Holes | Raising Victor Vargas

Once in a great while, the Newbery Medal actually goes to the best children’s book of the year rather than a pale compromise (that is, the third choice of everyone on the selection committee). When the 1999 award went to Holes by Louis Sachar, it honored something that is rare in juvenile literature and very common in adult fiction: narrative complexity grounded in a moral vision.

Here is a story that unfolds in four time zones....

The remainder of this article is only available to paid subscribers.

Print subscribers to Commonweal are entitled to free access to all premium online content. Click here to purchase a print subscription, or if you’re already a print subscriber, register now for premium access.

Online-only subscriptions provide access to all premium online articles for just $34/year. Click here to subscribe.

Registered users, please log in below: