Holes

Holes by Louis Sachar

Plot:

Stanley Yelnats (yes, his name is spelled the same frontwards and backwards) gets sent to Camp Green Lake for allegedly stealing a pair of sneakers. Unfortunately for Stanley, it really is the fault of his no-good-pig-stealing-great-grandpa's. Stanley's family is cursed, and even though the shoes just fell out of the sky, Stanley is being sent to camp as a punishment. At the camp each child is forced to dig a hole five feet wide and five feet deep every day, but Stanley quickly figures out that something is afoot. If ever a camper finds something and brings it to the warden, he could get out of digging duty for the rest of the day. Zero, a fellow camper, runs off one day and Stanley is the only one feeling compelled to save him. Through saving Zero, Stanley breaks his family curse. But does breaking the curse do him any good in the middle of the desert alone with Zero? 

Review:

This is a great book. The back and forth between the legend and the present day was a bit confusing at first, but Sachar ties everything together so nicely at the end that it is worth it. The protagonist is immediately likable, and it is easy to become very immersed in the story of poor Stanley Yelnats. Aside from the obvious mysteries involved, there is also a tale of personal triumph and adventure. Holes has a little bit of everything, and it would be hard to find a tween that didn't enjoy it. It is very appropriate for younger tweens.

Reading Level: 10 and up

Similar Titles: Hoot, Tangerine, Hatchet

Character Descriptions:

Stanley Yelnats: Stanley is the overweight, cursed protagonist sent to dig mysterious holes at camp green lake.

Warden: The person in charge at camp green lake, and ultimately the one ordering the digging.

Mr. Sir: Works for the warden, making sure the holes get dug

Zero: A friend of Stanley learning to read, runs away from the camp without water

Personal Thoughts:

I actually hadn't read this book or seen the movie at all, so I felt compelled to read it for this assignment. Now I can see what all the commotion was about when the movie came out. This really is a great book! I'm an adult and I enjoyed it. I actually want to watch the movie now. I think this would be a great book for tweens of all ages (maybe even some teens and adults) =)