Classics Corner: Holes by Louis Sachar; Three Stories Blend To Make One Superb YA Classic

Classics Corner: Holes by Louis Sachar; Three Stories Blend To Make One Superb YA Classic




By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews


Spoilers: I always said that Louis Sachar's Newbery Medal Winning novel, Holes is deep for a YA novel. Heck, it is deeper than most adult novels. Teachers wisely have used this book to teach their students about paying attention to detail and multiple narratives.

Holes doesn't tell one interesting story. Instead, Sachar tells three and wraps them all in one ambitious, cleverly written superb classic.

Story #1 is that of Stanley Yelnats IV and his adventures at Camp Green Lake. Stanley's family has been under a curse for five generations. This curse often puts Stanley in the wrong place at the wrong time such as when he is caught with a baseball player's pair of athletic shoes that was donated to a children's home. Stanley is arrested and sent to an all-boys detention camp, Camp Green Lake.
The camp is in the middle of the desert and the nasty Warden and her cohorts demand that the boys dig one hole a day. They claim that they are trying to “build character” but it doesn't take long for Stanley to realize they are looking for something but what?

Story #2 is about Stanley's “no good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great grandfather,” Elya Yelnats and the origin of the Yelnats family curse. Elya was a young Latvian man who fell in love with a girl. To win her over, Elya's friend, Madame Zeroni suggests that he should take a pig up the mountain and tend to it so it will grow stronger. When he is done with that, he should then take Madame Zeroni up the mountain so she can grow stronger. However, if he fails, he and his family will be cursed always and for eternity.
Unfortunately, Elya rejects the flaky girl when she can't decide between her two suitors.
So, Elya flees to America forgetting about Madame Zeroni and his promise to carry her up the mountain. He realizes the consequences when his family becomes hit with bad luck, particularly his son, Stanley Yelnats I who has a chest of valuables stolen during a stagecoach robbery.

Story # 3, my favorite, is of Western outlaw, Kissin’ Kate Barlow. Kate is a schoolteacher in the once-thriving town of Green Lake. She becomes romantically involved with Sam, an African-American onion farmer. When they are caught kissing, Kate's schoolhouse is burned down and Sam is lynched and shot to death.
Out of revenge, Kate goes after the members of the lynch mob by shooting them then leaving a kiss as her trademark. Kate begins a 20 year career of robbing trains, banks stagecoaches (including a stage that had as a passenger, one Stanley Yelnats I), and killing people who get in her way. Rumors are eventually spread that she buried the loot that she stole out in the desert and anyone who searches for it will have to go digging. And what a coincidence, that in modern times there is a delinquent camp for boys that can do just that.

As you can tell, Holes is not an easy story to tell and that's what makes it a great book. In my previous entry for A Wrinkle in Time, I praised YA books that recognize their Reader's intelligence. They can tell an engaging and inventive story that draws in young Readers while using bigger concepts and effective storytelling that doesn't talk down to them. Holes has all of that and more.

Off-handed conversations become important later on. Some things happen to Stanley in the present which are answered in one of the flashbacks stories. Characters are introduced in the present whose relatives had great significance in the past.
Sachar chose not to write his book in a chronological linear manner. Instead, he combined the three stories using excerpts from each into the chapters sorting them by plot and thematic element. The questions asked by characters in the present are answered by characters in the past and struggles caused by character's actions in the past are resolved by character's actions in the present. Confused yet?

Holes is not just a book with a deep narration. It also has a lot of humor, depth, and a lot of warmth. Much of the humor lies in Sachar’s writing. He first describes Camp Green Lake as “There is no lake at Camp Green Lake.”
He describes Kate Barlow as a beautiful school teacher loved by her students and many of the men in town. The men came to her adult education classes hoping to get a date with her, but Sachar tells us “all they got was the education.”

The humor isn't just limited to the narration. Names add to the funny elements to the story. Stanley Yelnats’ first and last names are the same forward and backwards (His great-great grandmother thought that was clever and it stuck with subsequent generations.)
All of the campers and staff have nicknames. The campers call each other names like Zig Zag, X Ray, Armpit, Magnet, Squint, Twitch, and Zero after some physical characteristic or personality trait. To receive a nickname means that you are accepted as one of the gang, as Stanley (later Caveman) discovers.
The staff are called The Warden (her title to show she's in charge), Mr. Sir (The Warden’s sadistic second in command) and Dr. Pendanski AKA Mom (the boy's counselor who affects a kind demeanor but is really condescending and patronizing to the boys, particularly Zero).

