)
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Chapter 3
Sue’s New Dog
Sue got a new dog.
“His name is Fangs,” said Sue. “He has big teeth.”
“Ooh, he sounds like a mean dog,” said Calvin.
“No, he’s a good dog,” said Sue.
“He sounds mean,” Calvin maintained.
“Let’s ask Mrs. Jewls,” said Sue. “She knows everything.”
They presented the problem to their teacher. Mrs. Jewls put it on the board.
PROBLEM 7
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d = ?gggo = ?gggg = ?gggf = ?
a = ?gggn = ?gggs = ?
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“Fangs is a good dog,” Mrs. Jewls concluded.
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(Clue on page 40. Hint on page 45.)
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Chapter 4
Four Times Too
“It’s too hot!” Myron complained as he wiped his face with his sleeve.
“It’s too too hot,” said Dameon.
“It’s too too too hot,” said D.J.
“It’s too too too too hot,” said Joy.
“You’re right,” said Mrs. Jewls.
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PROBLEM 8
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h = ?gggo = ?gggt = ?
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(Clue on page 40. Hint on page 45.)
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Mrs. Jewls put the following problems on the board. Can you solve them?
PROBLEM 9
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l = ?ggu = ?ggs = ?ggh = ?gge = ?ggr = ?
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(Clue on page 41. Hint on page 45.)
PROBLEM 10
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s = ?gggp = ?gggi = ?gggt = ?
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(Clue on page 41. Hint on page 45.)
PROBLEM 11
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t = ?ggga = ?gggp = ?ggge = ?
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(Clue on page 41. Hint on page 45.)
PROBLEM 12
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a = ?gggy = ?ggge = ?
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(Clue on page 41. Hint on page 45.)
PROBLEM 13
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w = ?gggi = ?gggn = ?gggl = ?
a = ?gggs = ?gggt = ?
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(Clue on page 41. Hint on page 45.)
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(The problems will now get a little bit harder… .)
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Chapter 5
Miss Worm
Miss Worm taught the class in the room just below Mrs. Jewls’s class. She was often disturbed by the strange noises that came from above.
One day she came up to complain. “Why are you so noisy?” she asked.
“We’re doing arithmetic,” explained Mrs. Jewls.
“When my class does arithmetic, we work quietly,” said Miss Worm.
“It always gets us very excited,” said Mrs. Jewls.
Miss Worm couldn’t imagine how arithmetic could be exciting, so she asked if she could watch. “Add something,” she said.
“Like what?” asked Mrs. Jewls.
“Eight plus eight,” suggested Miss Worm.
So everybody in the class tried to add eight plus eight.
“I know it ends in two,” said Stephen.
“No, it doesn’t,” said Miss Worm.
“Yes, it does,” said Mrs. Jewls, who thought Stephen had said it ended in “top.” But either way, Stephen was right.
Mrs. Jewls put the problem on the board.
PROBLEM 14
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“Wait a minute! Wait a minute!” shouted Miss Worm. “I didn’t mean the word eight. I meant the number, 8.”
“But Miss Worm,” said Mrs. Jewls. “There isn’t an 8 anywhere in the problem.”
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a = ?gggh = ?gggo = ?gggg = ?
t = ?gggi = ?ggge = ?
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(And remember, there isn’t an eight anywhere in the problem!)
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(Clue on page 41. Hint on page 45.)
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Miss Worm tried to get the class to add one plus one, and two plus two, but without any better results.
PROBLEM 15
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t = ?gggw = ?gggi = ?gggr = ?gggl = ?
z = ?gggo = ?gggn = ?ggge = ?
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(These two problems have to be solved together. So, for example, whatever the letter o is in the first problem, it has to be the same in the second.)
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(Clue on page 41. Hint on page 45.)
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Sharie fell asleep in class.
“Excuse me, Mrs. Jewls,” said Miss Worm. “But one of your students is asleep.”
“Yes, that’s Sharie,” said Mrs. Jewls. “She’s my best student.”
