Wayside School/Tear Jerker

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


  • In Way-High-Up-Ball, Louis reveals a crush on Ms. Nogard, but symbolically states that "she's up [on the 30th story] while he's [on the playground]." Anyone feeling out of their league can relate to the feeling.
  • Allison's stay on the 19th story causes her to get so caught up in Miss Zarves' ridiculous assignments, she forgets about Mrs. Jewls and the other students. Six days later, the memories of Allison's classmates start flooding back. These memories bring her to tears as she gains a new appreciation for all their quirks, which she started feeling frustrated about immediately before Miss Zarves took her in.
  • After Maurecia reports finding $20,655 on the playground, the elderly man who lost it moved Maurecia to tears with his story about how he made the money making pencils by the penny for fifty years and feared that he would have to make more. Then the elderly man announces his intentions to open an ice cream parlor with the money and for her honesty, Maurecia is rewarded with $500 and a lifetime of free ice cream, her favorite thing in the world.
  • Ms. Nogard reading the baby's "thoughts". Thoughts is in quotes because the story says that babies don't think in words; they think in pure love and trust. It causes the teacher to have a Heel Face Turn then and there.
  • Just try to hold back Tears of Joy when the Scotsman who lost his voice to Mr. Gorf finally gets it back, and greets his wife for the first time in 20 years.