Holes

Bibliographic information: 

Sachar, Louis.  Holes.  New York: Scholastic Inc., 1998. 

Brief plot description:     

Stanley Yelnats had never been to summer camp before.  This summer he was sent to Camp Green Lake because he was accused of stealing a baseball star’s shoe.  Stanley didn’t do it, but he couldn’t prove it.  It was a camp for juvenile delinquents.  All his life Stanley had heard about the curse placed upon his family because of the actions of his great-great-grandfather.  When he got to camp he finds out that he is expected to dig a five foot by five foot hole every day.  The Warden tells him that if he finds anything unusual he is to give it to the guards.  One day Zero is being picked on by the Warden and Mr. Pendanski.  Zero hits Pendanski with his shovel and takes off into the desert. Stanley tries to steal the water truck and drive into the desert to find Zero.  Will Stanley find Zero and what will happen to them?

Brief review:      

This book would be good for 5^th graders through high school students.  It is a book that would appeal to boys.  It would spark discussion about the boys in the camp and how their nicknames reflect their personalities.  The author ties the family’s past history to the present with ease and hooks the reader.  The boys will like the adventure of being stranded in the desert and the mystery of why they are digging holes.    

Genre label:

Modern Fiction

Reading level/interest level:

5^th -8^th grade; maybe high school

Similar materials in style content, theme or characters:

Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen

Heartland Series by Lauren Brooke

Awards:

American Library Association Best Books for Young Adults

American Library Association Notable Children's Books

American Library Association Quick Picks for Young Adults

Boston Globe - Horn Book Award

New York Times Book Review Notable Children's Books of the Year

National Book Awards - Winner

Newbery Medal Book

Christopher Awards - Winner

Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books Blue Ribbon Award

Horn Book Magazine Fanfare List

Publishers Weekly Best Children's Books of the Year

Florida Sunshine State Young Readers Award

Vermont Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award