BEST AUTHOR BEST : LOUIS SACHAR

'' It's not a good idea to have a 40-year-old as the main character of a book for young people,'' says the author of '' Holes.''

That's why '' The Magician of Tiger Castle '' turned out to be first novel for adults.

.-  What kind of a reader were you as a child?

I read mostly sports or animal stories. Like a lot of kids, I kept a list of favorites. I remember a book about a- cougar cub, '' Yellow Eyes,'' being at the top of the list.

.-  Who is your fictional hero or heroine?

McMurphy from '' One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.'' Flawed, larger than life, yet still very real.

.-  Your favorite antihero or villain?

Big Nurse, from the same novel, always excruciatingly calm, made the perfect adversary for the blusterous McMurphy.

.-  What's the hardest emotion to capture when writing for students/kids?

Whether writing for kids or for adults, it's important to identify with and respect the feelings of my characters. 

Many kids' / students problems may seem trivial to adults, but they are real to the kids, and as I work on a novel, I gradually get to know my characters, and see the world as they do, whether they are adults or children.

Their emotions grow organically..

.-  How do you sign books for your students?

It varies from book to book. For '' Holes,'' I usually write '' Happy Digging.''

.-  What books are on your night stand?

I'm rereading '' The Magus, '' by John Fowles. I remember loving it almost 50 years ago, so I wanted to see if it still holds up for me.

.-  What's your favorite book no one else has heard of?

I went to Berkeley in the '70s, and spent a lot of time in used book stores. I came across '' In Our Town,'' by Damon Runyon, which contained short, simple and charming stories about the various people of an important town.

A year or two later, I used that same style and format to write what would become my first book, '' Sideways Stories From Wayside School.'' 

.-  Do you count any books as guilty pleasures?

I never feel guilty about reading. I feel guilty about playing games on my computer.

The Publishing continues to Part [2]. The World Students Society thanks The New York Times.