Holes

By: Louis Sachar

Narrated by: Kerry Beyer

Length: 4 hrs and 30 mins

Publisher's Summary

Stanley Yelnats isn't so surprised when a miscarriage of justice sends him to a juvenile detention center. After all, his family has been ridden with bad luck ever since a one-legged gypsy put a curse on his great-great grandfather. He is told that the hard labor he must perform, digging five-foot holes in the dried up soil where Green Lake once sat, is meant to build character. But it soon becomes clear to Stanley that the warden is really using the boys to search for something very valuable. The story of the hidden treasure, along with the warden, Stanley's friend Zero, and the curse on the Yelnats family are all part of a compelling puzzle that has taken generations to unravel.

Holes is the 1999 Newbery Medal winner for most distinguished American children's book.

©1998 Louis Sachar (P)1999 Random House, Inc., Listening Library, An Imprint Of Random House Audio Publishing Group

Critic Reviews

• Newbery Medal Winner, 1999

"A brilliant achievement. There is no question, kids will love Holes." (School Library Journal)
"Sachar inserts humor that gives the suspense steep edges; the tone is as full of surprises as the plot." (The New York Times Book Review)
"Beyer's buoyant, boyish manner ensures that Sachar's witty novel, winner of both the Newbery Medal and the National Book Award, makes a smooth transition to audio." (Publishers Weekly)

An unexpected delight!

The title of this book always left me uninterested. But since it was so incredibly popular with kids I decided I should check it out and it is terrific! The narrator captures the spirit of Stanley Yelnats perfectly and you can't turn it off. The ending is a pretty neat and it really illustrates the old cliche "what comes around goes around." I recommend this for young and old alike.

12 people found this helpful

A Wonderful and Enduring Story

Holes has been one of those classic stories that people tend to remember for years after they have read it. This is a marvelous tale about the interconnectedness of life, in which things that have happened in far-away places and times start a sort of karmic chain of events that ultimately comes full-circle and has life-changing consequences for our young protagonist. Old debts must be paid and old wrongs must be righted before Stanley Yelnats will be able to gain his freedom from Camp Green Lake. This is a great listen for children, young adults and grown-ups.

23 people found this helpful

Great read with a class!

This is a great book to read with a fifth grade class! My class enjoyed the book very much!

6 people found this helpful

I loved it

it was really really good and interesting to me
and the narrator was really good to.

5 people found this helpful

great book

I loved this book I couldn't wait till I read the real book. I recommend this book

5 people found this helpful

Fun Read

This is an excellent audible book. I truly enjoyed the manner in which it was read by the narrator. The charachters were interesting, and well developed, and the plot was engaging. I highly recommend this read, especially for a young adult/pre-teen.

10 people found this helpful

Great family story

I would definitely recommend this book! A great story to listen to as a family!

4 people found this helpful

Love this book!

I remember reading this book in middle school, There’s even a movie for it. Amazing.

3 people found this helpful

The Story is Awesome, Read the Book Instead.

What disappointed you about Holes?

The story was great, the major let down was the awful narration. The characters did NOT come to life and truly suffered for it in this retelling. The narrator's lack of diversity and passion really made a great story drag. The singing in particular was bland and did not capture the very poignant moment in the story that the song represents. Really a shame.

What did you like best about this story?

The story itself is great, the way that everything is interwoven is fabulous. Sachar is known for being witty and fun, this look at a more serious tale still had the lighthearted style of Sachar while presenting a more somber narrative.

Any additional comments?

I'd say read the book, skip the audible version, it will be a much better experience.

7 people found this helpful

Holes

Excellent story, well told. I couldn't quite give it 5-stars because I thought the narration was a bit stilted. But the story held my interest all the way through - the mixture of past and present was woven together well and tied up the loose ends very nicely.

14 people found this helpful