Holes by Louis Sachar

This is one I call a “good Newbery”. Winning the award in 1999, “Holes” has quickly become one of the modern classics. Sachar weaves a clever, funny, touching and unexpected tale of Stanley Yelnats, a boy who was simply born to be a loser. Arrested for a crime he did not commit, he is found guilty and sent to the desert to dig holes. While his body undergoes dramatic changes, his outlook on the world changes as well. He discovers he is cursed, and a parallel story of the past begins to unfold in alternate chapters. Sachar is smart. His dialog makes you think, then smile, as you realize how he “grows” the different elements of his story. The twists come rapidly throughout the book, and I didn’t see a one of them coming – and with all the books I read, I love a “fresh” story. There were bellylaughs combined with deep sighs of frustration at the lot Stanley has been given. It is a rare and gifted author who can twist your heart from one extreme to the other over and over in a short period of time. Bravo to Mr. Sachar, may generations of kids enjoy this story in the years to come!