Why Was The Book Holes Banned?

Question

Heard Holes was challenged in some schools. Were there specific scenes about violence or themes that got the book banned? What's the reason behind it?

Oloruntola Olorunfemi · Answer

'holes' by Louis Sachar was banned or challenged in several places, most notably due to the book’s portrayal of race and its very scathing critique of the current justice system, as well as some mild language. While I hate that books like this are challenged because they can prompt some very good discussions about tough subjects, Sachar isn’t the only author who explores difficult subjects in his stories. A particularly intense read with a strong critical edge is ‘Don’t Lock Me In Again’ by Jacqueline Manuel. Using a confined setting (a mental institution), the author develops a critique of power, and in this instance, the failure of several different institutions.

Ryder · Answer

'Holes' by Louis Sachar is a really, really great book for kids. I read it when I was little. But for some reason, the book has been banned in places because of the depiction of mostly authority figures who are corrupt, abusive etc. or even just rude. Also some objection to strong language in the book and its dark or black humor. Others just object to certain elements of the book’s themes of fate and injustices because they think that kids shouldn’t have to think about these things.

My favorite thing about Holes is that it is a respect-filled book. It doesn’t “talk down” to its young readers, instead it challenges them to think about really complex topics in a fun, engaging and accesible way. (Most other “girls’/boys’ adventure” type books blend adventure, mystery, and historical elements. This book is unique.)

Much of the power of Holes comes from Sachar’s unique ability to craft a humorous and highly engaging story about very real and complex themes. The book conveys a powerful message about how to break cycles of misfortune and introduces a host of remarkable characters. It is a crying shame that such a remarkable work of literature is being kept from children in parts of the country.

Sophia · Answer

A somewhat weird fact that I found while reading ‘Holes’ again is that this book was “banned” in several schools and libraries throughout the U.S. Many of the reasons that books are “challenged” today have to do with depictions of violence. Camp Green Lake certainly contains scenes of violence, but I can’t see how they would be considered to be objectionable to older children. Also, some parents were apparently worried by a few “bad words,” including “damn” and “hell.”

Much of the controversy to surrounding Holes stems from how the novel treats matters of race and justice. The novel does not shy away from revealing grave inequalities that exist in our society and in the ways in which people from less powerful racial backgrounds are treated by those in more powerful positions. Why some people might find this subject matter to be distasteful or even offensive is a mystery to me, as this novel presents one of the finest explorations of these weighty themes to date and encourages readers to think critically about issues of fairness and redemption.

‘Holes’ is also praised for being a highly moral story and extremely clever in terms of storytelling. Sachar skillfully connects the past to the present by weaving a clever story and creating realistic characters. The reason that ‘Holes’ is being banned is therefore illogical, since the book promotes kindness and resilience in the face of hardship.

Isla · Answer

I thought it was interesting that some places have ‘banned’ Holes by Louis Sachar. There are a few reasons why it was banned in some schools and by some parents. Some thought that the camp where Stanley was sent in juvenile hall was too harsh for kids to read about and see the ways in which Stanley and other kids at the camp were bullied. Others were perturbed by some of the language used in the novel (mild but there nonetheless). There were also issues with race and violence in the book, but again the book deals with these in a very deep and nuanced way.

You think it would be obvious that ‘Holes’ is a fantastic book and could be used for lots of good discussions with kids. Sadly, it has been banned in some places, apparently because some of the themes and language are deemed to be too ‘harsh’ for kids. Although this book teaches wonderful lessons about friendship, perseverance and justice, the themes and language of this great story are consistently misinterpreted by those who only focus on surface level issues. Children are missing out on a fantastic story that could open up so many interesting discussions.

Lucy Sanabria · Answer

The classroom is a very different place than most people’s experience of literature. I used Holes with 6th graders over the years and we had amazing debates about justice, fate, friendship and history. The kids were totally engaged with the mystery of the holes in the ground, digging for connections between the three storylines.

