Stanley Yelnat’s family has a history of bad luck going back generations, so he is not too surprised when a miscarriage of justice sends him to Camp Green Lake Juvenile Detention Centre. As punishment, the boys must dig a hole each day, five foot wide by five foot deep, in the hard earth of the dried-up lake bed. The warden claims this is ‘character building’ – but it doesn’t take long for Stanley to realise that what he must actually uncover is the truth.
Prizes
International best-seller with over 600,000 of the Bloomsbury edition sold to date Published as part of the Bloomsbury 21st Birthday Celebrations Includes reading group guide Winner of the National Book Award
Reviews
‘A story of friendship with the cleverest plot twists, and descriptions so vivid you can feel the heat of Stanley’s desert prison burning off the page A total must-read’ The Times ‘An exceptionally funny and generous book that is also a tightly plotted detective novel’ Guardian ‘Unmistakably powerful’ Philip Pullman ‘One of those instant classics that adults, as well as children, will thoroughly enjoy’ Independent on Sunday
About the Author
Louis Sachar lives in Texas where he writes full time. He wrote the screenplay for the movie of his novel Holes, starring Sigourney Weaver, Jon Voight and Patricia Arquette.
3 Comments
My daughter brought this book at a gargage sale and found the story
very interesting. Digging a hole hole day long to get a point across.
A story about Stanley who is sent to a Detention Centre and for his
punishment, boys have to dig a hole every day. Its about detective work
to undercover the truth.
i hear there is a movie coming out on this book. That just from my book
club. Everything about the book was so well thought of, even down to
the title, yes the boys are literally digging ‘holes’ but I never
predicted the amount of ‘holes’ in the story too. I would strongly
recommend this book and think it covers a large audience as it is easy
enough for younger children to read but will still keep older readers
guessing too!