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The Hole in the Wall
WINNER OF THE MILKWEED PRIZE FOR CHILDREN’S LITERATURE Eleven-year-old Sebby has found the perfect escape from his crummy house and bickering family—a secret cave he calls “The Hole in the Wall.” It’s all the more beautiful for being in the midst of a devastated mining area behind his home. But soon after Sebby finds the hideaway, his world starts falling his family’s chickens disappear, he falls ill with the mother of all stomachaches, and he finds a special pair of eyeglasses that show him a world where colors come alive and fly through the air. When Sebby sets out to solve these mysteries, he and his twin sister, Barbie, get caught in a wild chase through the tunnels around The Hole in the Wall—all leading them to the mining activities of astrophysicist Stanley Odum, who has been buying up all the land behind Sebby’s home. Exactly what is Mr. Odum mining in his secret facility, and does it have anything to do with these mysterious developments? The answers to these questions take the twins to places they never could have imagined.
280 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
December 5, 2014
Lisa Rowe Fraustino sets up a surreal world where, amongst the mined-out landscape, lies Sebby's little niche, the Hole in the Wall; a place where colors seems to swirl around and leap out of the cavern's cervices. Sebby's voice and point-of-view kept me hooked from beginning to end and the dialogue between him and Barbra--whom Sebby refers to as "Shish" or "Barbie"--and other characters were vigorous and made a snug fit into the setting. My only spoiler-free criticism comes from the somewhat abrupt transitions between flashbacks and the narrative's present moment.
While Fraustino aims The Hole in the Wall at young readers, I would recommend it to aspiring writers who are struggling with dialogue, perspective, or both.
Disclosure:I was a part of Dr. Lisa's adolescent literature class and senior seminar, Adaptation and Ideology, during my time at Eastern.
While Fraustino aims The Hole in the Wall at young readers, I would recommend it to aspiring writers who are struggling with dialogue, perspective, or both.
Disclosure:I was a part of Dr. Lisa's adolescent literature class and senior seminar, Adaptation and Ideology, during my time at Eastern.
October 10, 2017
The Hole in the Wall was published in 2010. The author, Lisa Rowe Fraustino, is well known for writing books and novels for kids. She also writes picture books, and anthologies. Her style of writing handles a lot of writing about children (around the age of 10) and how they have to protect themselves and their families. The genre of this book is adventure fiction.
Sebastian (Sebby) Daniels escapes every day life by going to a small oasis at the edge of the gore he likes to call the Hole in the Wall. While he is there his imagination runs wild and he sees colors swirl all around the walls and inside every rock. Stanley Odum (Boots) has a personal research center (ORC) in the middle of town, and he is working on mining the gore for a reason that is unknown to everybody in town. Back at Sebby’s home, his family owns chickens whose eggs started to become hard as a rock, and not edible. Sebby and his twin sister, Barbara (Barbie or Shish) went back to hen house to find out what was wrong, and found all of the chicken hiding in a corner completely petrified. One baby chicken (Celery) for some reason was attracted to Sebby’s stomach, and due to some force, was not able to be taken off. After that, Sebby and Barbie work together to try and figure out what is wrong with the chickens, the eggs, and Sebby’s stomach. Celery and Sebby’s stomach start forcing Sebby towards a back corner in the chicken coop, only to find out there is a tunnel leading down and around the gore. Eventually the twins found out that there was adrium in the rocks and water puddles causing everything to turn rock solid. Somehow the twins have to save their father who got completely adrified from a water puddle. They also figure out everything going on inside of the ORC’s main center, which the news was unbelievable. The characters are all well developed, and relatable. There is the brother who is a trouble makers, tries to get out of doing his chores and homework, and yet has a crazy imaginative mind. Then the twin sister is always one upping her brother: slightly taller than him, better at school than he is, doing all her chores and homework when told to, and even staying out of trouble. Even though the twins are at each other a lot, they are still siblings and act like it: they fight, they make up with each other, and do some active together and care for each other (even when they don’t want to admit it). With the diversity of these twins along with their father who is harsh on them from time to time equaled out with their caring mother, and crazy grandmother (dad’s side), there is nothing that needs to change about them. The plot of this novel is very original and intriguing. It was a bit confusing at the beginning, but as the story continued, the reader wants to know what happens since it leaves a few cliff hangers at the end of a couple of chapters. The large scale geography isn’t too important here, but the smaller scale geography is. All of the land around the Daniel’s town is full of adrium, and is being mined. The Daniel’s family are the only ones in town that know they are sitting on the mother load of adrium and are making sure that it never gets disturbed by scientists who want to mine it.
