Tweens everywhere know Louis Sachar. Even if they haven't read about the quirky children and teachers of Wayside School, or blushed along with Bradley Chalkers after he was discovered in the girls' bathroom, they couldn't miss Sachar's 18th book, Holes. Published in 1998, the book earned a Newbery Medal in 1999 and landed on the silver screen in 2003. The book and movie tell the captivating story of a young man who, after being falsely arrested and sent to a detention camp for troubled youth, makes good on a broken promise and forever changes his family's life. Sachar says he writes stories that he likes and thinks will entertain his readers--he has no particular agenda in mind. Nevertheless, Sachar's books offer truths that strike a chord with children and enlighten adults.