Helpful Score: 7
This is a great story for kids (ages 9-15ish), but even the adults may enjoy it!
It especially appeals to people who don't like to read long stories. The chapters are short, the plot moves swiftly, yet it is still a sophisticated story with plot twists, and a surprising ending.
It especially appeals to people who don't like to read long stories. The chapters are short, the plot moves swiftly, yet it is still a sophisticated story with plot twists, and a surprising ending.
Helpful Score: 7
This book was written so that older children/young adults could read and understand it with no problems. As an adult, please don't be misled into thinking it'll be 'beneath you' to read this wonderful book, or you'll miss out on a really good read!
Helpful Score: 6
A very odd story, yet I kind of enjoyed it. Its for young adults but thats ok.
Helpful Score: 5
Written for children and teens , but I liked it too!!
Helpful Score: 4
One of those children's books enjoyed by adults!
"inventive and darkly humorous tale of crime and punishment - and redemption."
"inventive and darkly humorous tale of crime and punishment - and redemption."
Helpful Score: 4
Awesome book - a lot of great things to think about! I had to read it a couple times just to keep up!
Helpful Score: 3
Good movie, even better book. For young teens.
Helpful Score: 2
Awesome book for kids and adults alike. I really enjoyed this book and recommend to anyone who is young or just young at heart.
Helpful Score: 2
A dazzlilng blend of social commentary, tall tale and magic realism.
A brilliant achievement. There is no question, kids will love Holes.
A brilliant achievement. There is no question, kids will love Holes.
Helpful Score: 1
I loved this book. It was fun and had a great message. It is a great book for a teen reader.
Helpful Score: 1
This is a wonderful young person's book. I really enjoyed it as a read-aloud too. The story is a mixture of coming-of-age and mystery. Thoughtful and interesting right to the end.
Helpful Score: 1
Meh...watch the movie, it moves faster and is word for word the book which is rare for movies.
Helpful Score: 1
This is a great story for kids. I loved the themes and lessons taught about keeping promises. It was also very engaging for an adult reader who was looking for some entertainment.
Helpful Score: 1
Thi book is every bit as good as the movie. The story just jumps right off the pages and right into your heart. Adults are sure to love it as much as the kiddos do.
Id seen the movie a dozen times and I can say the book is great.
Id seen the movie a dozen times and I can say the book is great.
Helpful Score: 1
This is a great story for kids (ages 9-15ish), but even the adults may enjoy it!
It especially appeals to people who don't like to read long stories. The chapters are short, the plot moves swiftly, yet it is still a sophisticated story with plot twists, and a surprising ending.
It especially appeals to people who don't like to read long stories. The chapters are short, the plot moves swiftly, yet it is still a sophisticated story with plot twists, and a surprising ending.
Helpful Score: 1
This is a great story for kids (ages 9-15ish), but even the adults may enjoy it!
It especially appeals to people who don't like to read long stories. The chapters are short, the plot moves swiftly, yet it is still a sophisticated story with plot twists, and a surprising ending.
It especially appeals to people who don't like to read long stories. The chapters are short, the plot moves swiftly, yet it is still a sophisticated story with plot twists, and a surprising ending.
A great book for young readers.
Phenominal book. A must read.
I actually did not read the book. I got it for my son who is 9 years old and he loved it. I think it only took him four days to read it because he could not put it down!
Much better than the movie it spawned. Lots of laughs and lots of thought material.
Excellent book for an elementary school age child.
Everyone I know that read this book loved it!
The plot is simple, but with a healthy amount of depth, although the prose is a bit sparse even for young adult material. It's good if you know a young person you want to get into reading and want to kick start the habit.
Good book, even better movie.
Extremely good. Much better than the movie, I think too.
I read this book before the movie came out to see if my 8th graders would enjoy it. I found that I could not put it down! A great read with a wonderful message!
Stanley Yelnats is sent to Camp Green Lake reform school for something he didn't do. The Warden at the prison camp has all the inmates digging holes all over the dry lake bed. Why?
Hundreds of years ago another Stanley Yelnats also had bad luck, disobeying a Gypsy wise woman who did him a favor.
Is our Stanley's bad luck related to that of his ancestor?