The theme in this book is that curiosity could be good or bad. Sebby learned after eating raw cookie dough with the adrified eggs made Celery the chicken stick to him, that something was up, and he needed to figure out what. In this case, curiosity was a good thing, because if not then Sebby would have a chicken attracted to his stomach forever, and he would have never been able to get rid of his stomach ache. A life lesson learned from this novel is to preserve nature. As explained through the story, when driving on the road, looking out side, a beautiful forest is seen, but on the other side, it’s a mined gore that looks very bland. Nature is one thing that should not be messed around with in the world today. Similar to the novel Ash written by Fraustino, both theses novels portray a young teenager who becomes ill in some sort of way. From there, the kids have to work around their illness to get their family to become closer together while at the same time figuring out how to cure/ deal with their illness.
Nothing within this novel is controversial, but depending on who reads this book, global issues could be a thing. This novel talks a lot about mining beautiful lands just for a mineral. It is said that the mineral might have the ability to be a new and environmentally safe exchange for gasoline and fuel of the sorts. I would recommend everyone to read this novel. It is a great story to read for anyone from middle school all the way to adults. I believe that the middle school/ high school aged students would enjoy this novel a bit more than the adults. This story is very gender neutral, and I believe both females and males would enjoy it equally. This would be an okay story to read as an advanced reader, it captures the reader's attention quickly, and would be a great brain break read.
Sebastian (Sebby) Daniels escapes every day life by going to a small oasis at the edge of the gore he likes to call the Hole in the Wall. While he is there his imagination runs wild and he sees colors swirl all around the walls and inside every rock. Stanley Odum (Boots) has a personal research center (ORC) in the middle of town, and he is working on mining the gore for a reason that is unknown to everybody in town. Back at Sebby’s home, his family owns chickens whose eggs started to become hard as a rock, and not edible. Sebby and his twin sister, Barbara (Barbie or Shish) went back to hen house to find out what was wrong, and found all of the chicken hiding in a corner completely petrified. One baby chicken (Celery) for some reason was attracted to Sebby’s stomach, and due to some force, was not able to be taken off. After that, Sebby and Barbie work together to try and figure out what is wrong with the chickens, the eggs, and Sebby’s stomach. Celery and Sebby’s stomach start forcing Sebby towards a back corner in the chicken coop, only to find out there is a tunnel leading down and around the gore. Eventually the twins found out that there was adrium in the rocks and water puddles causing everything to turn rock solid. Somehow the twins have to save their father who got completely adrified from a water puddle. They also figure out everything going on inside of the ORC’s main center, which the news was unbelievable. The characters are all well developed, and relatable. There is the brother who is a trouble makers, tries to get out of doing his chores and homework, and yet has a crazy imaginative mind. Then the twin sister is always one upping her brother: slightly taller than him, better at school than he is, doing all her chores and homework when told to, and even staying out of trouble. Even though the twins are at each other a lot, they are still siblings and act like it: they fight, they make up with each other, and do some active together and care for each other (even when they don’t want to admit it). With the diversity of these twins along with their father who is harsh on them from time to time equaled out with their caring mother, and crazy grandmother (dad’s side), there is nothing that needs to change about them. The plot of this novel is very original and intriguing. It was a bit confusing at the beginning, but as the story continued, the reader wants to know what happens since it leaves a few cliff hangers at the end of a couple of chapters. The large scale geography isn’t too important here, but the smaller scale geography is. All of the land around the Daniel’s town is full of adrium, and is being mined. The Daniel’s family are the only ones in town that know they are sitting on the mother load of adrium and are making sure that it never gets disturbed by scientists who want to mine it.
The theme in this book is that curiosity could be good or bad. Sebby learned after eating raw cookie dough with the adrified eggs made Celery the chicken stick to him, that something was up, and he needed to figure out what. In this case, curiosity was a good thing, because if not then Sebby would have a chicken attracted to his stomach forever, and he would have never been able to get rid of his stomach ache. A life lesson learned from this novel is to preserve nature. As explained through the story, when driving on the road, looking out side, a beautiful forest is seen, but on the other side, it’s a mined gore that looks very bland. Nature is one thing that should not be messed around with in the world today. Similar to the novel Ash written by Fraustino, both theses novels portray a young teenager who becomes ill in some sort of way. From there, the kids have to work around their illness to get their family to become closer together while at the same time figuring out how to cure/ deal with their illness.
