Rating: 
Summary: Online Book Review
Review: One thing I liked about the book Holes was that the characters and setting were unique and believable. Stanley was an overweight boy who did not have any friends from school and often got picked on. He was accused of a crime he did not commit and was sent to a correctional camp (Camp Green Lake) where the boys are supposed to build character. Zero, also known as, Hector Zeroni, is black youth who has not had much of an education. He does not know how to read or write. X-Ray is portrayed as the head of the group. He decides that Stanley will be called Caveman and organizes the order of the line for water. Katherine Barlow is an important character brought up from the past. She once taught in a one-room schoolhouse on Green Lake, one hundred and ten years before it became Camp Green Lake. Her treasure is buried on the lake. The setting takes place at Camp Green Lake in the summertime.
As the plot unfolds, the characters begin to develop more and more. We find out that Zero has stolen the shoes that Stanley was accused of stealing. Towards the end of the book, Zero confesses and apologizes to Stanley for stealing Clyde Livingston's shoes. By the time Stanley leaves Camp Green Lake, he is both physically and emotionally stronger. As we learn more about the past, we discover how Katherine Barlow got her nickname, Kissin' Kate Barlow. She fell in love with Sam, a black man who sold onions in town. Prejudice townspeople killed him and Kate becomes Kissin' Kate Barlow, one of the most feared outlaws in the west, to get revenge.
Sometimes we can all get pulled into a plot while reading a good book and things that we know that do not ordinarily happen seem normal. One example from Holes is the coincidence of Zero stealing Clyde Livingston's shoes, placing them on a parked car, and then that same pair of shoes, fell from the overpass and hit Stanley on the head. "I was walking home from school and the sneakers fell from the sky, one had hit me on the head," Stanley told the judge (Sachar 23). I thought that the pacing and style were appropriate for this novel. There are different stories that are connected. The stories switch back and forth. Each time a piece of history was revealed, it foreshadowed what was about to happen in the present day Camp Green Lake. The main story is in the present and is about a boy named Stanley Yelnats who went to a camp in Texas because he (supposedly) committed a crime. Read Holes to see if you can find the answer to the major dramatic question, what are the boys at Camp Green Lake digging holes for, and why are they being put to work?
I really enjoyed reading Holes, by Louis Sachar. I had a hard time putting the book down because I was so curious to see how it would end. I feel that this book would be best enjoyed by age ten and older, grades 4-6. Holes could be used along with many different activities in the classroom. Before finishing the book, the students could make up a list of about four or five questions they hope will be answered by the ending. After completing the story the students could fill in the answers to their questions, which could be followed by a class discussion.
Rating: 
Summary: "Holes ' Helps Children Dig Into Reading
Review: From the perspective of a prospective teacher, I think that this book is an excellent tool to use to get students enthusiastic about reading. "Holes" is full of literary merit. Louis Sachar uses a very interesting point-of-view for this story. The reader feels drawn into the action. One example of this is from the beginning of the novel: "If you get bitten by a yellow-spotted lizard, you might as well go into the shade of the oak trees and lie in the hammock. There is nothing anyone can do to you anymore." The reader feels as if the author is talking directly to him or her.Another aspect of literary merit is that there is a very good major dramatic question. The reader really wants to know if Stanley is going to be able to break his family's curse. It is very hard to put the book down until this question is answered. Louis Sachar also uses understatement very well. He allows the reader to fill in the missing pieces at the end of the story. He writes, "This is pretty much the end of the story. The reader probably still has some questions, but unfortunately, from here on in, the answers tend to be long and tedious." Louis Sachar also uses appropriate pacing in this novel. He uses flashback very well to tell not only Stanley's story but also the stories of Stanley's great-great-grandfather and Kissin' Kate Barlow. These flashbacks give the reader more insight into the Yelnats curse and makes the reader care more deeply about the characters. I also belive that the characters and setting in the book are unique and believable. The setting takes place in a camp. Most readers can identify with going to camp at some point in their life. However, the reader learns that this is a very different type of camp. Also, the reader really comes to care about the characters. The characters are easy to identify with. I found myself thinking of the worst day I ever had and thought that was nothing compared to what Stanley was going through. Overall, this is a wonderful book to use to get students to read. However, I would not suggest this book for younger children. Parts of the book can get scary and the book is a bit harder for younger children to read. I would suggest this book for fifth grade or older. This is a book that can not only be enjoyed by children but by adults as well. This book can be very useful in the classroom. It is an excellent book to use to have the children predict what is going to happen next. It can also be used to help children use context clues to read between the lines. I highly recommend this book to teachers, parents, and children interested in experiencing a unique adventure into the world of reading!
Rating:
Summary: Really Good Book
Review: I recommend this book to everyone. It is a great book that I have read 3 times already. The plot is well built and the whole story line is great that's why I gave this book 5 stars
Rating:
Summary: I love it!
Review: I love "Holes." I love the way everything fits together in the end. I read this book and enjoyed it so much I read it to my brother. He really liked it too. I recomend this book to everyone-whether you like to read or not!
