Product Description

Check out the Holes tour with Louis Sachar!
Monday, October 20th, 7:00 p.m. Anderson’s Bookshop, Naperville, IL
Tuesday, October 21st, 7:00 p.m., Barnes & Noble, Skokie, IL
Wednesday, October 22nd, 7:00 p.m., Harry W. Schwartz Bookshop, Brookfield, WI
Thursday, October 23rd, 7:00 p.m., Red Balloon Bookshop, St. Paul, MN
Friday, October 24th, 7:00 p.m. Wayzata Community Church, Wayzata, MN
Monday, October 27th, 7:00 p.m., Tattered Cover Bookstore, Highlands Ranch, CO
Tuesday, October 28th, 7:00 p.m., Borders, Aurora, CO


Stanley Yelnats tries to dig up the truth in this inventive and darkly humorous tale of crime and punishment–and redemption.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #116402 in Books
• Brand: INGRAM BOOK & DISTRIBUTOR
• Published on: 2000-05-09
• Released on: 2000-05-09
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 272 pages

Features

• CHILDRENS BOOKS & MUSIC
• Childrens Books
• Language Arts

Amazon.com Review
"If you take a bad boy and make him dig a hole every day in the hot sun, it will turn him into a good boy." Such is the reigning philosophy at Camp Green Lake, a juvenile detention facility where there is no lake, and there are no happy campers. In place of what used to be "the largest lake in Texas" is now a dry, flat, sunburned wasteland, pocked with countless identical holes dug by boys improving their character. Stanley Yelnats, of palindromic name and ill-fated pedigree, has landed at Camp Green Lake because it seemed a better option than jail. No matter that his conviction was all a case of mistaken identity, the Yelnats family has become accustomed to a long history of bad luck, thanks to their "no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather!" Despite his innocence, Stanley is quickly enmeshed in the Camp Green Lake routine: rising before dawn to dig a hole five feet deep and five feet in diameter; learning how to get along with the Lord of the Flies-styled pack of boys in Group D; and fearing the warden, who paints her fingernails with rattlesnake venom. But when Stanley realizes that the boys may not just be digging to build character--that in fact the warden is seeking something specific--the plot gets as thick as the irony.

It's a strange story, but strangely compelling and lovely too. Louis Sachar uses poker-faced understatement to create a bizarre but believable landscape--a place where Major Major Major Major of Catch-22 would feel right at home. But while there is humor and absurdity here, there is also a deep understanding of friendship and a searing compassion for society's underdogs. As Stanley unknowingly begins to fulfill his destiny--the dual plots coming together to reveal that fate has big plans in store--we can't help but cheer for the good guys, and all the Yelnats everywhere. (Ages 10 and older) --Brangien Davis

From Publishers Weekly
PW's starred review of the 1999 Newbery Medal winner described it as a "dazzling blend of social commentary, tall tale and magic realism." Ages 10-up. (May)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Grade 5-8-Stanley Yelnats IV has been wrongly accused of stealing a famous baseball player's valued sneakers and is sent to Camp Green Lake, a juvenile detention home where the boys dig holes, five feet deep by five feet across, in the miserable Texas heat. It's just one more piece of bad luck that's befallen Stanley's family for generations as a result of the infamous curse of Madame Zeroni. Overweight Stanley, his hands bloodied from digging, figures that at the end of his sentence, he'll "...either be in great physical condition or else dead." Overcome by the useless work and his own feelings of futility, fellow inmate Zero runs away into the arid, desolate surroundings and Stanley, acting on impulse, embarks on a risky mission to save him. He unwittingly lays Madame Zeroni's curse to rest, finds buried treasure, survives yellow-spotted lizards, and gains wisdom and inner strength from the quirky turns of fate. In the almost mystical progress of their ascent of the rock edifice known as "Big Thumb," they discover their own invaluable worth and unwavering friendship. Each of the boys is painted as a distinct individual through Sachar's deftly chosen words. 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.
Alison Follos, North Country School, Lake Placid, NY
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Customer Reviews

Lizards, holes, onions...

I have a lot of respect for a writer who can take holes, lizards and onions and create an incredible story.

This book was amazing. It held my interest from the very first page. The characters were lovable and interesting (I particularly liked Zero), the plot was fast paced and engaging, the writing style was easy to read and follow. I felt like I was there with the boys digging all those holes.

Once again, kudos to Louis Sacher for creating such a great thought provoking novel out of such a random concept. Digging holes? Lizards? Onions? This man is a genious!

Minus the plot rehash...
"Everything I learned in life I learned from Holes". Yes, I have a sick addiction to this book, but this is one of those stories that has changed my life, weirdly enough. My copy is marked up with thoughts and realizations and random connections. It's a quirky story filled with deep understanding.

Holes
Holes (Yearling, Louis Sachar) is a fictional master piece that has been recognized as such through honors including the Newberry Award and the National Book Award. This adventure tale unfolds on the dry bed of Green Lake, where a juvenile detention facility works to build up the characters of troublesome youths. These boys dig holes. Stanley Yelnats, the story's wrongly accused protagonist, needs to dig a hole five feet by five feet everyday, always racing the scorching rays of the sun, on guard for yellow spotted lizards and thirstily waiting for the ever so slow water truck. But eventually, a mystery is revealed and Stanley wonders if they are really digging holes just because, or if there is something the warden is trying to find amongst the dust in the dried up lake? A challenging adventure unfurls as Stanley hurdles over such obstacles as rattlesnake venom nail polish, bullying boys, a family curse and shoes falling from the sky. Throughout it all, the reader roots for the sincere and trouble set Stanley as he matures in body and mind at every turn. Remarkable writing sets the mystery in full swing as every little snippet is a clue leading towards the surprising finale. This book is one of the great adventures that boys and girls can read in one burst, just to know what the heck happens next!