"Holes"

Holes
Author: Louis Sachar
Illustrator: Adam McCauley
Genre: Chapter Book
Subgenre: Fiction, Mystery
Theme: Punishment and suffering for your actions, Humor and Friendship
Primary/Secondary Characters: Stanley Yelnats/Zero & the Warden
Date of Publication: Year 2001
Publishing Company: Random House Children's Books

Summary: Stanley Yelnats, a teenage boy, is sent to Camp Green Lake, a detention facility, as he was accused of stealing a famous baseball players shoes from a charity auction. At the camp, he is with other teenage boys who have misbehaved and were sent to the camp as well. At the camp, the boys must dig 5 foot by 5 foot holes in the hot sun, with a scarce amount of water. The boys believe they are digging for punishment, when in actuality, they were digging to find the lost loot of Kissin' Kate Barlow, a wild west outlaw. The boys are tortured and catch on to why they are digging the holes, and one day, Stanley actually finds a lipstick tube from Kissin Kate, and the warden confiscates it immediately. The story tells the struggles of the boys, the friendships they make, and at the end, Stanley is released, has a suitcase full of family bonds in it, and with that he makes a new famous product, called "Sploosh", a foot odor blocker. The warden had to sell Camp Green Lake, and it was then taken over by a group of Girl Scouts. This book provides humor to young teens, and shows them consequences that come from misbehaving actions. It is a great book to introduce mystery and thrill, and also a teenage read.