YAM Book Club Report By: Abhiram U. (7th Grader)
Title
I think the author chose this particular title for the book because the main character, Stanley, goes to Camp Green Lake to dig holes and be disciplined. The setting of the book is mostly just this camp, and digging holes made a big difference in the book. Digging holes was very tiresome for Stanley, and everyone needed to dig their hole a certain depth. The Warden wanted these holes to be dug so that she could look for the treasures of Kissin’ Kate Barlow. I think this title is very significant, as holes were being dug for a majority of the book, and some events could have been changed if there weren’t holes. For example, if Camp Green Lake didn’t have all of these holes dug, then when Stanley escaped the camp with the truck, he wouldn’t have crashed.
Summary
This book is about Stanley Yelnats, who goes to Camp Green Lake after being falsely accused of stealing Clyde Livingston’s famous shoes. Stanley has a very interesting and cursed family, and he unexpectedly meets Zero at Camp Green Lake, who is related to Madame Zeroni, the one who cursed Stanley’s family. Stanley teaches Zero how to read while Zero helps Stanley dig his holes at Camp Green Lake, but Zero soon leaves the camp and goes off in the heat, where there is no water. Shortly after, Stanley also leaves, and after walking through the heat for a while, he meets Zero and they walk to God’s Thumb for water and onions. After collecting a large supply of food and water, Zero and Stanley hike back to the camp so that they can find Kate Barlow’s treasure and become fugitives. By now, Zero and Stanley know a lot about each other, and Stanley fulfills what Madame Zeroni wanted his ancestor to do, except with Zero. Stanley and Zero find Kate Barlow’s treasure, yet are caught by the Warden, the owner of Camp Green Lake. Stanley’s lawyer rescues them with the Attorney General, and Stanley is not guilty of stealing Clyde’s shoes. Zero’s file is missing, so Zero and Stanley are both free now. In the end, Stanley’s father is successful with his shoe business, Clyde and Stanley’s family are friends, and Zero is reunited with his mother, who he lost after becoming homeless.
Scene
My favorite scene in the book is where Zero reads the letters on the suitcase and tells the Warden that it says, Stanley Yelnats. This event takes place in the Camp Green Lake grounds. The Warden is surprised, and Mr. Pendanski says that Zero can’t even read. I like this scene because it proves that Zero is developing as a character. He talks to Mr. Pendanski, and he is able to read. At the start of the book, he wasn’t able to read, and he wouldn’t talk at all. This event stops the Warden from taking Stanley’s rightful treasure.
Character
I think Zero is the most interesting character in Holes because he develops a lot and he has a very interesting backstory. This character possesses the ability to learn quickly, is very smart, and is quiet. Zero never really talked in the book at first, but after meeting Stanley, he talks a lot with him about his past. Zero is also truthful, as he doesn’t lie about the fact that he was the one who stole Clyde’s shoes. Zero is able to learn extremely quickly, as he learns the alphabet from Stanley in 5 days. Zero is also smart because he is able to do math very well. He calculates how long it will take him to learn the alphabet, as he says he will learn five capitals and five lowercase every day. Zero calculates very quickly. He is very quiet, especially when talking to people like Mr. Pendanski, who makes fun of him for the whole book. However, with friends like Stanley, he talks.
Conflict and Resolution
Stanley has several major problems that he needs to overcome in the book, but I think the main problem is that his family is cursed to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. This problem resulted in him going to Camp Green Lake, being falsely accused of stealing shoes that fell on his head from the freeway. Stanley solved this problem by listening to Madame Zeroni, who cursed his ancestor after he didn’t carry her up the mountain, sing her a lullaby, and let her drink water before she died. Stanley carried Zero, Madame Zeroni’s descendant, up God’s Thumb, let him drink water, and sang him a lullaby.
Change
One thing I would change about Holes is that I would add more female characters. I think there are way too many male characters, while the only main female characters are the Warden, Kate Barlow, Stanley’s mom, and Zero’s mom. I would highly recommend this amazing book because if you read it properly and slowly, you will find out so many details that weren’t mentioned yet are so amazing. The author doesn’t say how Stanley’s family curse is gone, but us readers find out by carefully analyzing the story and figuring out that Hector Zeroni, or Zero, is carried up God’s Thumb by Stanley, who sings Zero a lullaby and gives him water. This book has so many fine details that are amazing and it is a perfect book to read as a middle schooler.