Nothing within this novel is controversial, but depending on who reads this book, global issues could be a thing. This novel talks a lot about mining beautiful lands just for a mineral. It is said that the mineral might have the ability to be a new and environmentally safe exchange for gasoline and fuel of the sorts. I would recommend everyone to read this novel. It is a great story to read for anyone from middle school all the way to adults. I believe that the middle school/ high school aged students would enjoy this novel a bit more than the adults. This story is very gender neutral, and I believe both females and males would enjoy it equally. This would be an okay story to read as an advanced reader, it captures the reader's attention quickly, and would be a great brain break read.
January 31, 2014
Interesting set up but the plot never really gets going. The characters are wooden, especially the villain.
It's mostly an environmental piece but it should have been better.
http://pussreboots.pair.com/blog/2014...
It's mostly an environmental piece but it should have been better.
http://pussreboots.pair.com/blog/2014...
October 28, 2018
Good story that kept me reading to find out more about the characters and what was going to happen next. I would recommend this to anyone who reads middle-age books. But because both boys and girls can enjoy this story, I was a bit disappointed in the way the character of the narrator's twin sister was portrayed. Although she became better known as the story went on, I wish she had been given more depth. There were too many sort of stereotypical "girl" things defining her, like always doing her homework, worrying about her fingernails. Here's an idea for the author: a sequel where the sister is the narrator and more is revealed about her!
November 27, 2017
This was a light read. It was slow at first and then suddenly the ending felt rushed??? The plot was interesting but also a little bit confusing. The way how the cuss words are censored is kinda funny and cute(?) at the same time. blankety-blank. But, I don't blame the author since I figured this one's geared towards the younger audience. Another thing is that this book made me realize how much I'm missing out because I don't have any siblings. The way how a good sibling-relationship was portrayed here made me want a sibling, a brother preferably, even more.
March 14, 2011
FIRST SENTENCE: When he got the idea that would change his life, he was lying on his back in the cave near his home.
Eleven-year-old Sebby (Sebastian) has a fertile imagination and a lot of problems. His older brother Jeb ran away after an argument with his Pa about the damage his childhood friend Stan Odum's company has done to their community with his strip-mining; his Pa, who used to be nice, is now jobless and drinks; his teacher, Ms. Byron, is on his case about getting his homework completed and signed, and now his mother's chickens are laying what seem like petrified eggs.
In Kokadjo Gore, Sebby's family, including Grum (his grandmother) and his twin sister Barbara (Barbie), are one of the only families that haven't sold their property to Stan Odum, owner of Odum's Research. Although Pa and Stan were friends in childhood, Pa wasn't able to get a maintenance job at Stan's company, and now he pretty much drinks, cusses, snores, and watches television while Ma goes to work every day at the dress factory in nearby Exton. Even so, Pa remains strictly loyal to Stan, which caused a huge argument with Sebby's older brother Jed after Pa caught Jed protesting against ORC. After the argument, Jed ran away, and their only contact with him is a pre-arranged telephone signal when he lets the phone ring once and then hangs up - just to let them know he's OK.
Sebby has a secret hideout in the middle of ORC property - a cave he calls the Hole in the Wall, where the rocks sometimes flow with strange colors, and where he goes to escape chores and homework. When his mother's chickens first begin laying eggs as hard as rocks, and then disappear, Sebby and Barbie find an opening in the shack behind their house that leads to a tunnel filled with a vein of the flowing colors.
As Sebbie and Barbie investigate the mystery of the colors, a group of people, including their friend Cluster, disappear and overnight, an ORC sign is placed on their property. Seemingly dead, petrified chickens come to life when colors flow from them back to the vein of colors, and anything contaminated with the colors, including Sebby, has a strange magnetism that pulls towards the colors.
Will Sebbie and Barbie be able to find out what ORC is REALLY doing in the Gore and stop them before Pa talks Ma into selling out the property that has been in her family for generations? Or will Stan and his money win in the end?
This is an entertaining middle reader that will keep you turning pages. Written in the genuine voice of a regular kid, the perspective is spot-on, and the reader can actually hear Sebbie's voice and totally identify with him. I love a middle reader where the main character actually feels like the true-blue article, and where all of the characters are actually seen through a real kid's eyes, and not in a fashion that is suitable for an older person.
It's easy for me to see why this author has won so many awards for children's literature, and why this novel won the Milkweed Prize for Children's Literature. If you're looking for the genuine article, a book that neither talks down to or is too complex for your own middle reader, filled with adventures and imagination, this is the title for you.