------Winner of the Newbery Medal, the National Book Award, the Boston Globe-Herald Book Award, the Christopher Award for Juvenile Fiction. An ALA Best Book for young adults, an ALA Notable book, an ALA Quick Pick and other awards------
Hundreds of years ago another Stanley Yelnats also had bad luck, disobeying a Gypsy wise woman who did him a favor.
Is our Stanley's bad luck related to that of his ancestor?
------Winner of the Newbery Medal, the National Book Award, the Boston Globe-Herald Book Award, the Christopher Award for Juvenile Fiction. An ALA Best Book for young adults, an ALA Notable book, an ALA Quick Pick and other awards------
Really enjoyed this. Nice coming of age story
Description:
231 pages long.
Great for girls and boy ages 9-10+
I suggest this book!
Basically from back cover (changed a little)
This book is about a kid "Stanley Yelants" is under a curse. A curse that has been in his family since his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing great-great-grandfather! Now Stanley is being sent to a boys detention center at Camp Green Lake, where the boys build character digging holes exactly 5 feet deep and five feet wide. There is no lake at Camp Green Lake. But an awful lot of holes. It doesn't take Stanley long to realize theres much more than character improvement going on at Camp Green Lake. The boys are digging holes because the warden is looking for something. But what could be buried under a dried-up lake? Stanley tries to dig up the truth in this inventive and darkly humorous tale of crime and punishment-and redemption.
231 pages long.
Great for girls and boy ages 9-10+
I suggest this book!
Basically from back cover (changed a little)
This book is about a kid "Stanley Yelants" is under a curse. A curse that has been in his family since his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing great-great-grandfather! Now Stanley is being sent to a boys detention center at Camp Green Lake, where the boys build character digging holes exactly 5 feet deep and five feet wide. There is no lake at Camp Green Lake. But an awful lot of holes. It doesn't take Stanley long to realize theres much more than character improvement going on at Camp Green Lake. The boys are digging holes because the warden is looking for something. But what could be buried under a dried-up lake? Stanley tries to dig up the truth in this inventive and darkly humorous tale of crime and punishment-and redemption.
One great read for "tween's"!
GREAT BOOK - read it then watch the movie!!!! GREAT BOOK and GREAT MOVIE! Good for adult light read or kids!
Holes is a great book written by a great author and you should read it!!
I loved this book! I has a magical way of ending and the movie is wonderful too!
A boy is sent unjustly to a boy's detention center where he learns the meaning of hard work, friendship and loyalty. It's a book that will keep your interest from start to finish. Happy reading!
Great book. Ive watched the movie so many times. Its a wonderful story line with many depths and twists. Enjoyable and a great book for any age. I recommend seeing the movie too.
This is an unabridged production of Louis Sachar's Newberry Award winning book "Holes" on 3 tapes. It is narrated by Kerry Beyer and is 4.5 hours long.
It was very good but not my favorite book!
This is a fun and easy read, but it makes you think enough to keep me entertained. I Loved how Stanley (main character) keeps up such a good attitude. We can learn a lot of good things from this book.
An excellent book for young people, especially boys. The movie was very well-done as the author wrote the screen play. Of course, the book is better.
This book is all about a boy named Stanley who is going to this camp for bad boys, because he stole some shoes who belonged to a famose baseball player. At the camp they have to dig a seven feet deep hole every day. Stanley meets a boy named Zero and they accidentaly find something very cool but you'll have to read the book to find out what it is.
Great story for ten year olds +
Interesting plot. The movie stays mostly true to the book.
Cleverly different than most children's books. A story about friendship, discrimination, and luck.
Reviewed by Julie M. Prince for TeensReadToo.com
HOLES was first released over a decade ago, so I have no excuse for not joining the masses in reading it before now. But, I kept telling myself, it's about boys digging holes. What's interesting about that?
So years passed.
When the anniversary edition, complete with its Newbery-medal-bearing jacket, caught my eye, I decided it was time to see what all the hype was about. After all, clearly the book was good enough to be made into a movie starring some of my favorite actors (Jon Voigt, Henry Winkler, Sigourney Weaver, and a young Shia LaBeouf), so it had to be good, right?
Thankfully, this (admittedly flawed) line of reasoning didn't fail me. The book met and exceeded my expectations.
