When I first made the Great Booklist of 2007, I decided to include four children's books, so that when I started to fall behind, I'd have something really quick to read and catch up. Turns out, the first week of March was about as long as I could hold out.

I'd seen the movie Holes with my niece and her parents. I liked it very much. So I figured it would be a fun read. I'm a little disappointed, because I already knew where the story was going, but I still loved it. And I'm not the only one. It won the Newbery Medal in 1999.

While the vocabulary and content are simple enough for a young reader to comprehend (or a younger child, one too young to read it, to understand), there is a lot of great stuff in this book. The form teaches children how to read novels as they get older, with flashbacks and foreshadowing abounding. It has a classic tall tale feel, but includes social justice issues, dealing with issues like race and social class.

I've been thinking about what I will do with all the books I'm buying once this little exercise is over. I'm sure I'll donate many of them. But Holes will stay on my shelf for Alliclaus. It'll be quite a few years before she can enjoy it, but I believe this story will still have value for her when it's time.