QUOTES (from an eGalley; may be different in finished copy):
The colors always disappeared as soon as he became aware of them and he was never able to revive the same vision. Each sighting felt like a gift and a loss at once.
Cluster called their house the Love Shack. People in town called their place Zensylvania or just "the commune". Pa called them whacked-out yippie-hippie-doo-da-dopeheads and me and Barbie to stay away from there.
Her back was hunched way more than Grum's. She had the absolute worst case of Not-Enough-Milk-When-I-Was-Your-Age Disease I'd ever seen.
Writing: 4 out of 5 stars
Plot: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Characters: 4 out of 5 stars
Reading Immersion: 4 out 5 stars
BOOK RATING: 4.125 out of 5 stars
Eleven-year-old Sebby (Sebastian) has a fertile imagination and a lot of problems. His older brother Jeb ran away after an argument with his Pa about the damage his childhood friend Stan Odum's company has done to their community with his strip-mining; his Pa, who used to be nice, is now jobless and drinks; his teacher, Ms. Byron, is on his case about getting his homework completed and signed, and now his mother's chickens are laying what seem like petrified eggs.
In Kokadjo Gore, Sebby's family, including Grum (his grandmother) and his twin sister Barbara (Barbie), are one of the only families that haven't sold their property to Stan Odum, owner of Odum's Research. Although Pa and Stan were friends in childhood, Pa wasn't able to get a maintenance job at Stan's company, and now he pretty much drinks, cusses, snores, and watches television while Ma goes to work every day at the dress factory in nearby Exton. Even so, Pa remains strictly loyal to Stan, which caused a huge argument with Sebby's older brother Jed after Pa caught Jed protesting against ORC. After the argument, Jed ran away, and their only contact with him is a pre-arranged telephone signal when he lets the phone ring once and then hangs up - just to let them know he's OK.
Sebby has a secret hideout in the middle of ORC property - a cave he calls the Hole in the Wall, where the rocks sometimes flow with strange colors, and where he goes to escape chores and homework. When his mother's chickens first begin laying eggs as hard as rocks, and then disappear, Sebby and Barbie find an opening in the shack behind their house that leads to a tunnel filled with a vein of the flowing colors.
As Sebbie and Barbie investigate the mystery of the colors, a group of people, including their friend Cluster, disappear and overnight, an ORC sign is placed on their property. Seemingly dead, petrified chickens come to life when colors flow from them back to the vein of colors, and anything contaminated with the colors, including Sebby, has a strange magnetism that pulls towards the colors.
Will Sebbie and Barbie be able to find out what ORC is REALLY doing in the Gore and stop them before Pa talks Ma into selling out the property that has been in her family for generations? Or will Stan and his money win in the end?
This is an entertaining middle reader that will keep you turning pages. Written in the genuine voice of a regular kid, the perspective is spot-on, and the reader can actually hear Sebbie's voice and totally identify with him. I love a middle reader where the main character actually feels like the true-blue article, and where all of the characters are actually seen through a real kid's eyes, and not in a fashion that is suitable for an older person.
It's easy for me to see why this author has won so many awards for children's literature, and why this novel won the Milkweed Prize for Children's Literature. If you're looking for the genuine article, a book that neither talks down to or is too complex for your own middle reader, filled with adventures and imagination, this is the title for you.
QUOTES (from an eGalley; may be different in finished copy):
The colors always disappeared as soon as he became aware of them and he was never able to revive the same vision. Each sighting felt like a gift and a loss at once.
Cluster called their house the Love Shack. People in town called their place Zensylvania or just "the commune". Pa called them whacked-out yippie-hippie-doo-da-dopeheads and me and Barbie to stay away from there.
Her back was hunched way more than Grum's. She had the absolute worst case of Not-Enough-Milk-When-I-Was-Your-Age Disease I'd ever seen.
Writing: 4 out of 5 stars
Plot: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Characters: 4 out of 5 stars
Reading Immersion: 4 out 5 stars
BOOK RATING: 4.125 out of 5 stars
November 23, 2011
Eleven-year-old Sebby lives in a dilapidated house in a devastated town. A company owned by his father’s old high school chum, is strip-mining nearly the entire town, buying people’s homes that get in the way. Nearly everyone has left including Sebby’s older brother Jed who took off one day without saying where he was going. Even when Jed phones, he refuses to say where he has gone or what he is doing. Then Sebby’s father disappears after a night of heavy drinking. In addition, his mother’s chickens have all flown the coop, but to where? Amidst all of this craziness, Sebby finds the Hole in the Wall, an Eden-like oasis in the minefields. It has a cave perfect for getting away from his bickering family. Oddly, the cave flashes colors that are visible only with a pair of Mr. Odum’s old glasses Sebby “found” while looking through the man’s old shed. Sebby thinks the strip-mining is the culprit that is causing all the awful and strange occurrences happening to the town and his family. With his twin sister’s help, Sebby goes on an adventure he never would have imagined in his wildest dreams.
