Holes

“If only, if only,” the woodpecker sighs,
“The bark on the tree was as soft as the skies.”
While the wolf waits below, hungry and lonely,
Crying to the moo-oo-oon,
“If only, if only.”

Part One: Camp Green Lake

Stanley Yelnats, an unlucky teenager, is wrongfully convicted of stealing a pair of sneakers and sent to Camp Green Lake, a juvenile detention camp in the middle of a desert. The camp forces boys to dig holes every day under the scorching sun, supposedly to “build character.” Stanley soon realizes there’s more to the digging than punishment—the Warden is searching for something.

Part Two: The Past and Present Intertwine

As Stanley endures the harsh conditions, the story shifts to the past, revealing the history of Green Lake. Once a thriving town, it dried up after a curse was placed on Stanley’s great-great-grandfather. The curse seems to follow Stanley’s family, explaining his perpetual bad luck.

Part Three: The Truth Unfolds

Stanley befriends a boy named Zero, who eventually runs away from camp. Stanley follows him, and they survive in the desert by finding refuge on an old boat. There, they discover a treasure linked to the Warden’s family and Stanley’s ancestor. The treasure breaks the family curse.

Part Four: Justice and Redemption

Stanley and Zero return to camp with the treasure, exposing the Warden’s cruelty. The camp is shut down, and Stanley’s family’s luck changes. Zero is reunited with his long-lost mother, and Stanley is exonerated. The boys leave Camp Green Lake, their lives forever changed.

Key Ideas

• Fate and destiny shaping lives
• The power of friendship and loyalty
• Injustice and systemic cruelty
• Family curses and redemption
• Survival against harsh conditions

Notable Adaptations