We all want to be better people. We want to make better choices, do the right thing and treat other people with kindness and respect. We all want to learn from our mistakes and avoid repeating them in the future. The Book Holes series is a fun way to do just that—by solving everyday problems with simple math tricks. Each book teaches you one math problem, but when taken as a series of five books, you can master mental arithmetic. These books are perfect for kids or anyone who wants to learn more about their brain power and critical thinking skills!
Major themes in Holes include the consequence of choices resulting from fate and destiny and the importance of friendship. Sachar never sets out to teach a specific moral or lesson when he writes. Instead, he creates characters that his readers can empathize with and involves them in plots that are fun to read.
10 Life Lessons From The Book Holes
1. Trust Yourself, Even When Others Doubt You
In “Holes,” Stanley Yelnats is falsely accused of stealing and sent to a juvenile detention camp. Despite facing constant skepticism and ridicule from those around him, Stanley stays true to himself and ultimately proves his innocence.
2. Hard Work Pays Off
Throughout the book, characters are forced to dig holes in the hot desert sun as punishment. Despite the grueling task, Stanley and his fellow campmates learn the value of hard work and perseverance. They eventually uncover a hidden treasure, proving that hard work does indeed pay off.
3. Friendship Can Help You Through Tough Times
Stanley forms strong bonds with his fellow campmates, including his friend Zero. These friendships provide support and companionship during difficult times and ultimately help Stanley and the others overcome their challenges.
4. Everyone Makes Mistakes
Throughout the book, characters make mistakes that lead to their current predicaments. However, the story emphasizes that it’s important to learn from these mistakes and not let them define you.
5. Take Responsibility for Your Actions
Stanley learns the importance of taking responsibility for his actions, even when faced with difficult circumstances. By owning up to his mistakes and making amends, he is able to move forward and find redemption.
6. Stay Positive, Even in Difficult Times
In the face of adversity, characters in “Holes” maintain a positive attitude and outlook. This optimism helps them persevere through challenging situations and come out stronger on the other side.
7. Embrace Your Individuality
Each character in “Holes” has their own unique quirks and strengths. The book teaches readers to embrace their individuality and recognize the value that each person brings to the table.
8. Trust Your Instincts
Throughout the book, characters rely on their instincts to guide them in the right direction. Trusting your gut and following your intuition can lead to unexpected discoveries and opportunities.
9. Forgiveness is a Powerful Tool
Forgiveness plays a key role in the story of “Holes.” Characters learn to forgive themselves and others, leading to healing and reconciliation. The book highlights the transformative power of forgiveness in overcoming past hurts.
10. Never Give Up, Even When the Going Gets Tough
Despite facing numerous obstacles and setbacks, characters in “Holes” never lose hope and continue to push forward. The book serves as a reminder to persevere in the face of adversity and never give up on your dreams.
This is a book that has been around for decades and still sells well. The author’s real name is Mary Timony and she was an elementary school teacher in Michigan when she wrote the first publication. She used the plot of the story of a little boy named Daniel moving from his family to a new one as inspiration for her first novel, but changed it so that Daniel is moved from his house and moves in with a foster family instead.
Life Lessons From The Book Holes Summary
It hooks you with the very first sentence, reels you in and before you know it, you and the book are inseparable.
Once I started reading the book, I just had to know what happened next. And in spite of all the demanding distractions, I walked around with its plot and its characters constantly on my mind.
The Story
Holes is the story of 11-year-old Stanley, a good kid living an unremarkable life, who finds himself, through a strange twist of events, in a camp for juvenile delinquents.
The Style
At its heart, Holes’ is a thrilling puzzle narrated in a unique style, segueing seamlessly between the past and the present. There’s never a dull moment as you’re busy trying to piece together the different threads while galloping with the story.
Through Stanley, you get to experience life at the camp. You’ll often pause to reflect on how comfortable your own life is compared to what Stanley has to go through.
Lesson #1
But what really struck a chord with me was that despite the hardships and unfairness, Stanley doesn’t let his unfortunate circumstances make him bitter.
For almost his entire life, Stanley has endured bullying and teasing at school. Yet he retains a keen sense of humour and generosity that’s not just endearing but also serves as a powerful reminder that being kind is a choice that we all have, our circumstances notwithstanding.
Lesson #2
Another great takeaway for me was the importance of listening to and trusting our gut feelings.