The Hole in the Wall is one of those strange stories that feels like it could really happen. There is the bad guy who is spoiling the earth in this town and the people who are being harmed, but do not realize it or refuse to believe. Then there is Sebby, one lone person who searches for the truth (though he does finally get some help from his twin sister Barbie). The family dynamics are realistic and at times gut wrenching. I really liked this story for the realism mixed in with the fantasy. I think there are two themes in the plot: man’s savaging the Earth and families coming together despite how dysfunctional they may seem. Written for the middle grades, The Hole in the Wall is slow to start but then begins to make more sense. With the initial meandering, reluctant readers will get bored, lost, confused and ditch the book. But, kids who like to read will enjoy this story.
Received from publisher.
The Hole in the Wall is one of those strange stories that feels like it could really happen. There is the bad guy who is spoiling the earth in this town and the people who are being harmed, but do not realize it or refuse to believe. Then there is Sebby, one lone person who searches for the truth (though he does finally get some help from his twin sister Barbie). The family dynamics are realistic and at times gut wrenching. I really liked this story for the realism mixed in with the fantasy. I think there are two themes in the plot: man’s savaging the Earth and families coming together despite how dysfunctional they may seem. Written for the middle grades, The Hole in the Wall is slow to start but then begins to make more sense. With the initial meandering, reluctant readers will get bored, lost, confused and ditch the book. But, kids who like to read will enjoy this story.
Received from publisher.
August 1, 2010
Received as an e-galley from NetGalley
This book kept me wanting to read more. I was sad that it ended. I couldn't guess what was going on. You get a general idea of what's going to happen and you know instantly who the bad guy is. The question is why? What is he up to?
Seb was just adorable. He had such a vivid imagination. It had me actually believing so many weird things. He was such a delight! I couldn't believe some of the things his mind came up with. Barb was a good sister. It was nice to see siblings get along. I loved his Ma and Grum (with her "special walking stick". I'm still not so sure about his Pa.
Some parts in this book had me laughing out loud. Really. At one points Boots is asked how he sleeps as night. He says, "like a log. I would say like a baby but they wake up every two hours." Hahahahahaha! And some parts of the book were weird. Like the whole Celery/cookie dough part. That was just plain weird! So weird I just had to see what would happen next.
It was hard for me to imagine the swirling colors. Was it like a paisley pattern? Or was it like different slushies mixing? Is it like water with colored light shining through? Or like an oil slick? I could imagine one color, but not many.
I kind of felt not satisfied with the ending. Will this be a series? I wanted more to happen. I wanted a better resolution. I felt they deserved more and that the bad guy didn't get what he deserved. At all.
With all that said, I am glad I read The Hole in the Wall. I was pleasantly surprised at what I read. Seb was so much fun to read! It is very clean so it's definitely appropriate for all ages, unless you get offended by curses showing up as blankety blank. :)
This book kept me wanting to read more. I was sad that it ended. I couldn't guess what was going on. You get a general idea of what's going to happen and you know instantly who the bad guy is. The question is why? What is he up to?
Seb was just adorable. He had such a vivid imagination. It had me actually believing so many weird things. He was such a delight! I couldn't believe some of the things his mind came up with. Barb was a good sister. It was nice to see siblings get along. I loved his Ma and Grum (with her "special walking stick". I'm still not so sure about his Pa.
Some parts in this book had me laughing out loud. Really. At one points Boots is asked how he sleeps as night. He says, "like a log. I would say like a baby but they wake up every two hours." Hahahahahaha! And some parts of the book were weird. Like the whole Celery/cookie dough part. That was just plain weird! So weird I just had to see what would happen next.
It was hard for me to imagine the swirling colors. Was it like a paisley pattern? Or was it like different slushies mixing? Is it like water with colored light shining through? Or like an oil slick? I could imagine one color, but not many.
I kind of felt not satisfied with the ending. Will this be a series? I wanted more to happen. I wanted a better resolution. I felt they deserved more and that the bad guy didn't get what he deserved. At all.
