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| Image: Macmillan |
#tbt features Holes by Louis Sachar. Holes was published in 1998 and won both the National Book Award for Young People's Literature and the 1999 Newbery Medal! Holes is the story of Stanley Yelnats III and his cursed family. Stanley receives a pair of sneakers, a special pair of sneakers, from the sky and finds himself arrested for theft. He's ultimately sent to Camp Green Lake, a juvenile detention center, where he is informed he has to dig holes - five feet deep and five feet around. The intricate plot travels back in time to tell two stories; that of a school teacher and a Black man who grows onions and wants to learn to read, as well as Stanley's grandfather's story. While humorous, this affecting novel touches on issues of racism as well as incarcerated teens. The book was optioned for a film, which released in 2003.
Holes is the rare Newbery winner that becomes popular with students. I very clearly recall a student's reactions when it was assigned for summer reading by an LA teacher, "Finally! A winner I enjoyed reading!"
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