Holes

By Louis Sachar

What is it about?

Stanley Yelnats is sent to a detention camp where boys dig holes in the desert. Louis Sachar interweaves his predicament with earlier events until apparently separate stories start to connect.

Who might enjoy it?

For a reader who likes a puzzle that takes a whole novel to solve. Keep a scrap-paper timeline if the shifts between generations become confusing; avoid looking up the ending.

Things to consider

Cruel punishment, racism, threats and dangerous conditions. Better for readers comfortable with injustice and dark humour than those seeking a gentle adventure.

A question to take into your reading

Which repeated detail seems accidental at first, and why might the author return to it?

Premise and publication context: Publisher: Holes. Reading-fit suggestions and discussion questions are MWC editorial guidance.

Keep exploring

• Great books for ages 9–12

  Find five books for ages 9–12: school stories, mystery, fantasy, a robot adventure and a graphic memoir, with reading-fit notes and discussion ideas.

• Matilda

  A book-loving heroine makes this a natural reading-club choice. Choose it for mischievous humour, while checking that its cruel adults will not spoil the fun.

• How many words are in a book?

  Multiply the number of pages by an estimated average of words per page. At Million Word Club's transparent default of 250 words per page, a 200-page book is estimated at 50,000 words.

Keep the books that matter to you.

MWC helps members save a wishlist, remember finished books and follow their reading progress. Browse these lists freely; adults can request access to the reading tracker.