Louis Sachar is an American young-adult mystery-comedy author. He is best known for the Wayside Schoolseries and the award-winner, Holes. Holes won the 1998 U.S. National Book Award for Young People's Literature and the 1999 Newbery Medal for the year's "most distinguished contribution to American literature for children". In 2013 it was ranked number six among all-time children's novels in a survey published by School Library Journal.