Holes


 * __[[image:HolesCover.jpg width="176" height="278" align="right"]]Holes__**
 * __By:__** Louis Sachar

Reading Level: 5th grade – 6th grade Author: Louis Sachar Publisher: Yearling Original Publication Date: 1998 Language: English ISBN: 978-0-440-41480-3 Paperback: $6.99
 * __Biographic Data:__**

Louis Sachar was born on March 20, 1954 in East Meadow, New York. He moved to California while he was still a child. Sachar was not interested in reading or writing until he reached high school. Like every reader and writer out there, Sachar had his own inspirations. He was inspired by J.D. Salinger and Kurt Vonnegut. After his high school graduation he attended Antioch College for a short period of time and then he transferred to the University of California, Berkley. At this university, Sachar began to work at an elementary school to earn extra college credits. He graduated from UC Berkley with a degree and Economics. Soon after, he began to work on a children’s book set known as //Sideways Stories from Wayside School//. By the time these stories were accepted into publication, Sachar decided to go to law school at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. Once he graduated, he began to do part-time legal work while writing more children’s books. When his books began to bring in enough money, he was able to start writing full time. Sachar now lives in Austin, Texas with his wife Carla. Together they have a daughter named Sherre.
 * __Author Biography:__**

Stanley Yelnats is the main character of this book and according to him he is under a curse and this curse began with his great-great-grandfather and has followed his family since. Stanley is being sent to a boy’s detention center known as Camp Green Lake. Stanley was sent to the detention center unfairly. At Camp Green Lake, the warden makes all of the boys that were sent there to dig holes as a “character builder.” The boys have to dig holes the entire day and everyday that they are there. These holes need to be five feet wide and five feet tall. Soon after Stanley arrives at Camp Green Lake he realizes that the purpose of digging holes is not to build character or to improve their character, it is to find something. Stanley realizes that the warden is searching for something and is using the boys to find it. While he is at Camp Green Lake, Stanley tries to figure out what the warden is looking for and ultimately what the real truth is about Camp Green Lake.
 * __Summary of the Book:__**

__Holes__ is a great book for students in the 5th or 6th grade to read. This book allows the reader to escape from the real world and enter the world of __Holes__. There were three stories all intertwined into this one story. These stories were the story of the curse that Stanley Yelnats’ family is under, the story of what the warden is looking for at Camp Green Lake and the truth about it, and finally the story of what really happened with what Stanley was unfairly found guilty of. This story is captivating because throughout the entire book it leaves the reader wanting to know more and wanting to find out what really is going on.
 * __Review:__**

This book has great elements from start to finish. The word choice that the author uses are great because it allows the reader (whether it be a student or an adult) visualize certain things throughout the entire book. When the boys were digging and a tube shaped object was found the word choice that the author chose to describe the object was very well done. It allowed the reader to actually see what this object may have looked like if it was placed right in front of them. Another description that the author did really well was that when the Camp Green Lake was first introduced into the story, the reader read what Stanley thought it would look like, but then when the real description of the center was revealed it was the complete opposite of what the Stanley and the reader was expecting. The two descriptions that the author gave allowed the reader to visualize a very nice and relaxing place and then he basically took it away and gave a visualization of a place that is the complete opposite. Imaginary in this story is really important because a majority of the story takes place in a place that horrible and without imaginary, the reader would not be able to understand why Camp Green Lake was such a horrible place and if the reader does not understand this then they will not fully understand the entire story.
 * __Literacy Element Analysis:__**

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