There's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom

Louis Sachar is the author of countless books for young readers. His most famous book is probably Holes (1998). Winning the John Newberry Medal for its contribution to literature for young people, Holes has much in common with There’s a Boy in the Girls’ Bathroom. The main character, Stanley Yelnates, is accused of stealing valuable shoes. As a punishment, a judge sends him to the cruel Camp Green Lake with other unlawful young boys. Stanley isn’t a thief, and Bradley isn’t a “monster,” and both boys have to transform their identities and become good people. Bradley changes his antagonistic behavior by doing homework and making friends. Never quite a “monster,” Stanley reinforces his good qualities by teaming up with another marginalized boy, Zero. As with There’s a Boy in the Girls’ Bathroom, Holes presents adults as frequently ridiculous. Holes also subverts gender norms—the fearful head “honcho” of Camp Green Lake isn’t a man but a woman.

While There’s a Boy in the Girls’ Bathroom features many humorous moments, it’s not quite as outlandishly funny as some of Sachar’s other stories. Yet even his sillier stories connect to There’s a Boy in the Girls’ Bathroom. Sachar’s series of Wayside School stories focus on children at a school that’s 30 stories high (there’s a classroom on each floor).