Insomniac's blog

As I was reading through Holes by Louis Sachar, I tried to think about what age group and gender this book would appeal to most. I know it is on the Boy's List that we received in class, and I agree that boys would probably like to read this book. Especially if it was a choice between Holes or Anne of Green Gables. Since that first week or so of class I have been trying to figure out why boys who loved to read, upon entering middle school, would turn into non-readers. I do not think you can make a direct case for any one reason, but there are probably several factors to why middle school boys read less than girls.One of the reasons may be that boys in middle school become distinctly seperated from their female classmates. In elementary school, boys and girls have gym classes together, play after school sports together, and take virtually all their classes together. In middle school, the seperation of the sexes occurs. Sports teams are split by gender, gym classes by gender, and elective courses are often knowingly or unknowingly split by gender. Girls do tennis in the fall, cheerleading, volleyball, and take home economics and art classes. Boys do football, baseball, spring tennis, and take shop classes. This seperation of the genders leads to views on what is "girlie" and what is not. Unfortunately, reading has often been in the "girlie" category.
Books such as Holes and No More Dead Dogs do try to swing boys back into reading. The Harry Potter series, the Series of Unfortunate Events and other books appeal to a wide spectrum of pupils, male and female.
Holes is defintely a book that boys could get into. Most of the characters are young boys of middle school age and the few that are not do not have a significant role in the book, besides the characters of the Warden, Mr. Sir, and Mr. Pendanski. Not only would the characters appeal to middle school boys, but the book also has a complex and entertaining plot, action and adventure, realistic drama without the romanticism, and a satisfying ending.
However, Holes is not a book just for boys. Girls have enjoyed Holes also. This is just proof that a good book does not neccesarily have to have a specific minute audience as long as it is interesting and is well-written. Holes is just that.