Besides the clever narration and word play, Holes discusses real world issues like homelessness, child abandonment, juvenile delinquency, and most notably racism. Kate and Sam are an interracial couple in the late 1800’s. Their encounters as Sam fixes Kate’s school roof, window, door, and eventually her broken heart are beautiful making them among the best literary romantic couples of all time.

Sachar, however, doesn't shy away from the ramifications from a racist town that may not have minded Sam when he sold them onions but raises Holy Hell when he and a white school teacher fall in love. After Sam is killed, Kate transforms from a sweet schoolteacher to an angry outlaw and Green Lake changes from a lush green garden spot to an arid decayed desert. These changes reveal the hateful nature that was buried under the residents of Green Lake bringing that hatred out in the open.

Stanley's family also has much to answer for. While Elya's crime of forgetting about Madame Zeroni wasn't as great as Sam’s murder, he reveals his egocentricism and ungratefulness by not even thinking of her until it is too late. Elya's actions still led to many generations of bad luck, poverty, and tragedy for his family. The only way the curse can be resolved is through Stanley.

Stanley unwittingly becomes the catalyst for great change during his time in Camp Green Lake most importantly in his friendship with Zero.
Zero is a small camper who doesn't say much and is frequently bullied. Stanley and Zero strike up a friendship when Stanley teaches Zero to read and Zero helps his new friend dig his holes. They defend each other after they are bullied.
When Zero runs away from camp, Stanley orchestrates a daring escape attempt to find him earning them the support of the formerly apathetic campers. When Stanley and Zero are reunited, things happen that tie all three stories together and allows Elya's curse to be broken and Kate to finally receive some peace. What was broken by hatred and selfishness is made whole because of friendship and self-sacrifice.

Holes is one of the most ambitious YA novels with its multiple perspectives, time hopping narrative, and combination of humor, social issues, and warmth. Louis Sachar won the Newbery Medal for his efforts and rightfully deserved it.

Classics Corner: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle; Classic Newbery Winner Science Fiction Fantasy About Conformity and Individuality

Classics Corner: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle; Classic Newbery Winner Science Fiction Fantasy About Conformity and Individuality




By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews


Spoilers: The best YA books are the ones that realize that their Readers are young, but intelligent. They don't talk down to them. They aren't afraid to discuss topics like death, desertion, separation, even higher concepts about faith and individuality. They do all that and still provide their Readers with an engaging read that captivates their imagination.

Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time is that type of book.

A great book has to have a great protagonist. Meg Murray is a great protagonist. She is not a model of perfection. She is insecure, impatient, unsure of herself, and often confused about the world around her. She is smart but doesn't do well in school because she follows the “shortcuts” her genius father encouraged her to take in Math. She deeply loves her family and even communicates with her selectively mute brilliant brother, Charles Wallace but is concerned about the whereabouts of her father who has been missing since Charles was a baby. It's not easy being Meg but that's what makes her so understandable.


One night (“a dark and stormy night,” yes, L'Engle bravely used that as her opening line.), Meg and her family encounter a strange visitor, Mrs. Whatsit who tells them that there is such a thing as “a tesseract.” A tesseract is a wrinkle in time, similar to a wormhole, in which someone can travel vast distances very quickly. It also happens to be what Meg's parents were studying and maybe where her father disappeared into.

Before too long Meg, Charles Wallace, their new friend Calvin O'Keefe, Mrs. Whatsit, and her companions Mrs. Who and Mrs. Which travel through the tesseract to another dimension.

A Wrinkle in Time is filled with imaginative situations and characters. The three Mrses. are a fascinating trio, and certainly the most memorable characters of the bunch. Mrs. Whatsit appears as a cloaked character and of the enigmatic three is the most human in behavior and appearance. Mrs. Who constantly speaks in quotations particularly from literature and philosophers because she can't use human terms for what she means. Mrs. Which is a being composed of light whose speeches are written in a stilted manner like “Qqquiettt chillldd.”

