The story will excite young readers' sense of justice, as Stanley is treated most unfairly. In the flashback passages, Katherine, a White woman, loves Sam, a Black man, and they're victims of racist violence. There's threatened as well as real violence in the present-day parts of the book, including fistfights, drawn guns, attacks with shovels, and danger of poisoning. This is a more intense book than many novels for this age group, as some adults in the book treat youngsters as slaves.
However, there are some funny moments, and the mysterious ways that past and present connect in the book are engaging at just the right grade level. The book was adapted for a movie , and there's a good audiobook version read by Kerry Beyer.
Add your rating See all 22 parent reviews. Add your rating See all kid reviews. In HOLES, Stanley Yelnats, falsely convicted of stealing a celebrity's sneakers, is sent to Camp Green Lake, a juvenile detention center in the middle of the desert, where each inmate is required to dig a large hole every day.
The seasoned prisoners are rough and mean, and the conditions are dreadful, especially compared with the loving home that Stanley has known. As Stanley gets to know the other boys and the grueling routine, he also realizes there's a mystery behind this strange punishment that's related to a treasure and even to the supposed curse on Stanley's family dating back to his "dirty-rotten-pig-stealing" great-grandfather.
The keys to the mystery have to do with a long-gone outlaw named Kate Barlow, a young boy called Zero, a greedy warden with rattlesnake venom nail polish, and whatever is buried in the parched desert of Green Lake. As Louis Sachar's edgy plot weaves between intersecting stories, past and present, the author creates a unique mystery, full of twists and danger. This novel includes violence and cruelty, and it may be somewhat intense for some young readers. However, there are funny moments, too, and mystery lovers will be fascinated as the story unfolds.
It's also a great book for parents and teachers to introduce simple concepts of literary analysis and use of language, as the word "holes" has multiple meanings in the book. This Newbery winner is often a hit with fourth and fifth grade readers who are ready for something that's intellectually a little bit challenging, as well as a fair bit darker than most novels for their grade level.
How did his life before the camp prepare him for this experience? How do Stanley and Zero help each other? How do their different abilities and backgrounds make them useful to each other? Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate. Common Sense Media, a nonprofit organization, earns a small affiliate fee from Amazon or iTunes when you use our links to make a purchase. Thank you for your support. Our ratings are based on child development best practices. We display the minimum age for which content is developmentally appropriate. The star rating reflects overall quality.
Learn how we rate. Parents' Ultimate Guide to Since most of the book is pretty realistic, though, with just a few not-so-realistic elements thrown in, we can place it squarely in the world of magical realism. Parents Home Homeschool College Resources. Study Guide. By Louis Sachar. Previous Next. Genre Children's Literature; Adventure; Magical Realism Given the number of awards Holes has won in the field of children's literature, it's pretty much a no-brainer that the book qualifies for that genre.
Okay, here we go: Overweight, lonely kid bullied in school? The reader takes over the role of a detective and finds out how the characters belong together when reading the book attentively. Moreover, there are even elements of the fantastical in the novel as well, moments where the reader must suspend his disbelief. We see this in the gypsy subplot and the entire motif of fate and destiny that runs through the novel. Stanley will teach Zero to read and write if Zero will dig most of Stanley's hole.
This causes problem with they other boys, but the new friends aren't bothered. They run away from the camp and find adventures of their own. To find out more about the secrets behind this book, read Holes and discover a whole new way to look at reading!
Teen, 15 years old Written by kisson April 9, Must Read!!! The book tells the story of a young boy who gets convicted of stealing a pair of shoes. The shoes belong to a famous runner and were going to be auctioned off as a charity fundraiser. The money was going to be donated to the poor. This young boy, named Stanley Yelnats, has to go to Camp Green Lake and dig one five by five hole per day as a punishment for his crime.
The pain and sacrifice that Stanley goes through to help save his best friend at the camp, Zero, shows the reader the power of mind over matter and to never give up.
These are two of many themes that the reader will learn throughout this work of fiction. The item that Stanley finds at the end of the book makes up for all the pain and sacrifice he endured during his stay at Camp Green Lake. This book provides entertainment along with a lot of suspense.
The problems that each of the characters face at the camp and the things they discuss while digging their holes makes it an exciting book to read. Along with being entertaining this book is very suspenseful. All of the problems that occur between the counselors and the boys makes you want to keep reading the book.
I support his opinion that not all people convicted of a crime are actually guilty, as you will find out at the end of the story. His second opinion, which I also agree with, is that sometimes people under estimate how smart kids really are.
This book could raise issues about the judicial system, how courts are run, and how they decide to convict people of certain crimes. In The Homework Machine three kids are convicted of cheating, but the truth is only known by the person convicted. A great deal of the action that occurs in this book, Holes, could teach the reader life lessons such as mind over matter or something as simple as never give up.
The reader may need to listen to these messages and to use them as motivation when faced with a similar situation. Teen, 14 years old Written by Kriti Gupta February 20, Just have a look into an Awesome Book. It is full of mysteries that fill you with agog and events that actually make it pretty arduous to put the book down.
The best part according to me had been the "no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather", read it a thousand times and still keep laughing. Another remarkable event was when Stanley gets covered in deadly venomous yellow- spotted lizards which actually protect him! The book has a perfect length, neither ended early, nor too elongated. Just look into the book to acquaint yourself with a new unusual yet great book.
Read my mind 1. Kid, 9 years old May 14, This book proves that hard work really pays off.
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