Holes

Sachar, Louis. 1998. HOLES. New York: Scholastic, Inc. ISBN 0-439-224419-6

Plot Summary
Stanley Yelnats is cursed thanks to his no good rotten pig stealing great, great grandfather – or so states Stanley’s father. Stanley is an overweight, shy kid that always seems to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. He happens to be at the wrong place when pair of sneakers fall from the sky and into his hands. Shortly thereafter, Stanley is arrested for theft. Given the choice of jail or camp, Stanley chooses camp. Through a series of flashbacks we learn of the curse that befell the Yelnat family and ultimately, as the pages unfold, discover how Stanley plays a major role in the breaking of the curse.
Analysis
In this 1999 Newbery winner, Sachar provides an attention-getter from the beginning.

There is no lake at Camp Green Lake. There was once was a very large lake
here, the largest lake in Texas.

Thus begins our quest as readers - and detectives – to figure out what happened to such a large lake. As the story unravels and pieces of history and characters are discovered allowing students to make the connections, they become glued to this book! The town of Greenlake, Texas does not exist, yet we can easily believe it once did.

Holes provides authentic characters: teenage boys and their interactions with each other. They don’t show their feelings, make fun of each other and strive to show their tough side. Just about every student can identify with one of the characters.

Sachar also touches a sensitive issue: foster care. Zero was in foster care for a time and it was not very pretty. Zero slowly reveals his story to Stanley and to us. He recounts how his mother left one day and never came back. Some of my students have lived through that exact situation.

"We always took what we needed." Zero said. "When I was little, I didn't even know it was stealing. I don't remember when I found out. But we just took what we needed, never more."

I was weepy as I read the Zero's recount, perhaps because I knew two of my students that were reading this along with me have experienced abandonment and the foster care system. I have seen these two “tough” boys carry around the book - like toddlers carry their blankies around for comfort during the day. It’s amazing.
A great talent of Sachar is cliff hanging - chapter cliff hanging that is. Every chapter ending leaves you wanting to read more! Read a couple example of final chapter sentences:

No one ever says 'No' to Charles Walker!
"I believe I just did," said Katherine Barlow.

“Where’d you bury it?” Trout demanded. Kate Barlow died laughing.

Stanley could hear his heart beat. Each beat told him he was still alive,
at least for one more second.

I loved how Sachar did not preach injustice, but rather allowed the readers to formulate their own ideas. Granted, Sachar hinted at who the guilty party was…

That all happened one hundred and ten years ago. Since then, not one drop
of rain has fallen on Green Lake. You make the decision: Whom did God punish?

My students immediately took to the book, since a great many of them had never read a chapter book. The first few chapters of Holes are short. My students felt a sense of accomplishment with each chapter we covered. This book quickly became one of their favorites. I, too, consider this a gem.


Reviews
The author's ability to knit Stanley and Zero's compelling story in and out of a history of intriguing ancestors is captivating. Stanley's wit, integrity, faith, and wistful innocence will charm readers. A multitude of colorful characters coupled with the skillful braiding of ethnic folklore, American legend, and contemporary issues is a brilliant achievement. There is no question, kids will love Holes.”- From School Library Journal

Sachar's earlier Wayside School stories always had a Pinkwaterish edge to them, but in Holes he comes fully, brilliantly into his own voice. This is a can't-put-it-down read.” -From Children’s Literature

Imaginative plotting and memorable characters make this novel a winner.” - From Book Magazine

Connections
Bud, Not Buddy written by Christopher Paul Curtis, deals with an orphan that in the midst of hardship, but able to make the best of a bad situation.

This is a book I have used as the "attention getter" at the beginning of my Reader's Club after school. After completing the book, we publicized it by making poster and PowerPoint presentations that encouraged students to pick up the book and read it. We also dedicated an entire wall to the depiction of Camp Green Lake. It was fantastic!