A weak but loveable main character named Stanley Yelnats (a clever anagram, no?) leads readers through the main plot. The story is about an adolescent boy sent to a reform camp, where he must dig one grave-sized hole each day as punishment for a crime we're led to believe he did not commit.
As I suspected, this plot is no fun. But don't let that fool you! The book itself is chalk full of fun...and it doesn't take long for it to enter the story.
A master at suspending disbelief, Sachar weaves together several storylines as he takes us back through Yelnats family history and ties it to the history of Kissin' Kate Barlow, one of the most notorious outlaws in the West. Without revealing too much, and yet dropping enough clues for readers to piece the puzzle together as they go, Sachar unveils each story as a stand-alone piece while keeping firm footing in the main story.
One character after another dances through the book and wins over readers with a sympathetic story of his or her own. Luckily, Sachar makes it easy to fall in love with even the most backward-seeming character. No one's life is easy and everyone wants his or her story told.
Amazingly, this is accomplished in one reasonably short, action-packed book that more than earned every award piled upon it.
I highly recommend picking this one up anytime!
HOLES was first released over a decade ago, so I have no excuse for not joining the masses in reading it before now. But, I kept telling myself, it's about boys digging holes. What's interesting about that?
So years passed.
When the anniversary edition, complete with its Newbery-medal-bearing jacket, caught my eye, I decided it was time to see what all the hype was about. After all, clearly the book was good enough to be made into a movie starring some of my favorite actors (Jon Voigt, Henry Winkler, Sigourney Weaver, and a young Shia LaBeouf), so it had to be good, right?
Thankfully, this (admittedly flawed) line of reasoning didn't fail me. The book met and exceeded my expectations.
A weak but loveable main character named Stanley Yelnats (a clever anagram, no?) leads readers through the main plot. The story is about an adolescent boy sent to a reform camp, where he must dig one grave-sized hole each day as punishment for a crime we're led to believe he did not commit.
As I suspected, this plot is no fun. But don't let that fool you! The book itself is chalk full of fun...and it doesn't take long for it to enter the story.
A master at suspending disbelief, Sachar weaves together several storylines as he takes us back through Yelnats family history and ties it to the history of Kissin' Kate Barlow, one of the most notorious outlaws in the West. Without revealing too much, and yet dropping enough clues for readers to piece the puzzle together as they go, Sachar unveils each story as a stand-alone piece while keeping firm footing in the main story.
One character after another dances through the book and wins over readers with a sympathetic story of his or her own. Luckily, Sachar makes it easy to fall in love with even the most backward-seeming character. No one's life is easy and everyone wants his or her story told.
Amazingly, this is accomplished in one reasonably short, action-packed book that more than earned every award piled upon it.
I highly recommend picking this one up anytime!
My children (now teens) loved this book in early middle school. A definite find even for the reluctant reader!
My daughter read this in advanced reading class... and I read it along with her... it really is a good story and worth the time to read and discuss...we also really enjoyed the movie....but I have to say the book was BETTER
Wonderful book, better than the movie
this is a book that will truly move you i never thought a story on this subject would be so touching
very enjoyable!
This is a great book for pre-teen through adult. The story is intriguing and there are lessons to be learned along the way.
I think the book was very good because it was an adventure to read.
great read - even for adults
awesome book! this is about a kid named stanley and his family is said to be cursed.
My 4th graders loved this book......even BEFORE the movie came out!!!
"If you take a bad boy and make him dig a hole every day in the hot sun, it will turn him into a good boy." Such is the reigning philosophy at Camp Green Lake, a juvenile detention facility where there is no lake, and there are no happy campers. In place of what used to be "the largest lake in Texas" is now a dry, flat, sunburned wasteland, pocked with countless identical holes dug by boys improving their character. Stanley Yelnats, of palindromic name and ill-fated pedigree, has landed at Camp Green Lake because it seemed a better option than jail. No matter that his conviction was all a case of mistaken identity, the Yelnats family has become accustomed to a long history of bad luck, thanks to their "no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather!" Despite his innocence, Stanley is quickly enmeshed in the Camp Green Lake routine.
