HOLES

HOLES by Louis Sachar

Wow! I had forgotten how good Holes by Louis Sachar is! If you have a child that fits the middle grade age that likes adventure and mystery, this is a win!

Stanley Yelnats (yes his last name is his first name spelled backwards) has always been unlucky in life. In fact, his whole family traces their bad luck all the way back to Stanley's no-good-dirty-rotten- pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather. So when Stanley is convicted of a crime he didn't commit and sentenced to serve his time at Camp Green Lake, it's really no surprise. What is a surprise is that Camp Green Lake isn't green at all, and the lake is all dried up and gone. What's even more of a surprise is every day the boys sentenced there have to each dig a hole that is five feet deep and five feet wide. They're told that it will build character, but it may have more to do with the fact that a long time ago a school teacher named Katherine Barlow lived in this area when there was a lake and a town. Through a series of events she was wronged and turned into Outlaw Kissing Kate Barlow. Her treasure has never been found.

The chapters are very short, and I can honestly say this is a book Isaac kept asking for another chapter. I was happy to comply!