Summer Reading: Holes
Upper elementary and middle school students will enjoy the novel Holes by Louis Sachar. With a reading level of 5.2, the book is accessible to upper elementary students and interesting to middle schoolers. It’s a Newberry Award winner and has been made into a popular movie.
Holes is the story of a boy named Stanley who seems to have everything go wrong in his life. He blames it on a family curse from four generations back, but the results seem very real to him. He’s a social outcast, overweight, and now accused of a crime he didn’t commit and sent to a juvenile detention camp with a twist- the warden believes that boys’ characters can be changed by having them dig holes in the desert in the hot sun. Is he secretly searching for buried treasure?
The book touches on themes of friendship, destiny, and even literacy. The characters demonstrate determination and strong will. It will appeal to girls as well as to boys, and is an outstanding choice for summer reading fun.
Online resources to use with Holes include:
Activity Suggestions for Holes
Scholastic.com Activities for Holes
Don’t forget that you can help your child learn to write an outstanding book report in the Book Report Workshop!