Holes

Sachar, Louis, Holes, Frances Foster Books, 1998, 233pgs.

Summary: Stanley Yelnats’ days are not looking good. Stanley’s days are full of digging holes at a juvenile detention camp in the middle of the desert. How did he get there? Well it all started when his father was trying to invent a potion to eliminate smell from smelly shoes. Well it really all started with Stanley’s no good lying cheating great-great-grandfather. Anyways when a pair of shoes fall on Stanley when he walks under an overpass and the police charge him with stealing them. That is how Stanley ended up at Camp Green Lake, digging holes. The fun really begins when Stanley and the rest of the teens at the camp find a lipstick that once belonged to Kissin’ Kate Barlow, a famous fugitive who was known to kiss the men right before she killed them. The warden of the camp is very interested in Kissin’ Kate Barlow because the legend claims that she had buried all of her stolen treasure where Camp Green Lake now is. Stanley builds a deep bond with one teen in particular nicknamed Zero. Stanley and the others at the camp dream of running away and not digging holes anymore, but after a number of failed attempts to escape, Zero finally just takes off, running into the dried lake bed/desert. Believing Zero is gone or dead, nobody goes looking for him, except Stanley, who one day takes off to find him. Will Stanley find Zero? With a little help from “Gods Thumb”, sweet onions, and spiced peaches, and even Stanley’s no good, cheating, lying great-great-grandfather, Stanley and Zero just might find that hidden treasure.

Evaluation: This is a great book, driven by some very interesting characters. The writing style moves from present time to the back story of Kissin’ Kate Barlow and addresses the issue of race in relationships. The story is very easy to follow and it is fun to read the complex relationships that develop between the teens. I would recommend this book to anyone as a must read and I think teachers should be using it in schools as well. For sure worthy of all the awards it has won.

Annotation: The first hole is always the toughest, until you have to dig the next hole.

Significance of Book: The character development in this book is very well done. Also this book weaves together two time periods which addresses relationship dynamics that are very historical.

Genre/subject: fiction, juvenile teenagers, relationships

Awards:

National:

• ALA Notable Children's Books: 1999
• ALA Popular Paperbacks: 2006
• Boston Globe-Horn Book award: 1999
• National Book Award for Young People's Literature: 1998
• Newbery Medal: 1999

State:

• Colorado: Blue Spruce Award Winners: 2000
• Florida: Sunshine State Young Reader Award Winners: 2003
• Illinois: Rebecca Caudill Award Nominees: 2002
• Kansas: William Allen White Award Nominees: 2001
• Kansas: William Allen White Award Winners: 2001
• Maine: Student Book Award Winners: 2000
• New Jersey: Garden State Children's Book Award Nominees: 2001
• New Jersey: Garden State Children's Book Award Winners: 2001
• New Mexico: Land of Enchantment Award Winners: 2001
• New York: 3 Apples Book Award Nominees: 2009
• New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age: 1999
• New York: Teen 3 Apples Book Award Nominees: 2009
• Oklahoma: Sequoyah Award Winners: 2001
• Pacific Northwest Young Reader's Award Winners: 2002
• Pennsylvania: Young Reader's Choice Award Winners: 2000
• Washington: Evergreen Young Adult Book Award Winners: 2001
• Wyoming: Indian Paintbrush Award Nominees: 2003

Why I selected the book: I have seen snippets of the movie and decided to give the book a try. I am so surprised at how the book is just as a good as the movie and vice verse.

Price: $17.51