“But she’s sleeping!” said Miss Worm.
“I know,” said Mrs. Jewls. “Sharie learns best when she’s asleep.”
Sharie started to snore. “Zzzz… .”
“Now she’s snoring!” said Miss Worm.
“She’s very smart,” Mrs. Jewls agreed. “Ask her any problem. She’ll know the answer. What’s the biggest number you know?”
Miss Worm tried to think of the biggest number she knew, but of course she knew there was no “biggest” number. “I don’t know,” she said. “Zillions!”
“Okay,” said Mrs. Jewls. “Sharie, how much is ZILLIONS plus MISS WORM?
“ZZZZZZZZZ,” snored Sharie.
“See,” Mrs. Jewls said proudly. “I told you she was smart.”
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PROBLEM 16
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Wait! Stop! Don’t try to solve the problem yet! There’s more.
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As an author, I always try to be fair. Well, I just realized I haven’t been fair to the letter Q. Nowhere in this book, nor in Sideways Arithmetic From Wayside School, was there a problem with the letter Q in it. So, in the interest of fairness I want you to solve for Q in this problem, even though it’s not there. If it was there, what would it be?
I’ll tell you this much. Q is a larger number than N. Okay, now you can go ahead and solve the problem.
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S = ?gggW = ?gggI = ?gggR = ?gggL = ?
O = ?gggN = ?gggM = ?gggZ = ?gggQ = ?
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(Clue on page 41. Hint on page 45.)
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Chapter 6
Miss Worm Finally Understands!
Speaking of tattoos, Calvin had a tattoo, just above his foot. The following passage can be found on page 88 of Wayside School Is Falling Down.
“You’re so lucky, Calvin,” said Rondi. “I wish I could get a tattoo too! Instead I got a tutu.”
“I got a tutu too,” said Dana.
Mrs. Jewls pointed to Calvin’s tattoo, and asked, “How much is his foot plus tutu too?”
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Miss Worm looked at the problem and frowned. She threw up her hands in disgust. “Who knows!” she said, and started toward the door.
“Don’t tell them the answer,” said Mrs. Jewls. She sighed and put the next problem on the board. “How much is peppers plus pig lips?” she asked.
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> “I give up!” shouted Miss Worm. She stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her.
“Miss Worm is very good at adding in her head,” said Mrs. Jewls. “But I wish she wouldn’t give away the answers.”
PROBLEM 17
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f = ?gggi = ?gggs = ?gggh = ?gggn = ?
u = ?gggt = ?gggw = ?gggo = ?gggk = ?
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(Clue on page 42. Hint on page 45.)
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PROBLEM 18
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s = ?gggi = ?gggl = ?gggv = ?ggge = ?
r = ?gggp = ?gggu = ?gggg = ?
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(Clue on page 42. Hint on page 45.)
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(Coming up next will be the hardest problem in the book… .)
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Chapter 7
The Quiz That Wouldn’t pop
(Like I said, this next problem, Problem 19, will be the hardest problem in the book. But I don’t even know what the problem is yet. Let me explain. Mrs. Jewls is planning to give her class a test next week. For the nineteenth problem in this book, I will choose the hardest question from that test.)
PROBLEM 19
“We will have a pop quiz sometime next week,” Mrs. Jewls told her class on Friday afternoon.
Everybody groaned.
“What day will it be?” asked Jenny.
“I’m not going to tell you,” said Mrs. Jewls. “That’s why it’s called a ‘pop quiz.’ You won’t know when it’s going to pop. It will be one day next week, but I won’t tell you which day.”
“Hey, that’s not fair!” said Jason. “That means I have to study all weekend, and the test might not be until next Friday!”
“That’s right,” said Mrs. Jewls.
Everybody groaned.
“That means we have to worry all week,” griped Joy.
“Can you give us a hint?” asked Paul. “Will it be Monday? Just let us know if it’s going to be Monday, so I know whether to study this weekend.”
