Holes

Written by: Louis Sachar 

At the beginning of this book the main character Stanley Yelnats is given the choice of going to jail or attending Camp Green Lake. He goes with the latter choice with the reasoning, "I have never been to camp before." However, after this camp experience Stanley will quickly realize this is not the kind of camp he thought it would be. Camp Green Lake is a place that once was the largest lake in Texas, but is now deserted. The boys at camp are required to dig holes as deep as their shovels are tall. They are digging these holes because the warden is looking for something. This story is a story of how a boy is falsely convicted and sent to a camp that treats the boys very unfairly. 

The themes that are intwined in this book are what make it so useful in the classroom. 

1. The Power of Fate to Determine Events
2. The Benefits of Friendship
3. The Destructive Nature of Cruelty
4. The Importance of History in Everyday Life

If I were to teach this book I would lead discussions based on each of those four themes. 

Here is the trailer for the movie!