But still he saw the experience for what it was: an opportunity to change himself and maybe the path his life was following. He took it like a man is the phrase that comes to mind, but I think the sad truth is that Stanley’s life wasn’t much better before he entered Camp Green Lake so he hardly had room for complaint on his change in circumstances. What I liked about this book: The protagonist Stanley Yelnats and especially his acceptance of his lot: being convicted of a crime he didn’t commit and being sentenced to 18 months at Camp Green Lake. All in all the perfect recipe for a children’s book, easy to follow with enough twists and turns to keep you interested. The story moves from present to past and back again but it is never confusing and there isn’t too much background information on characters or past events that are not crucial to the storyline. As the story develops you get tit bits of information building up to the bigger picture. It is really several stories in one the story of Stanley and the events that occur at Camp Green Lake, Stanley’s family history concerning his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing great-great-grandfather and the story of Kissin’ Kate Barlow.

The book isn’t overly long and the story flows nicely from beginning to end. The language is simple, yet descriptive enough for you to get a real sense of the environment Camp Green Lake is set in. I really enjoyed this book it is very easy to read for many reasons. The Warden claims the labour is character building, but it is a lie.

At Camp Green Lake the boys must dig a hole a day, five feet deep, five feet across, in the dried up lake bed. Stanley Yelnats’ family has a history of bad luck, so he isn’t too surprised when a miscarriage of justice sends him to a boys’ juvenile detention centre.

Holes book to read