Middle-grade novel · Fiction
Holes
Louis Sachar
About the book
Stanley Yelnats is sent to a juvenile detention camp where boys dig holes all day, and he uncovers a mystery linked to his family's past.
Reading notes
Interwoven timelines reward attentive readers; strong for discussion of justice and fate. Includes harsh conditions at the detention camp and a racist murder in the backstory.
This description was drafted with AI assistance and checked by a separate AI review against catalog, publisher and award sources on 2026-11-11. It has not been reviewed by a human editor. Report an error.
Recognition
- Newbery Medal (1999)
- National Book Award for Young People's Literature (1998)
Recognition is listed from the awarding bodies’ published records. How we verify awards.
Book details
- Author
- Louis Sachar
- First published
- 1998
- Suggested ages
- Ages 9–13 (editorial estimate — children vary)
- Reading mode
- Independent reader
- Topics
- justice, humor, mystery
- Edition shown
- ISBN 9780440414803 · Dell Yearling, 2000
- Catalog record
- Open Library work record · edition record
Metadata verified against Open Library on 2026-11-11. Other editions and formats exist; ISBNs differ by edition.
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