Oftentimes, when we find ourselves in overwhelming situations or ones with no precedence, we’re faced with two choices: our intuition telling us to do one thing and conventional wisdom egging us to do another thing.
How many times have we fallen back on conventional wisdom and missed out on the opportunity to do something life-changing?
I could think of many episodes in my life where I’ve shunned my gut feelings and listened to others because I thought they were authorities on the subject and knew the rules better than I do.
That’s where this book reinforces a powerful message: The thing about rules is that there’re no rules. Listen to your gut, break old rules, and create new ones. Isn’t that a wonderful way to grow?
Lesson #3
And finally, Holes scores big in underscoring the importance of friendship and loyalty. In a world where we often mistake fair-weather friendships for the real deal, Holes shows how some of the most enduring relationships are forged during the unlikeliest of moments and between the unlikeliest of individuals.
To recap, the three life-affirming lessons for me from reading this book have been:
1 To be kind is a choice that we all have, our circumstances notwithstanding.
2 The thing about rules is that there’re no rules. Listen to your gut, break old rules, and create new ones.
3 Never be dismissive or write off someone without knowing them. Some of the most enduring relationships are forged during the unlikeliest of moments and between the unlikeliest of individuals.
A great read for kids and adults alike, Holes by Louis Sachar is recommended for ages 10 and above.
Interested to reading Holes?
In case you’re a MyBookWorks reader, just drop us a message via email or WhatsApp.
Life Lessons From The Book Holes Characters
In this lesson, you will learn about the themes in the book ‘Holes’. Stanley Yelnats has so many odd things happen that there must be a reason. Could they be because of his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing great-great-grandfather?
Stanley and Zero
Friendship is important in everyone’s life. Maybe you have a best friend. In Louis Sachar’s Holes, the main characters Stanley and Zero were brought together by fate while digging holes at Camp Green Lake.
The conditions at the camp are horrible. The boys must dig holes every day in unbearable heat and avoid the deadly Yellow-Spotted Lizards. No one would ever think of finding friendship at such a place. But through fate, Stanley and Zero develop a lasting friendship.
One important theme in this story is friendship. The bond between Stanley and Zero is so strong that it earns them their freedom. Remember in the story where ”Stanley took hold of Zero’s forearms and pulled him upright? He stood up, lifting Zero’s worn-out body off the ground”. This is one way Stanley showed friendship.
By learning how to persevere in spite of hardship, your students will thrive inside and outside the classroom. But how do you teach perseverance? Engaging books, like the award-winning novel Holes by Louis Sachar, are great tools for helping young readers understand the importance of perseverance and determination. Through reading, they may even be inspired to cultivate these qualities in their own lives.
Plus, check out these 100 books that build character.
In Holes, young Stanley Yelnats has been unjustly sent to a boys’ detention center, Camp Green Lake, where he’s forced to spend his days “building character” by digging holes five feet wide and five feet deep. But it doesn’t take long for Stanley to realize his digging isn’t strictly for his own self-improvement—it’s really in service of a conniving warden in search of treasure. Naturally, Stanley is determined to dig up the truth.
This book will not only provide students with the opportunity to learn about perseverance and determination through Stanley’s experience, but it will also inspire them to reflect on the role perseverance has played in their own lives and how it can impact their future.
Here are a few tips for teaching perseverance to your young readers using Holes:
- Before reading, discuss the meaning of perseverance and determination with your students and encourage them to think about experiences in their own lives where they persevered and showed determination. Ask them to choose one experience and write a few sentences about what motivated them to persevere and whether they succeeded.
- Throughout the story, Stanley shows determination, perseverance, and strong will just by enduring the harsh conditions at Camp Green Lake. While reading, have your students consider these questions about Stanley’s experience:
What motivates Stanley to persevere each day?
What role do his relationships with other characters play in his motivation?
What lessons can be learned from Stanley’s experience?
Does perseverance always pay off in the end? Why, or why not?
- After reading, ask students to identify a goal they have for the school year and write about the challenges they must overcome to achieve it. Encourage them to reflect upon the lessons they learned from Stanley’s experience to devise a plan to persevere. To conclude, ask them to write about how they will feel if they achieve their goal and the emotions they’ll experience if they don’t.
Reading novels like Holes, featuring strong-willed and determined characters like Stanley, is a great way for students to learn about perseverance and the important role it will play in their future success. For more books and tools to teach your students about perseverance, determination, and other important character traits, check out these engaging resources.