With all that said, I am glad I read The Hole in the Wall. I was pleasantly surprised at what I read. Seb was so much fun to read! It is very clean so it's definitely appropriate for all ages, unless you get offended by curses showing up as blankety blank. :)
December 5, 2010
Imagine being an eleven year old boy and the world around you has slowly changed for the worse in the last few years. He can remember when times were better, but that was before the strip miners started taking away all the land around them. Not only that, but weird things were starting to happen to him that was more than just growing pains. A secret facility, a lost brother and parents that need parenting classes....what more could an eleven year old brother ask for but to start his own investigating!
This is a great book for this age group. This book is written in Sebastian's voice and uniquely comes across as an eleven year old. Sometimes things get jumbled up in their heads! The mystery held my attention and didn't give anything away too early. From one suspense (the chickens are missing) to another (there's rumbling cookie dough in my belly) to another (why did he pay so much for our eggs?) there is questions to be answered with each turn of the page. The minor characters are not as well drawn out as the main characters (usually a great thing) but I would have loved to see more about this dysfunctional family. I also loved the way the author brought together the brother and sister team. There is a lot going on but I would highly recommend this book for the middle age kids (8-12) and especially the boys!
Giving this book a 7 out of 7... Great Christmas Present for that age group.
I was given this book through NetGalley for free to preview. No other compensation was given just a honest review was all that was requested!
This is a great book for this age group. This book is written in Sebastian's voice and uniquely comes across as an eleven year old. Sometimes things get jumbled up in their heads! The mystery held my attention and didn't give anything away too early. From one suspense (the chickens are missing) to another (there's rumbling cookie dough in my belly) to another (why did he pay so much for our eggs?) there is questions to be answered with each turn of the page. The minor characters are not as well drawn out as the main characters (usually a great thing) but I would have loved to see more about this dysfunctional family. I also loved the way the author brought together the brother and sister team. There is a lot going on but I would highly recommend this book for the middle age kids (8-12) and especially the boys!
Giving this book a 7 out of 7... Great Christmas Present for that age group.
I was given this book through NetGalley for free to preview. No other compensation was given just a honest review was all that was requested!
February 17, 2011
Sebby and his twin sister, Barbie, live with their parents on one of the few remaining properties that have not been claimed by Mr. Odum's mining company. Sebby's father grew up with Mr. Odum and thinks well of him. Sebby is not so sure. When strange things start happening involving disappearing chickens, flashing colors, mysterious caves, and strange phone calls from his runaway brother, Jed, Sebby is sure that Mr. Odum is involved and it all seems to revolve around Sebby's secret place known only as the hole in the wall and a strange substance he and his sister discover. Sebby and Barbie must work fast if they hope to save their family and their home.
The characters brought to life so vividly are the best part of this book. The story is told from Sebby's point of view and his opinions on his life and the world around him are very clear. The strained relationships within his family is shown through their interactions rather than told. The writing is solid and doesn't interfere with the storytelling. The idea of a mineral like substance that is drawn back to itself and can invade the human body and even petrify it is a bit strange, but acceptable. The theme of family pulling together for the good of the whole is clear throughout the book. Overall, an interesting read that raises lots of questions about the ethics of what we do to the earth when we access her resources.
The characters brought to life so vividly are the best part of this book. The story is told from Sebby's point of view and his opinions on his life and the world around him are very clear. The strained relationships within his family is shown through their interactions rather than told. The writing is solid and doesn't interfere with the storytelling. The idea of a mineral like substance that is drawn back to itself and can invade the human body and even petrify it is a bit strange, but acceptable. The theme of family pulling together for the good of the whole is clear throughout the book. Overall, an interesting read that raises lots of questions about the ethics of what we do to the earth when we access her resources.
March 2, 2011
Sebby's living a difficult life. His brother has run away. His once nice father has turned into a unemployed, angry man who prefers to spend his time at the Dew Drop Inn. His mom tries to be peacemaker in the house. His grandmother has moved into his room and now he has to share the upstairs foyer with his twin sister. But worst of all, the beautiful land that used to surround his house has been strip mined by a mining company so that there's little to see that isn't ugly; and all the land the company owns is off limits to the kids, protected by fences, gates, and hired goons. Then the chickens start laying "concrete" eggs and then they, the chickens, seem to be turning into rock. The clear, clean spring water is turning rainbow colored and bubbly and the rocks and the dirt seem to be alive with wriggling ribbons of color. Sebby's stomach hurts. His teeth hurt. One of the rocklike chickens seems to be permanently stuck to his stomach as though by a strong magnet.
Sebby and his sister find a maze of tunnels under their land and start to make sense of the environmental and health problems the mining company is both causing and trying to solve.
