Stanley's family does not have good luck. They blame everything that goes wrong on the curse placed on his "no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather and his future generations.
Then Stanley is falsely accused of stealing a famous basketball star's shoes and sent to youth detention camp. But this camp is not your typical camp. To build character, each day the boys must dig holes-five feet wide and five feet deep. The warden, who runs the camp, is looking for something and is utilizing the boys to do the, literally, dirty work.
I loved how Mr. Sachar interweaves three different stories into one big story (Stanley's, his great-great grandfather's and Zero's). Very well written in that regard.
Strategies: check for understanding (The chapters flip from modern day to when his great-great grandfather was alive), inferring
Guided Reading Level: V (5th-6th) **I agree with this level more than the 4.6 level.
Grade Level Equivalent: 4.6
I read this book aloud to my kindergartner and third grader after we watched the movie. I skipped a few parts/sentences as I thought it was not appropriate for them. Please read the warnings.
Warnings: The counselor, Mr. Pendanski, is quite cruel and demeaning to the boys. Mr. Sir and the Warden are also cruel but Mr. Pendanski says some awful comments about the boys. Pg. 150-word "h-ll" included. Pg. 161 the boys talk about how a particular girl would look great in a bathing suit (don't need my boys thinking about that!!). When Zero escapes it is a bit violent.
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