Holes

by Louis Sachar

I remember hearing about HOLES in elementary but it wasn't until I was in junior high, maybe even high school, that I actually read it. I am sorry I waited. This book is one of my favorites, and I will add that the movie is darn good as well, though the book is still the better of the two. Louis Sachar paints his characters vividly and uniquely and I grew attached to all of them in their own little way.

The story follows Stanley Yelnats, a boy who has a pair of shoes drop down on his head from the sky. He is accused of stealing the shoes and is sent to Camp Greenlake to pay for his crime. At the camp he is told he has to dig a 5 foot by 5 foot hole every day, to build character. While he is there he learns the background of the camp and of Kissing Kate Barlow the infamous outlaw.

This is a really cute read and the characters are just awesome. There is great character development. The ending made me pause and I had to go back and read through a couple of part again because of all the intricate details throughout the whole story. It is a wonderfully woven tale. (And once again I will add that the movie does the book justice.)