Holes
Exciting mystery is often intense but occasionally funny.
Parents say
Based on 22 reviews
Kids say
Based on 135 reviews
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Louis Sachar's Holes is a moving, action-packed, and sometimes violent mystery that won the Newbery Medal. It's about a boy named Stanley, who's falsely accused of a crime and sent to a juvenile detention center in the middle of a desert in Texas. The story will excite young readers' sense of justice, as Stanley is treated most unfairly. In the flashback passages, Katherine, a White woman, loves Sam, a Black man, and they're victims of racist violence. There's threatened as well as real violence in the present-day parts of the book, including fistfights, drawn guns, attacks with shovels, and danger of poisoning. This is a more intense book than many novels for this age group, as some adults in the book treat youngsters as slaves. However, there are some funny moments, and the mysterious ways that past and present connect in the book are engaging at just the right grade level. The book was adapted for a 2003 movie, and there's a good audiobook version read by Kerry Beyer.
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What's the Story?
In HOLES, Stanley Yelnats, falsely convicted of stealing a celebrity's sneakers, is sent to Camp Green Lake, a juvenile detention center in the middle of the desert, where each inmate is required to dig a large hole every day. The seasoned prisoners are rough and mean, and the conditions are dreadful, especially compared with the loving home that Stanley has known. As Stanley gets to know the other boys and the grueling routine, he also realizes there's a mystery behind this strange punishment that's related to a treasure and even to the supposed curse on Stanley's family dating back to his "dirty-rotten-pig-stealing" great-grandfather. The keys to the mystery have to do with a long-gone outlaw named Kate Barlow, a young boy called Zero, a greedy warden with rattlesnake venom nail polish, and whatever is buried in the parched desert of Green Lake.
Is It Any Good?
As Louis Sachar's edgy plot weaves between intersecting stories, past and present, the author creates a unique mystery, full of twists and danger. This novel includes violence and cruelty, and it may be somewhat intense for some young readers. However, there are funny moments, too, and mystery lovers will be fascinated as the story unfolds. It's also a great book for parents and teachers to introduce simple concepts of literary analysis and use of language, as the word "holes" has multiple meanings in the book.
This Newbery winner is often a hit with fourth and fifth grade readers who are ready for something that's intellectually a little bit challenging, as well as a fair bit darker than most novels for their grade level.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Stanley survives Camp Green Lake in Holes. How did his life before the camp prepare him for this experience?
How do Stanley and Zero help each other? How do their different abilities and backgrounds make them useful to each other?
Have you seen the movie of Holes? How is the film different from the book?
Book Details
- Author: Louis Sachar
- Genre: Adventure
- Topics: Adventures, Friendship, Great Boy Role Models
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
- Publication date: May 9, 2000
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 9 - 12
- Number of pages: 233
- Available on: Paperback, Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Award: Newbery Medal and Honors
- Last updated: May 17, 2021
Our Editors Recommend
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The 39 Clues Series
Exciting mystery, heavily merchandised.
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Monster Hunters: Nightmare Academy: Book 1
Familiar and predictable but lots of fun.
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Half-Moon Investigations
Clever detective fiction for middle-graders.
For kids who love mystery and adventure
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