Your page · Ages 8 to 12

Holes

by Louis Sachar

One question a night. There are no wrong answers, and you are allowed to change your mind at the end.

1. 1

   Part one, arriving at camp. The warden says digging builds character. Does hard work build character, or does it just make you tired?

2. 2

   Part one, the first hole. Stanley is the only one who tells the truth about the shoes. What did the truth get him?

3. 3

   Part two, the boys' nicknames. Everyone at camp is called something other than their name. What does a nickname do to a person?

4. 4

   Part two, Zero. Stanley teaches Zero to read and gets in trouble for it. Was it worth it?

5. 5

   Part two, Kate Barlow's story. The town punishes her for who she loved. What does the book want you to see there?

6. 6

   Part three, the mountain. Stanley carries Zero uphill. Where does he find that, after a hundred holes?

7. 7

   Part three, the payoff. Which detail surprised you most when it turned out to matter?

8. 8

   The curse is really a promise that was broken. What does the book say about fixing something your family did before you were born?

9. 9

   If you had to name the real villain of this book, who would you pick? It is not as obvious as it looks.

The grown-up page for Holes

August 2026 pick. Last updated 19 August 2026.