May 9

‘Holes’ by Louis Sachar

“He needed to save his energy for the people who counted.”

A quote from ‘Holes’ by Louis Sachar.

I chose this quote because I too needed to save my energy for the books that counted and this wasn’t one of them for me.

I read a lot but I must say “Holes” by Louis Sachar isn’t the type of book I’d usually choose.  Still, it was an entertaining read with characters most people can relate to.

Stanley Yelnats is sent to Green Lake detention centre for being at the wrong place at the wrong time.  He is subjected to all kinds of cruel and unusual treatment including having to dig holes in a barren part of the land where he and the other inmates are rewarded with days off every time they find something of interest to the warden.

While none of the boys are sure what they are looking for, they learn about themselves and each other during their time at Green Lake as the story is revealed through the many different perspectives of the culturally diverse characters.

Friendship and social justice are the main themes of the story, which asks the reader to think about what makes a true friend and how we should treat society’s young people, even those who have made mistakes.

I enjoyed the book but unfortunately I was reading the Hunger Games trilogy at the same time and it was way better.

A review by Rhys, Year 8

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The really interesting thing about the book Holes by Louis Sachar is that you get multiple stories in one book, but the main character is Stanley Yelnats. Stanley is put into a juvenile detention centre for a crime he didn’t commit. (Stealing shoes.) Stanley has been picked on at school a lot and has never been lucky. In fact, they blame it on the “family curse” that has troubled their ancestors and Stanley alike. So you can imagine how he feels when he arrives at Camp Green Lake. He meets other boys there (that are coping with it much better than he is). Their job was to dig one hole each day.

Holes is a novel that will surprise and interest you. I think this book would be suited for boys of the ages 11-13. I rate this book 3 out of 5 stars.

Michael, Year 8

 

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Posted May 9, 2012 by marjk in category Adventure stories, Funny books, Student Reviews

About the Author

Teacher-librarian at Aquinas College, Southport, Gold Coast, Australia

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