Holes by Louis Sachar Stanley Yelnats has been falsely accused and convicted of stealing Sweet Feet Livingston's shoes. Given the choice between going to Camp Green Lake or jail, Stanley chooses Camp Green Lake. Camp Green Lake proves to be a misnomer. The lake has long been dry (story which is told intermingled with Stanley's story) and there is nothing green around. The campers have to dig five foot diameter holes every day, allegedly because this will build character. In reality, the camp Director is looking for the treasure of Kissin Kate Barlow, which is supposed to be buried somewhere on the premises.
Stanley's cabin mates have given themselves each nicknames, which they always use for each other. Stanley becomes Caveman, and the other boys are Squid, X-Ray, Magnet, Armpit, Zigzag, and Zero. Zero is called Zero because everyone else thinks that Zero has zero in his head, that he is a zero. When Zero sees Stanley writing to his mother, he asks Stanley to teach him to read. In exchange, he offers to dig part of Stanley's hole for him every day. When it is discovered that Zero is digging part of Stanley's hole, the Director makes fun of Zero for trying to learn to read. She tells him that he will never be fit for anything but digging holes. Zero runs away. Nobody follows him because they know that they have the only water around; Zero will have to come back or die. Stanley feels guilty, and after a few days, he runs away in search of Zero.
When he finds Zero, Zero has gotten very weak, but is still alive. He has been living on "sloosh", jars of which he found under a boat. He and Stanley do not return to the camp. Because Stanley remembers that his great-grandfather had survived in the same desert after being robbed by Kissin Kate Barlow by living on what he called the thumb of God, they head towards a mountain that looks like a big thumb.
Fortunately, it turns out to be the same mountain, and there are lots of wild onions growing there. Thinking that he knows where the treasure is, Stanley convinces Zero to return with him to Camp Green Lake, where they do find the treasure. Stanley's lawyer is there, having come to get him, and when she sees Zero, she wants his files. Zero's files, however, have been deleted because the camp wanted to cover up his disappearance, and the Director is thouroughly discredited. The camp is closed down and the boys get the treasure.
Happy reading.
: 12:13 AM
