52 Books in 52 Weeks, it's called. The challenge is simple: read a book every week for a year.
36. Holes.
I guess I thought I’d read this during 52 Books already, but no. Must have been before April 2004. Anyway, this is my second time through and it’s just as good. I’ve been reading it with my son (he’s 5) and it’s scary how into it he’s been. He recalls plot, characters, details with alarming accuracy. He also reveals his developmental stage — he couldn’t quite parse the flashbacks, telling me that certain characters had come back to life.
Holes tells the story of four generations of Yelnats through the travails of young Stanley Yelnats, sentenced to dig holes in the hot Texas sun for a crime he didn’t commit. The intricacies of the story are well-handled, and Stanley may be destined to change his super-unlucky family’s fortune if he can just overcome his character defects.
One unique element is Sachar’s almost magical way with handling issues of race. He ably introduces the realities of the issue — racism — without ever making the race of his characters an overt issue. I know that sounds paradoxical, but read Holes and tell me if I’m wrong. I mean it: read Holes. It completely deserves its Newbery.
