Holes by Louis Sachar follows a young boy named Stanley Yelnats. Stanley Yelnats is cursed with bad luck, and his entire family has been cursed with bad luck since his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather broke his promise to Madame Zeroni. Stanley was caught in the wrong place at the wrong time and got sent to Camp Green Lake for a crime he didn’t commit. Unlike what the name suggests Camp Green Lake is no lush paradise, it is a place in the hot Texas sun where boys dig 5 foot by 5 foot holes to build character. However Stanley soon discovers there is something bigger going on; the warden of the camp is looking for something and it might all have to do with Stanley himself.
I love Holes. It is one of my favorite middle-grade books, with a memorable sense of humor and adventure. The plot moves quickly and Stanley is such a loveable character with a deep-rooted sense of morality. My favorite themes in the book are the inclusion of racism, injustice in the prison system, questioning authority and classism. The boys in the camp aren't evil even though they did break the law. Their circumstances are explained and the characters are very relatable especially to a younger audience.
Another part of the book that I adored is the interconnectedness between the different parts of the plots and characters. The book flashbacks to the story of outlaw Kissin’ Kate Barlow in order to explain the history of the town next to Camp Green Lake, and flashes back to the story of Stanley's great-great-grandfather to explain where the curse stemmed from. This aspect of the book in particular, created a full story that feels three dimensional. I would recommend this novel to anyone who hasn't read it, but I think it would be especially impactful with younger teens.