The three Mrs. are the kinds of characters that are so intriguing that they steal every moment they are in. Fortunately, they don't get too overdone. L'Engle knew when to use them such as tessering the children, giving them explanations, and bestowing them gifts. She also knew when they should back off. After all, such powerful seemingly omnipotent beings could make the quest too easy or make Meg nothing but a mere observer in her story. But Meg isn't. She, Calvin, and Charles Wallace are the real heroes of the story. It is their journey to go on, their lesson to learn, and L'Engle (and the Mrses.) let them, especially Meg, learn it.


As with many quests, each step on their journey is designed to teach the children something and not always are the lessons happy ones. When they encounter a dark cloud like spirit hovering over called The Black Thing, the kids learns that there is evil and darkness around or rather beings that do horrible things for selfish and cruel reasons and that there are people that want to stop that evil. (Their father is an example of a hero wanting to stop The Black Thing.)

When they encounter such characters as the Happy Medium and Aunt Beast, they learn not to take everything at face value. They also learn about appreciation and unconditional love, things that they will need in their final test on Camazotz, a very strange sinister planet.

To retrieve Meg and Charles Wallace's father, the children visit Camazotz, where the houses all look alike, residents move in the same exact formation at the same exact time, and everything is rigidly controlled by rules, regulations, and paperwork. Seeing that A Wrinkle in Time was first published in 1962, this was probably L'Engle's commentary about 1950’s-’60’s suburbia and conformity. If so it was a dire situation that she saw.

The people of Camazotz do the bidding of IT, a creature who runs the world with precision and sameness. He believes that individuality must be removed and that everyone must be alike. (“Like and equal are not the same thing,” Meg declares.)

What Meg realizes as she encounters IT is that she needs to use her compassion, love, acceptance and even her flaws like impatience, anger, awkwardness-all the things that make her an individual to fight IT and save her brother, friends, and father.
A Wrinkle in Time is a Newbery Medal Winner and deservedly so. It is an engaging fantasy adventure with brilliant characters and a lesson that Readers of all ages need to learn.

15 Favorite Newbery Medal Winners

Favorite 15 Newbery Medal Winners

By Julie Sara Porter, Bookworm

 

The winner of the 2017 Newbery Medal is The Girl Who Drank The Moon by Kelly Barnhill. Some of the best Newbery winners contain original ideas and concepts, relatable protagonists, and strong attention to detail particularly for history. The top 15 in this blogger’s opinion are (in chronological order):

 

1. The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare (1959)-Never has Puritan New England been portrayed more claustrophobic and judgmental and never has a character been more out of her element than 16-year-old Barbados native, Kit Tyler. The witch trials and the element that breeds them are excellently captured in Speare’s writing. Even the slightest deviation from the norm such as not attending Meetings, acting out stories from the Bible, or writing someone’s name in a Horn Book, become causes for suspicion. The friendship between the rebellious Kit and Hannah Tupper, a Quaker and the titular so-called witch is lovely as Hannah opens her home to outsiders like Kit and an abused lonely girl. Her home becomes a safe haven from the dismal climate of the village. The witch trial scenes are filled with suspense and bring out the contrasting beliefs of the villagers and Kit and Hannah.

 

2. A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L’Engle (1963)-The science fiction classic which follows the adventures of Meg and Charles Wallace Murry who search a tesseract for their missing scientist father is well-known. But many of the themes and characterizations still resonate today. The eccentric Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs., Who, and Mrs. Which are fascinating tour guides into this story of centaurs, mediums, and The Black Thing (a dark cloud that is the symbol of all evil). The science fiction worlds in L’Engle’s book compare to classic worlds such as Middle Earth, Wonderland, OZ or other fictional settings for the reader to remember and long to visit. Underneath all of this weirdness the book has some strong themes about fighting against conformity as the Murrys and their friends take on the telepathic IT.

 

3. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg (1968)-Art appreciation may not be the usual subject for a juvenile novel, but this literary tour of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City is not to be missed. Claudia and Jamie Kincaid run away to the Met and stay inside after hours. The Kincaid siblings display cunning and resourcefulness as they infiltrate school groups so security guards mistake them for visitors and use “wishing coins” for money. For Millennials and younger children, it will make an interesting read as the Kincaid children use the nearby Donnell branch of the New York Library, the museum’s records collection, and a completely disorganized file cabinet in Connecticut to research a marble angel statue and its mysterious collector, Mrs. Frankweiler. Yes, kids, sometimes we had to go the long way for research in the old days.

