Exploring "Holes" by Louis Sachar (PDF)

Studienarbeit aus dem Jahr 2019 im Fachbereich Didaktik für das Fach Englisch - Literatur, Werke, Note: 1,0, Pädagogische Hochschule Freiburg im Breisgau (Institut für Anglistik), Sprache: Deutsch, Abstract: "I'm Jeff and I hate reading." (Wilhelm, 2008) This statement illustrates the problem teachers are faced with when teaching novels. When it comes to reading, students seem to be reluctant and not motivated to engage in a novel for a longer time. Many pupils do not enjoy reading and do not read in their leisure time. Therefore, one has to choose a novel carefully. If the novel does not appeal to the students, then there is no reason to teach it. In this term paper the novel Holes by Louis Sachar was chosen due to its topics and its learning potential.

Holes tells the story of a young adult named Stanley who is sent to a bootcamp in the desert and has to dig holes as a punishment for a crime he did not commit. The book is about friendship, justice, racism and about revenge and love. All these themes are connected and intertwined by a superior curse that decides on the fates of the characters.
Louis Sachar, born in 1954, is an author for children's books and he wrote several novels. His book Holes, published in 1998, received many awards including the National Book Award, which is a prestigious book price in the USA. Stanley Yelnats' Survival Guide to Camp Green Lake (2003) and Small Steps (2006) are sequels to the novel.