Holes by Louis Sachar

Holes by Louis Sachar is an excellent coming of age book for young people about friendship, compassion, and redemption. And all of it taught through an exciting story about two friends who work together to get through difficulty.

Stanley Yelnats is a boy who just seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time when he's walking along, minding his own business when a pair of shoes falls off an overpass and hits him on the head. And then he's blamed for stealing them. Added onto that, they're not just any pair of shoes, they're the shoes of the famous baseball player, Sweetfeet! He thinks he's hit rock bottom when he's sent to Camp Greenlake and is forced to dig a hole every day in the hot sun that is five feet deep, and five feet across, all around. And of course, he blames his no good, dirty rotten pig stealing great, great grandfather for his woes. His dad's family started having bad luck ever since Elya Yelnats up and left for America after his heart was broken, and forgot to keep a promise to an old gypsie woman. Since then, his dad, grandpa, and great grandpa have had bad luck. His great grandpa was even robbed of his life savings by the notorious outlaw, Kissin' Kate Barlow! But when he meets Zero at Camp Greenlake, and the two start to make friends, will he be able to find a way to turn his bad luck around? Read this fun book, and find out! While it is written mainly for kids, adults who enjoy reading adventure stories are likely to enjoy it as well! Holes was first published in 1998. A movie starring Shia LaBouf was released in 2003.