When fifteen year old Paul Shackleford is sent to live on a relative's isolated farm as punishment for lying, his life is transformed. There, he meets some unusual people and one very surly dog, who are all still reeling from the death of a beloved farmhand. Paul begins to hear talk of the presence of a ghost and soon finds himself investigating the life and afterlife of the departed man, who seems to have a mysterious connection to Paul.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
As punishment for telling a lie, 15-year-old Paul Shackleford has been "condemned to a summer of indentured servitude" his parents send him to work on a farm owned by distant relatives. Although the city boy believes that his parents are overreacting, he is surprised at how quickly he grows fond of the enigmatic people he meets at the Vallenport farm. Less folksy and fantastical than some of Hite's previous works (Dither Farm; Stick and Whittle), this introspective novel retains the author's characteristic warmth, philosophical flavor and touch of rural romance. Readers will be moved by the generous, soulful country dwellers who take Paul into their hearts to fill the "hole" left by their dear departed friend: the wise, impeccably truthful Hennley Gray. As Paul gets to know the Vallenport clan and understand the depth of their grief, he strives to meet the standards of the much-admired Hennley. The ethereal aspects of the story Hennley's ghostlike presence, the telepathic qualities of the dog he left behind add an aura of mystery, but it is the more down-to-earth lessons Paul learns, about friendship and honesty, that will resonate longest. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Gr 6-10-As a result of a lie he told to cover for a friend, 15-year-old Paul Shackleford is sent to spend the summer on the farm of distant relatives in rural Virginia. It seems more like banishment to Paul, an ordinarily good kid. At the farm, with a greeting nip at his hindquarters he is introduced to Einstein, a remarkable dog that will play a significant role in his summer. He learns that Einstein belonged to a former employee who committed suicide a year earlier as cancer gradually compromised his quality of life. Paul also comes to realize that Hennley was revered by all who knew him. Ada and Hargrove Vallencourt, as well as their hardworking crew, welcome Paul into their midst even as they initiate him into the intensity of farm labor. The teen holds his own, not only in terms of the physical labor, but also in blending with the vagaries of the various residents. He later reflects on the genuineness of the people here compared to his friends at home. Throughout the story, the possibility of a specter, that of Hennley Gray, intervenes. Paul and his new friend Rebecca later conclude that maybe they are all haunting Hennley's soul rather than the other way around. Hite has created a simple story that reflects on truth and the basic goodness of people. One of the novel's strengths is the wonderful give-and-take between Paul and his lawyer father. In an amusing turnabout, the young man attributes a summer's growth in maturity to his parents, rather than to himself. A good discussion starter.
Sylvia V. Meisner, Greensboro Montessori School, NC
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A hole in the world,
A Kid's Review
This review is from: A Hole In The World (Mass Market Paperback)
This book is about a boy named Paul who found himself on the wrong end of a white lie. The lie got him into a lot of trouble and ended up altering his summer plans. For punishment his dad sent him to a farm to work for his summer break. The farmers Ada and Hargrove Vallenport and the rest of the farmhands and neighbors greeted him cautiously at first. Paul was sure his summer was ruined.
After a few days Paul learned everyone studied him because he reminded them of a deceased farm hand named Hennley. Hennley was. But little by little, Paul started to put together enough information to make him intrigued about the man.. Paul also learned that the dog named Einstein had belonged to Hennley. After a very short time on the farm Paul and Einstein became officially bonded. During one of his hard days of labor, Paul noticed a young girl in the meadow. Eventually he found out that she was the daughter of a farmhand, that she was his age, and that her name was Rebecca. The two of them started a friendship. On one occasion Rebecca invited Paul to attend a small séance to see if they could communicate with the spirit Hennley. It seemed some thing unusual was happening and they were filled with suspense expecting to be visited by the spirit of Hennley they were startled with a loud bang out side the house. You will have to read the story to find out not only what happened at the conclusion of the séance but also to discover how another death of a character in the book affects the out come of the story
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Hole in the World,
By A Customer (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
This review is from: A Hole In The World (Hardcover)
Paul Shackleford got himself into some trouble. It began with a lie, innocent at first, that ended up being serious. His dad has decided to teach him a lesson. Mr. Shackleford says Paul has to spend the summer on a farm in rural Virginia, working as a farmhand. And Paul doesn't like it. Buried alive on a farm all summer? Just for lying to help a friend? Paul assures his dad he won't ever lie again. Why should he have to leave all his friends around the pools of Richmond and slop a bunch of hogs? Like it or not, Paul doesn't have much choice about working on the farm --- his dad is driving him and there's no getting out of it. When they arrive at the huge farm, owned by a distant relative, Paul gets out of the car and a big, barrel-chested dog named Einstein runs up and nips his rear end. But Paul was raised to be polite --- despite his lying incident --- and he is very nice to everybody, even the dog. He also works hard. Know what Paul's first job turns out to be? Mucking out the hog pen --- a hundred square feet of it. Then he has to tear down barbed wire fences and put them back up again. And throw bales of hay into the pickup truck under the blazing sun. But you know what? Paul finds out his dad was right. The farmers are not dumb. Strange, maybe. They hug and kiss a six-hundred-pound pregnant sow named Vanessa. And they think they see ghosts. One ghost, actually --- the ghost of Hennley, a farmhand who hung himself (the dog who bit Paul's backside was his dog.) Paul is especially intrigued by Hennley. Amidst all the work and the eccentricities, Paul learns many lessons --- about people, truth, loyalty, memories, and the power of words. Do words really hang in the air after they're spoken, still exercising their power? Is Hennley doing what he promised he'd do --- taking care of everybody on the farm? Will Paul really learn the lessons his father intended him to? (...)
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Hole in the World,
By A Customer
This review is from: A Hole In The World (Hardcover)
Eric Schimler 7th grade the Walker School
The book that I did for my reading journal is a Hole in the World by Sid Hite. This book is a recommended book for people of all ages. This book is about a kid, Paul Shackleford, who gets in trouble and is punished by having to work on a farm somewhere in Virginia. Paul's gets anew view of the world outside of his life in Richmond. Lots of conflicts such as the work that Paul had to do and the benefits such as meeting Rebecca and Einstein, a dog on the farm, and learning about the farms past and future. A major part in the book was when Paul and Rebecca went to Hennely Gray's cottage and read the note left by Hennely. This book teaches kids that you need to take responsibility for your actions. Read the book to find out whom Hennely Gray is, why Paul was sent to the farm, and if Paul survives his summer at the Hargrove's farm.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product).
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
So You'd Like to...
|
|
