Module 4: Holes

Summary:
Stanley Yelnats comes from a long line of unlucky men due to a curse put on his great-great grandfather by a gypsy.  Bad luck has struck once again and Stanley has been sentenced to juvenile detention for a crime he didn't commit. He's been sentenced to digging holes at Camp Green Lake, Texas. As Stanley's story unfolds, we are also told two other stories simultaneously. One is the story of how Stanley's great-great grandfather came to be cursed. The other story is of Kissin' Kate Barlow, an outlaw who buried treasure in the same area in Texas where Stanley has been sentenced. The plot takes many twists and turns and the reader is sure to enjoy working to solve the mysteries that unfold throughout the story.

Reference:

Sachar, L. (1998). Holes. New York, NY: Yearling.

Impressions:
Sachar's novel is crafted in such a way that the reader is pulled into a page-turning experience. There is mystery, love, adventure, and an underdog story all wrapped up in a book that is sure to entertain. The way Sachar has woven three stories together creates a unique twist of Realistic Fiction and Tall Tale rolled into a fun combination of interesting characters. All of the characters are colorful and larger-than-life and they keep the story moving a pace that is sure hook readers into the plot.

Professional Review:

"Middle-schooler Stanley Yelnats is only the latest in a long line of Yelnats to encounter bad luck, but Stanley’s serving of the family curse is a doozie. Wrongfully convicted of stealing a baseball star’s sneakers, Stanley is sentenced to six months in a juvenile-detention center, Camp Green Lake. “There is no lake at Camp Green Lake,” where Stanley and his fellow campers (imagine the cast from your favorite prison movie, kid version) must dig one five-by-five hole in the dry lake bed every day, ostensibly building character but actually aiding the sicko warden in her search for buried treasure. Sachar’s novel mixes comedy, hard-hitting realistic drama, and outrageous fable in a combination that is, at best, unsettling. The comic elements, especially the banter between the boys (part scared teens, part Cool Hand Luke wanna-bes) work well, and the adventure story surrounding Stanley’s rescue of his black friend Zero, who attempts to escape, provides both high drama and moving human emotion. But the ending, in which realism gives way to fable, while undeniably clever, seems to belong in another book entirely, dulling the impact of all that has gone before. These mismatched parts don’t add up to a coherent whole, but they do deliver a fair share of entertaining and sometimes compelling moments." 

Ott, B. (1998). [Review of the book Holes]. Booklist, 94(19), 1750.

Library Uses:
This book creates a great opportunity for a librarian to work with a teacher who is using Holes as a classroom read aloud or novel study.  Invite students into the library for a lesson on timelines. Holes has three different stories interwoven and this creates an excellent opportunity to explore noting important events and when they occurred. Using Capzles.com, students can create a timeline and insert images, videos, or text to create a multimedia experience.