A very interesting book, probably late 4th or earth 5th grade and up.
Sebby and his sister find a maze of tunnels under their land and start to make sense of the environmental and health problems the mining company is both causing and trying to solve.
A very interesting book, probably late 4th or earth 5th grade and up.
Read
October 27, 2010I must start by stating this is not a book I would normally pick up. YA isn’t my first choice.
The beginning intrigued me. Poor family just trying to make it day by day by selling eggs and anything else they grow on their property. All is going relatively well, until Seb finds an abnormally heavy egg in the coop. After this discovery, everything in Seb’s life gets turned upside down. Who is the good/bad guy? Which one of them is telling the truth? How is going to get this chicken detached from his chest? Yes, a real chicken, attached to his chest.
I found the book to be entertaining, however not very satisfying after finishing to read it. It almost feels as if the author purposely left questions unanswered and scenes unfinished in order to create a continuation novel. This would be okay, even smart, but the ending didn’t quite get there. There wasn’t enough suspense or anticipation to have the reader crave for the next installment.
Overall, the book was fun. Middle schoolers will enjoy it and parents won’t have issue with the language.
The beginning intrigued me. Poor family just trying to make it day by day by selling eggs and anything else they grow on their property. All is going relatively well, until Seb finds an abnormally heavy egg in the coop. After this discovery, everything in Seb’s life gets turned upside down. Who is the good/bad guy? Which one of them is telling the truth? How is going to get this chicken detached from his chest? Yes, a real chicken, attached to his chest.
I found the book to be entertaining, however not very satisfying after finishing to read it. It almost feels as if the author purposely left questions unanswered and scenes unfinished in order to create a continuation novel. This would be okay, even smart, but the ending didn’t quite get there. There wasn’t enough suspense or anticipation to have the reader crave for the next installment.
Overall, the book was fun. Middle schoolers will enjoy it and parents won’t have issue with the language.
December 3, 2010
It took me awhile to get into this book. There's not a lot of action right from the start and it took me a bit to get used to the author's storytelling style.
Seb is an interesting character and he takes a bit to get used to. He has quite an imagination, so his mind wanders and he imagines new situations and he takes the reader there with him. Because of this, his narration takes a bit to get adjusted to.
A lot happens in the story and there's a big mystery the twins have set out to solve, but I thought some of the story jumped around and there were parts that could have been explained a bit better. The mystery aspect of the storyline was a bit hard to follow at times. Because of that I think The Hole in the Wall would be great to give advanced tween readers that are looking for something that's a bit of a challenge but still middle grade.
There's not so much fantasy or mystery that it relies heavily on either genre, and readers who enjoy stories about small town life and fighting off evil coorporations should give this one a try.
Seb is an interesting character and he takes a bit to get used to. He has quite an imagination, so his mind wanders and he imagines new situations and he takes the reader there with him. Because of this, his narration takes a bit to get adjusted to.
A lot happens in the story and there's a big mystery the twins have set out to solve, but I thought some of the story jumped around and there were parts that could have been explained a bit better. The mystery aspect of the storyline was a bit hard to follow at times. Because of that I think The Hole in the Wall would be great to give advanced tween readers that are looking for something that's a bit of a challenge but still middle grade.
There's not so much fantasy or mystery that it relies heavily on either genre, and readers who enjoy stories about small town life and fighting off evil coorporations should give this one a try.
July 2, 2011
I'd give this book honors for its quirkiness; for most of the story I wondered what was going on. Seb and his family used to live surrounded by beauty; now a mining company has ruined the town and the land around it. Their family feels ruined too, since big brother Jed had a fight with their dad and has disappeared; their dad is an abusive alcoholic, and their family has very little money. What is the peculiar chemical that petrifies the chickens one day? Why does Seb's stomach hurt so much after he eats some of his mother's cookies (made with eggs from the chickens)? Seb and his twin sister endeavor to get to the bottom of the mystery, which appears to revolve around the owner of the mining company, hometown boy Stan Odum. The writing is strong, and the story compelling, but kids will have to read carefully to understand some of the more fantastical elements. 5th or 6th grade.
April 16, 2011
A beautiful countryside has been spoiled due to mining. Sebby, an 11year old boy, has discovered a hidden cave in the midst of the destruction around it. The cave is his refuge from his dysfunctional family. His father is an emotionally and verbally abusive drunk, his older brother is a runaway, and his mother works long hours to earn a meager income.
Strange things begin to happen. The first indication is the chickens. The begin to act strangely and lay petrified eggs.