"If you take a bad boy and make him dig a hole every day in the hot sun, it will turn him into a good boy." Such is the reigning philosophy at Camp Green Lake, a juvenile detention facility where there is no lake, and there are no happy campers. In place of what used to be "the largest lake in Texas" is now a dry, flat, sunburned wasteland, pocked with countless identical holes dug by boys improving their character. Stanley Yelnats, of palindromic name and ill-fated pedigree, has landed at Camp Green Lake because it seemed a better option than jail. No matter that his conviction was all a case of mistaken identity, the Yelnats family has become accustomed to a long history of bad luck, thanks to their "no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather!" Despite his innocence, Stanley is quickly enmeshed in the Camp Green Lake routine.
This is a great story for kids (ages 9-15ish), but even the adults may enjoy it!
It especially appeals to people who don't like to read long stories. The chapters are short, the plot moves swiftly, yet it is still a sophisticated story with plot twists, and a surprising ending.
It especially appeals to people who don't like to read long stories. The chapters are short, the plot moves swiftly, yet it is still a sophisticated story with plot twists, and a surprising ending.
My 5th grade teacher read this to us in class ... and we all loved it! It was the first book to be completley sold out at the Book Fair that year. The movie is good as well ... but nothing beats the book!
Although I did not read this book, my 9 year old son did and loved it. Ironically, one rainy Saturday morning, we turned on the TV to find the movie version on and he had just finished the book. I found the movie interesting but of course my son said it wasn't as good as the book. We just received the next book in the series and he can't wait to get started. Judging from the movie, I would say this book has quite a few layers and is appropriate for advanced readers in the 9-12 range.
Great book for pre-teens!
You all probably know this book! It is in fact a good read. :)
It is a very interesting story and I love the plot twist.
Loved this book. And the movie! Very well written!!
I loved this book! Easy to read but keeeps your interest.
This is a Newbury Medal award book and is very interesting. Sometimes recommended reading for school classes.
Great book, good movie. If you liked the movie, you'll love the book! This book is a classic unlike any other novel of its kind, you'll want to read it again and again!
Stanley Yelnats is under a curse. The curse began with his no good dirty rotten pig stealing great great grandfather When stanely is sent to a detention camp called camp green lake he at first thinks that these kids at camp green lake are cruel and mean and so is everyone else though he soon gains a friendship with a boy nickednamed Zero he soon realizes that the camp is not just making them dig holes for improvment but because the warden is looking for somthing. stanley and Zero try to dig up the truth in this tale of crime redemption and punishment.
This was such a fun book. Unfortunately, I saw the movie first (something I prefer to do only after I've read the book) so I really wasn't surprised by anything that happened.
With that said, I still enjoyed the book a lot. It is an easy read with interesting characters and a pretty good sense of humor. I can also say that the movie adaptation was pretty spot-on and faithfully captured the spirit and detail of the book, although the book (as always) was better.
This would be a very engaging read for younger readers (boys and girls alike) but it is still grown up enough for adults to enjoy. It would make for great required reading in school, or an easy beach read for adults. Either way, its a win.
With that said, I still enjoyed the book a lot. It is an easy read with interesting characters and a pretty good sense of humor. I can also say that the movie adaptation was pretty spot-on and faithfully captured the spirit and detail of the book, although the book (as always) was better.
This would be a very engaging read for younger readers (boys and girls alike) but it is still grown up enough for adults to enjoy. It would make for great required reading in school, or an easy beach read for adults. Either way, its a win.
This is an excellent book for fourth and fifth graders. There's also an accompanying movie that doesn't deviate too much from the book.
What a great story. I think I liked it as much as my kids!
Winner of the Newbery Medal and National Book Award, and basis for the movie about a kid sent to a boy's detention center. At first, he thinks that digging holes is supposed to help the boys build character - but soon he realizes that their warden has an ulterior motive.
Just like the famous movie of the same name
Very good book. Would recommend it and would like to see the movie now.
Stanley Yelnats is under a curse. A curse that began with his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing great-great grandfather and has since followed generations of Yelnats. Now Stanley has been unjustly sent to a boys' dentention center where the boys build character by spending all day, every day, digging holes exactly five feet wide and five feet deep. Stanley tries to dig up the truth in this inventive and darkly humorous tale of crime and punishment-and redemption.
This is a great kids book. Our family read it aloud.