In none of those cases did my students emerge with a wrong-headed perspective, such as teachers are to be disrespected or crime is cool. Rather they continued to explore questions about whether or not the curse was real or merely metaphorical, debated Stanley’s choices and most profoundly came to a deep understanding of and empathy for the illiterateZero.

Once a parent complained about the book and when I asked the parent to come to a discussion with the students about the book, they declined. The parent thought that the book was so bad for their child that they wouldn’t want to hear the way in which the book affected their child. But what the parent really feared was that by reading ‘Holes’ their child would be getting a different view of the world than the parent was trying to instill in their child. In the hands of a good teacher ‘Holes’ becomes a means to critical thinking as opposed to promoting negative behavior.

spicyjustice · Answer

Most of the commonly banned books elicit strong emotions in readers, making them angry at injustice, sad at certain times, fearful in scary situations. ‘Holes’ does this for the reader as well. The fear that Zero feels while running away from home, the tension and fear felt by Zero and his friends while trying to escape, and the feeling of triumpth that Zero and his friends feel in the end.

Most of the most commonly banned books make readers feel something strongly, and literature that evokes strong emotions is often art, or at least trying to be. The reason that most art and literature is challenged is that it makes people uncomfortable and they don’t want anyone else to feel uncomfortable. Most challenged books are banned because the challenge originated with someone who did not want children to feel something that the adult challenging the book found to be too difficult or messy.

But it is through feelings that we gain the ability to empathize with others. The reader experiences Stanley’s desperation, Zero’s shame, and Kate’s grief. Banning the experience of these feelings is like trying to ban the weather. It is something natural that must be experienced in order to grow as a person through powerful stories.

MissBangs001 · Answer

I read this book after it was “banned somewhere.” To my knowledge, the only advertisement this book would receive is to check it out from a library. I was so thrilled with this book. It is one of the best plotted novels I have ever read. The minutest details relate to each other so that the whole story in the end relates to a pair of shoes, to onions, to lipstick.

Without the ‘darkness’ of the scenes at Camp Green Lake, the growth of friendship between Stanley and Zero would not be as satisfying. And without the Warden’s cruelty, Stanley and Zero’s subsequent escape would not be as triumphant. The conflict is the engine of the story and without it the story would be boring.

Many adults misunderstand that removing conflict from stories would protect children from the “bad” material. Instead, it would provide them with very dull stories and no real means of learning how to handle conflict. Instead, ‘Holes’ provides readers with a very real and hopeful look at a very harsh landscape and in the end the heroes are provided with a safe, wealthy and curse-free environment.

Lilleth · Answer

This novel is studied in many university courses around the world. It is a modern classic of children’s literature. Many words of “hell” are printed in this novel, and at one point Stanley is bitten by a nasty lizard. But that is not why this book should or should not be read by children.

It is wrong to deny children the opportunity to appreciate great works of art because of some small part that may offend, in this case because a character says “hells” on occasion and is attacked by a large lizard in a deeply unsettling manner. ‘Holes’ is a work of art of the highest order, a skilled novel with a unique structure.

Most of the challenges to Children’s books are attempts to reduce the book to a list of content warnings. They miss the tone, intent, context and the rest of the book’s aesthetic and thematic experience. All very philistine. That is why so many librarians and teachers are fighting to include such books in schools and libraries.

Steph Hatton · Answer

In the grand scheme of things the controversy over this book is pretty small compared to its legacy. The book has sold millions of copies world wide. There was a major motion picture made from it. The book is found on the shelves of most libraries and is considered a classic of youth literature. The attempts to ban the book are just a footnote in the book’s Wikipedia article.

What endures in the reader's mind long after the controversy has passed is the ingenious framework of the novel and its vividly imagined characters. Read and reread for decades on end, the satisfaction ofwatching all the separate storylines fall into place is one of the greatest pleasures of reading for a young person – or of any age.

Others can frown upon this class of literature all they wish to; they are just opposing the wrong side of history on a really wonderful, fun, and highly constructed young person’s literature. In the meantime, I shall be munching on my onions and enjoying this great story.

Why Was The Book Holes Banned?

9 Answers

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