 

4. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor (1977)-The segregated Depression era South seen through the eyes of 9-year-old, Cassie Logan is stark, uncomfortable, and unfortunately very real. The racism that inflicts the Logan family is portrayed in many ways such as when a young white girl and her father throw Cassie on the road and make her call the girl “miss” after Cassie accidentally bumps into her. Cassie gets even with the girl in a very epic manner showing her as a very strong intelligent girl ready to fight against her oppressors. Many of the violent scenes such as revealing victims of burning and tarring and feathering as well as the organization of a lynch mob are very disturbing and unforgettable. They show the true impact of racism and how it affected everyone around them. The ending is purposely left ambiguous as the racist climate will continue to effect the Logan family for generations to come.

 

5. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson (1978)-This is the go-to book for any lonely kid who withdraws into their own private world of books, video games, or fictional kingdoms to deal with the stress of the outside world. Many readers will relate to Jesse Aarons and Leslie Burke as they create their fantasy world, Terabithia, a haven from such difficulties as Jesse’s catty sisters and bullying classmates. The children reveal their creativity by detailing adventures in their fantasy world where they reign as monarchs. Some readers may even recall their own Terabithias. The book’s tragic ending is well-written and beautifully realized as the characters deal with loss and the idea of moving on. Knowing that this was based on a friend of Paterson’s son, makes the story even more moving and cathartic.

 

6. The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin (1979)-Mystery lovers and puzzle aficionados have fallen in love with the Game created by multi-millionaire Samuel Westing, a cross between Sam Walton and Willy Wonka, to find his heir and to discover which of them had taken his life. The players are all unique individuals that reveal more of themselves as the game goes on. From Angela Wexler, a debutante tired of being treated as a pretty face to Berthe Erica Crow, a dour Salvation Army worker with a secret connection to Westing, the ensemble is brilliantly realized by Raskin. The real star and scene stealer however is 13-year-old, Tabitha Ruth “Turtle/T.R.” Wexler, amateur detective and probably the youngest stock broker ever. With her knowledge of the stock market and observation of the other players, Turtle is able to stay ahead of the other heirs.

 

7. Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Paterson (1981)-Anyone who has been a sibling can relate to the struggles of Sara Louise Bradshaw, as she has to live with her pretty talented sister, Caroline. Sara Louise nicknamed “Wheez” is tired of Caroline receiving all the attention from her parents, classmates, and the local community.  Many readers can understand the feelings of envy of more talented and successful siblings and the low self-esteem issues that sometimes comes with that sibling rivalry. While not long on plot, the novel shows several scenes of Sara Louise struggling to carve her own identity first as a crab fisher then as a nurse/midwife, an occupation that allows her in one final scene to come to terms with her past pain.

 

8. The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman (1987)-While the plot is simple: two former enemies run away and learn about each other becoming friends, Fleischman’s book gives two brilliant lead characters that make the journey an excellent one. The spoiled prince, Horace AKA “Prince Brat” and his street-smart whipping boy, Jemmy bounce off each other really well when thieves mistake Jemmy for the prince and vice versa. The two also really come through in some of the more dramatic incidents such as when an almost free Jemmy feels guilty about leaving the forlorn “out-of-his-depth” prince behind and refers to him as his friend. (“Cows would give beer first.”) Also when Horace confesses that he wishes he could be more like the whipping boy because “(he’s) not afraid of anything.” The duo really come into their own as stronger characters that are more than their outside appearances of a prince and a servant.

 

9. Number The Stars by Lois Lowry (1990)-The Holocaust is the subject of many novels juveniles and young adults. This terrific story is a fresh take by focusing on people who risked their lives to help Jewish families escape from the Nazis. Annemarie Johansen, the 10-year old-protagonist, is written with a lot of depth and courage as she does her bit to aid the Resistance by delivering packages and helping her family hide her best friend’s family. The suspenseful plot moves along briskly as the Johansens use ingenuous methods such as hiding goods for the escaping Jewish family by staging a mock funeral for a non-existent aunt. This book shows how people can use whatever means to aid others in times of crisis.

