Holes

Holes
by Louis Sachar
Dell Yearling, 1998
Pages: 233
Reading Level: 9-12
Genre: Realistic Fiction

Stanley Yelnats has bad luck. A long time ago, his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing great-great-grandfather, didn't fulfill his end of the bargain with an old lady named Madame Zeroni by carrying her up a mountain, and so she cursed him and all his desendants. Stanley Yelnats is one of those decendants. One day a pair of shoes fall down on him from the sky. It turns out that they belong to a famous baseball player. Stanley is caught with them and is accused of stealing. Instead of going to jail, he goes to Camp Green Lake. This camp is a desert, and the boys have to dig holes five feet deep and five feet wide. They don't know it yet, but they are looking for the treasure of Kissin' Kate Barlow, the outlaw. When Stanley's friend Zero, Stanley goes to find him. He finds him, and discovers that he is very sick and about to die. He remembers a tale his father told him about God's Thumb, and carries Zero to the top. This ends Stanley's curse, because Zero is actually a Hector Zeroni, a decendant of Madame Zeroni. They find food and water to keep them alive, and Zero gets better. They decide to go back for the treasure, because Stanley knows where it is hidden. After they find it though, they get caught by the camp Warden. She tries to take the treasure, but the boys are saved by Stanley's lawyer, who discovered that Stanley really was innocent. She takes both boys with her, and they share the treasure with their families and live happy lives.

I think that children who feel like their lives aren't good would benefit from this book. It shows that you can still find happiness in dark situations.

I think it is possible that this book could cause children to think that stealing is okay, because Zero did it, and got to get out of Camp Green Lake the same time Stanley did.

This bood has been a long-time favorite. I enjoyed reading it this time just as much as the first time.

My rating: ****