Gantos, Jack. Hole in my Life. Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, New York: 2002. 200 pages. Tr. $16.00 ISBN 9780374399883
Annotation
In Hole n My Life, Newberry Award winning author Jack Gantos recounts his youth when he was arrested for smuggling drugs from the Virgin Island into the United States and was sentenced to six years in prison.
Review
In his autobiographical book, Hole in My Life, author Jack Gantos bravely and honestly tells the story of his experience on the wrong side of the law, when he was arrested for conspiring to smuggle 2,000 pounds of hash from St. Croix to New York. Gantos makes no excuses or apologies for his action, but fully owns up to his mistake. Gantos sense of invincibility as a young man will resonate with many teens, but hopefully reading his story will cause other teens to think twice before making similar mistakes. Despite being caught and being sentenced to six years in prison, Gantos was actually lucky. He quickly earned a position working in the jail hospital, which came with his own cell, away from the dangers of the dorm with the other prisoners where he risked being beaten, stabbed, or raped. Gantos also counts himself lucky because it was in prison that he finally realized his dream to become a writer and gained the motivation to make his dream a reality.
Awards/Honors
ALSC Notable Book 2003
Printz Honor Book 2003
Sibert Honor Book 2003
Front and Back Matter
None
Author’s Website
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