Holes by Louis Sachar is an award-winning middle-grade novel that combines mystery, humor, friendship, and adventure in a story about justice, family, and redemption. This special anniversary edition includes bonus content from the author.
Stanley Yelnats believes his family has been cursed for generations, beginning with his great-great-grandfather. When Stanley is wrongly sent to Camp Green Lake, a boys’ detention center, he is forced to spend every day digging holes that are five feet wide and five feet deep.
Despite its name, Camp Green Lake has no lake. As Stanley and the other boys continue digging, he begins to suspect that the strange punishment has little to do with building character. The warden appears to be searching for something buried beneath the dried-up lake, and Stanley becomes determined to discover what it is.
As the mystery unfolds, connections between the camp, Stanley’s family history, and the past begin to emerge. The story weaves together seemingly unrelated events into a clever tale of friendship, perseverance, crime, punishment, and redemption.
Holes is an entertaining and thought-provoking choice for young readers, combining dark humor and adventure with themes of courage, loyalty, and the consequences of choices made across generations.
This anniversary edition includes a new note from Louis Sachar, “Ten Things You May Not Know About HOLES,” and additional bonus content.
