I've been curious about the story of Holes by Louis Sachar for quite some time. It was published after I passed through the middle reader/young adult genres. And yes, I admit, I didn't know much about it until the movie. I didn't see the movie, so I still didn't know much other than that the Newbery committee thought it was pretty good. The Young Adult Challenge gave me a reason to give it a look.Holes is the story of Stanley Yelnats, a boy who is accused of stealing the sneakers that fell out of the sky. Turns out they were a famous pair of sneakers. The debacle leads Stanley to a stint as a hole digger at Camp Green Lake, a corrections facility for juveniles.
The story introduces some interesting storylines. It mentions interracial relationships, race relations, Old World/New World philosophies, homelessness, and identity, to name a few.
I could have done without the derogatory remarks towards Girl Scouts, and the stereotypical use of cosmetics regarding the Warden and Kissin' Kate, but maybe that's just me?
Recommendation: A book that feels all over the place becomes nicely packaged in the last few chapters. Delightful.