Something rotten is afoot and all clues point to the mining company.
This is a fantastic tale geared towards a middle grade reader. Some events are bizarre, but eventually lead to the conclusion.
This book is full of imagination and creativity.
Strange things begin to happen. The first indication is the chickens. The begin to act strangely and lay petrified eggs.
Something rotten is afoot and all clues point to the mining company.
This is a fantastic tale geared towards a middle grade reader. Some events are bizarre, but eventually lead to the conclusion.
This book is full of imagination and creativity.
May 16, 2011
Sebby's retreat to his secret place seems to bring him some solace from the difficulties of missing his older, runaway brother, his abusive father, the businessman who is ruining the landscape of Kokadjo Gore and his critical twin sister. Anyone would want to get away from all that. But the Hole in the Wall, the small cave only Sebby knows about, has other properties. What makes the rainbow patterns appear, and then dance? Does it have anything to do with finding all his mother's chickens turned to stone, yet somehow still alive? Just what is the "business" of this Stanley Odum, who is tearing apart the verdant gore and buying land from all his neighbors? And how will he get rid of his world class stomachache?
September 23, 2010
Sebby Daniels has a twin sister named Barbie. Their older brother Jed ran away 6 months ago, and life hasn't been the same since. One morning, Sebby goes to the henhouse to collect the eggs and finds a petrified egg. Sebby and Barbie discover that strange things are happening around their home in Kakadjo Gore, and the petrified egg is just the beginning. Fraustino tells a story about a family that's been through some rough times and how they come together to solve a mysterious problem that you have to read to believe. I enjoyed this book greatly and would recommend it to readers aged middle-school and up.
I received a copy of this book from
I received a copy of this book from
January 19, 2012
Two stars for unique plot. Really wanted to like it. However, found the story to be pretty cluttered with the writing. The author's voice made me surface and come out of the story too many times for my liking. I felt she was trying to convince me the whole time who Seb was vs. Seb authentically acting throughout. Secondly, there was a lot wordy writing. For instance, "If you knew where to look, you could make out a camouflaged bump in the middle of the triangle. That was the ORC compound." Why not simply say, "The ORC compound was a camouflaged bump in the middle of the triangle."
February 18, 2012
Sebby and his twin sister Barbie get caught up in strange happenings in the area around their house. Why do the rocks in a local cave glow? What is causing the chickens to lay hard eggs? Their brother, Jed ran away from home and only calls once in a while to let them know he's still alive, will he ever come home? Will the mining run-off ruin their home just like it ruined everyone else's in the area? These are only the beginning of the adventure that awaits the two siblings. Great for kids 10+
November 28, 2010
I have a strong affection for this book; I felt content following the protagonist about, entering the family home, and the strangeness in the town felt like an episode of the SyFy show Eureka. I'm not sure I was on board with some of the incidents (the 'magnetic' chick attached to his stomach), however.
March 4, 2011
Ok, seriously don't know what's going on with this book. It's so disjointed and the narrator is so... I don't even know what the word is, incoherent maybe? I picked this book up no less than 4 times thinking I have to give it another shot, but that's it. I'm done with this thing. There are too many other books to read. Clearly I'm not the target audience for this one.
March 16, 2013
Interesting read, to some extent. But trying to do too much in 200 pages. Reminded me of a story a kid would have come up with while playing ("how about ... And let's pretend ...), which is kind of cool, but it didn't seem to serve a purpose. Interesting environmental commentary but not sure if kids would pick up on that (YA book).
August 12, 2010
I hated the first chapter, and almost stopped reading. But I kept going and liked the book. Important fact: the narrator is an 11-year-old boy. If I had known that, I probably would have liked the first chapter. It certainly felt like an 11-year-old was talking.
February 14, 2011
Very different. Sebby has an amazing hideout. The rocks actually change colors. But when the mining done by their house starts affecting their chickens, the eggs and then themselves, they find out the rocks aren't so wonderful.
May 19, 2013
I really wanted to like it, but the author seemed to change her mind about the entire plot halfway through. The ending was rushed and inconsistent with the beginning. That said, there are a few images from the book that I will be chuckling about for a long time to come (e.g. Celery).
Want to read
May 29, 2010signed galley from BEA
September 18, 2010
This was a really cute book. I loved stumbling my way through this world with Seb, finding out what was really going on, and learning the truth about what our villain was up to.
October 15, 2010
Weird. Quite weird.
Read
July 24, 2012this was not a good book to many things happening at once
Read
May 22, 2013Don't remember it well enough to rate.
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