 

10. The Giver by Lois Lowry (1994)-Lowry’s second book on this list is a brilliant science fiction novel about a dystopian society masquerading itself as perfect. 12- year-old, Jonas begins to recognize the cracks in his society when he is named Receiver of Memory, made to remember the old ways of life. The memory exchanges between Jonas and his mentor, The Giver, are moving and heart-breaking as Jonas experience things like colors, animals, multigenerational families, and real love for the first time. People who long for a perfect society should read this and realize what could be sacrificed in a drive for perfection.

 

11. The Midwife’s Apprentice by Karen Cushman (1996)-Karen Cushman had a talent for writing strong-willed Medieval era female protagonists. Her first novel, Catherine Called Birdy dealt with a noblewoman trying to fight an arranged marriage to a much older nobleman. Her second, equally brilliant novel gives another excellent lead character, Brat AKA “Beetle” and “Alyce,” the title apprentice. Alyce studies and trains as a midwife despite her tyrannical superior, Jane. Alyce is a kind-hearted likeable character as she helps a poor woman give birth (while Jane runs off to aid the Lady of the Manor) and searches for a homeless boy who is like a brother to her. The reader will understand and empathize with Alyce’s resolve to make something of herself as a midwife and a woman in the Medieval era.

 

12. Holes by Louis Sacher (1999)-Anyone who has read Sacher’s Wayside School series will know what to expect when they read his books and Holes has them all over: humorous situations (juvenile detention boys forced to dig holes for their Warden), clever word plays (the protagonist’s name is Stanley Yelnats IV, the same name backwards), and odd almost supernatural happenings (the Yelnats family is cursed with bad luck thanks to a “no good pig stealing great-grandfather.”). Sacher’s writing is biting, humorous, and extremely touching particularly the relationship between Stanley and Zero, another boy at camp. Another touching highlight to the book is the story of Kissin’ Kate Barlow, a school-teacher-turned-outlaw and her interracial romance with Sam, a turnip farmer. The story of Kate becomes a thread that ties the modern story of the boys in the camp and the Yelnats’ family curse drawing them all together in one clever conclusion.

 

13. Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis (2000)-If a book was ever meant to have a soundtrack, it would be this one. The story of Bud, an African-American boy who runs away to find his family is a great journey into the world of blues and jazz music. Along the way, Bud joins Herman E. Callaway and his jazz band, the Dusky Devastators of the Depression. The portrayal of the jazz musicians is written brilliantly as the band reveals their closeness and accepts Bud as one of their own. Herman and his band give Bud a sense of family and purpose as he strives to become a musician like them. He also learns about his family and past in a moving recall that answers questions for him.

                                                                                    

14. Crispin, Cross of Lead by Avi (2003)-Like Midwife’s Apprentice, this book also takes a look into the Middle Ages as the plot revolves around Crispin, a peasant boy who searches for his father’s family with only a cross as his clue. The details of Medieval peasant life are greatly described as Crispin and his mentor, Bear encounter lords, priests, and other travelers. The setting gives the reader a strong sense of place and time using examples like Crispin being called Asta’s Son, the first few years of his life to point out his illegitimate birth or characters being forced to hold to spoken oaths. It is a thoughtful lesson into Medieval culture and what Crispin had to fight against to find his place in that world.

 

15. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (2009)-Gaiman’s book is an original take on the standard ghost story by telling this book largely from the point of view of the ghosts themselves! Everything about the book is unique and original such as a family of ghosts taking in the recently orphaned toddler, Nobody, and raising him as their own child. Nobody also is a multi-faceted character as he travels between the world of the living and the world of the dead making friends and family on both sides finding difficulties in reconciling his interest in the living world with his life in the ghost world. The plot has its horror scenes such as an antagonist that was responsible for the death of Nobody’s family and is obsessed with finding the lone survivor. But Nobody and his ghost friends and family are portrayed almost like the Addams Family or Halloweentown residents of the Nightmare Before Christmas, creepy and spooky but somehow charming and loveable in all of their creepiness and spookiness.

 

   Well that’s my list. What are your favorite Newbery Winners and Honorees? Please, share your thoughts in the comments below.