Rating:
Summary: A Good, Well-Interweaving of Story-Lines
Review: The story has already been well-described by the editorial reviews and other customer-reviewers, and I dislike redundancy; I will focus simply on why I gave this book five stars. This book contains multiple storylines, covering several generations, that gradually spiral in to converge at a single point in time-space. The writing itself is not complex, and the book flows quickly, but the merging of the different storylines adds a complexity that matches the Harry Potter books. I liked this aspect because it helps young readers really see cause-and-effect in action, how any action has ripple effects, and how we never act in a vacuum. The main character is well-developed, and the supporting characters are generally well-developed. This book is a fun read, along with being thought-provoking.
Rating:
Summary: Digging up holes.
Review: This book is really great it all starts out when a boy named Stanley Yelnats who was just walking down the street then suddenly shoes came flying above his head and hits him on the head. How did the shoes got there? Where did it came from? Who did it? Then later he finally knew that he had to go to court, because the shoes belong to a famous person that was donated at a place, and they think he stole them from the place. When he went to court he either had to chose to go to jail or go to Camp Green Lake. He never been to camp before, so he wanted to go to camp and see what it is like. So when he got there he was confused because it was called Camp Green Lake and he kinda expected that there will be a lake but the camp was all sand and hotness. When he first got there he met all the people in his camp. Later he met a boy named Zero (his nickname) who knew something or everything about the shoes at the donating place. You'll find out more details and more info if you read this book.
Rating:
Summary: I Loved It But...(A Fair Warning to Parents)
Review: I remember reading Louis Sachar's "Sideways Stories from Wayside School" as a kid and I remember thinking that the book was downright weird, but I remember loving it. So, over a decade and a half later, when I heard the buzz about "Holes" I decided to check it out for myself. I absolutely LOVED this book, mind you, I am also 25 years old. I personally feel that this book will be more appreciated by an older audience, and by people familiar with Sachar's style of writing. While I was outright laughing in parts, I do not necessarily think a younger reader will pick up on the subliminal humor and irony. Furthermore, the book alternates between the narrating of two different stories, which ultimately DO intercept. However, some people might find it difficult to follow the two stories which don't really seem to have any connection in the beginning of the book. I can see where this book might confuse younger readers. It is best to read this book understanding that Sachar's stories (from my experience) are always over-the-top and may even seem silly. I believe that this is the reason his books agreed with me so well as a child. However, if you are looking for a book with a linear plot and morally outstanding characters, and a book that has to make sense 100% of the time, then "Holes" is not the book you are looking for.
A fair warning to parents, "Holes" is quite a graphic book. There are a number of violent characters and some graphic depictions, however, I did not find any of these instances to be any more graphic then your run of the mill modern day Disney movie. These instances are beyond slapstick and often even fall into the violent/abusive category. In all fairness to "Holes", however, the setting for the story is Camp Green Lake, a correctional camp for juvenile delinquents. You can't exactly expect fuzzy bunnies and bonding sessions where the characters sit around and talk about their problems in a calm and rational manner. My suggestion is that you read the book yourself first and then decide if you want your child to read it (this is just a suggestion after reading some of the other, less favorable reviews). I hold firm, however, that "Holes" is a great book that can be appreciated by a good number of people. Sachar delivers a great story, illustrates some important morals (while not all "in your face") and still manages to create a happy ending. This book left a smile on my face. *The movie was well done too :) And my 29 year older sister also raves about this book.
Rating:
Summary: One of the Best I Have Ever Read
Review: This ia a fantastic book! I would recommend this book to anybody. You might think that you could see the movie and there you read the book. If you think you can do that then you didn't get the whole story what i mean is the book and the movie are different. Read this book trust me you won't regret it and you won't put it down!
Rating:
Summary: Holes
Review: The novel Holes by Louis Sachar is clearly a work of genius. This novel is filled with humor, wit, and life lessons. The character names are hard to keep up with, however if read with an open mind, it isn't that difficult. Sachar writes tremendous children's novels and Holes is living proof of this. This is an outstanding work of art.
Many literary devices are used in this novel. There are quite a few motifs: the lipstick container, the lizards, and the onions are a few. Some symbols strongly used in this novel are the names of the characters themselves. Zero, X-Ray, Caveman, Twitch, Armpit, and ZigZag are some examples. The fact that these characters were given nicknames by their peers is a symbol in itself, symbolizing their belonging with the rest of the group. Sachar employs mystery and suspense significantly to keep the reader guessing at what will happen next. Dual stories/plots is another device used by Sachar to make the novel more effective. Sachar uses many devices in this novel and they are all important to the development of it.
Louis Sachar has always written children's novels and therefore writes to appeal to the children. He creates nicknames for characters, zany and humorous plots, and overall confusing nonsense to keep the reader interested throughout. Louis Sachar is a great author and even though some have not heard of him yet, his writing will soon infect the world for the better.
Rating:
Summary: Great story, good writing, enjoyable use of my time
Review: As a mom I've made it a point to read what my kids read. This means I've had to suffer through the likes of Goosebumps, Babysitter Club, and Captain Underpants. But it also means I get to read some real winners like "Holes." Though I have not been able to bring myself to read Louis Sachar's Wayside school books, I decided to try "Holes" as it won the Newberry (another goal I have is to read all the Newberry's). What a great time I had reading this book! It was hard to put down. The characters were believable, funny and endearing. And I really like it when a book surprises me with the ending instead of being able to figure it out halfway through. Parents, don't be afraid to read this book - you'll have a good time. Also, the movie is very true to the book and is well worth your time.
|
