Where I share my love of books with reviews, features, giveaways and memes. Family and needlepoint are thrown in from time to time.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Holes by Louis Sachar (Book Review)

Title: Holes
Author: Louis Sachar
Genre: YA Fiction

First sentence: There is no lake at Camp Green Lake.


Holes is about a boy named Stanley Yelnats who is wrongly convicted of stealing a pair of tennis shoes that were being auctioned off for charity. The tennis shoes really did fall on his head as he went under an overpass. He is sentenced to Camp Green Lake for 18 months. It is this kind of misfortune that seems to plague Stanley and his family. They blame these events on Stanley's great-great-grandfather and a curse that he brought on himself.

Now Camp Green Lake is not really a camp - nor is there a lake. It is a detention center for juvenile delinquents, at which they have to dig holes every day. Holes that are 5 feet wide by 5 feet deep, supposedly to teach them character. Stanley, or Caveman - as the other boys have nicknamed him, realizes early on that they are really searching for something for the warden.

After 45 days of digging holes and a week surviving away from "camp" - Stanley manages to bring history full circle. Will the curses finally be broken?

I enjoyed this book. The boys did learn something from digging holes -they learned perseverance and friendship - and something about dealing with guilty consciences. I like the way that the author wove three stories together - that of Stanley's great-great-grandfather, the legend of Kissin' Kate Barlow, and Stanley's emerging story in the present. I highly recommend this book for middle schoolers!

5 comments:

Staci said...

I loved this book too and my middle school kids really enjoy it!!

Anna said...

I bet my daughter would like this one. I think this was a movie, and I think she saw it. Great review!

--Anna
Diary of an Eccentric

Josette said...

I found this book rather funny! Glad that you enjoyed it too. :)

Holes

Jodie said...

I heard about this book so long ago - why haven't I read it yet? Louis Sahar is awesome.

Anonymous said...

I really enjoyed this movie, but I'm never gotten around to reading the book. I need to! Thanks for the review, and congrats on finishing a Lit Flicks Challenge selection.

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