Holes 

Author: Louis Satcher 

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Grade level: 3-5

Award: John Newberry Medal

Stanley Yelnats has a curse on him and his family put on his great great grandfather. He is sent to Camp Green Lake for a crime that he did not commit. They are forced to dig giant holes everyday. He soon realizes that the warden is looking for something and that is why they dig holes. He meets other boys at camp and we learn about why his family has a curse because his great great grandfather did not take Madame Zeroni up the mountain and sing a song when she helped him fatten up a pig to hopefully win over a girl he loved. The thing that the warden was looking for was a treasure a big treasure that kissing kate barlow collected. The love of her life was killed and so she went seeking for revenge. She would kill people and kiss them after they were dead. She would rob people and eventually she runs into stanleys great grandfather. When the man she loved was killed rain stopped falling and the lake dried up. Stanley makes a friend named Zero and eventually Zero runs away from the camp after saving Stanley. Stanley eventually goes after Zero and the two make their way up the mountain. Zero gets hurt and Stanley has to carry him up the mountain. They reach the top and find onions and water where they eat and drink and stanley sings the song he learned from his ancestors. This breaks the curse and on the way back they find the treasure as well. Zero hires a private investigator and finds his mom. 

This book can be used in the classroom for a variety of reasons. There is lots of vocabulary that can be learned. Each week there could be a weekly spelling test on words from the story. This book also teaching about perseverance and friendship and would be a great prompt maker for journal entries. 

The cover art is pretty abstract. It looks as if it is a moon. The colors are pretty bold and bland.