Holes, by Louis Sachar

Witty, poignant and at times heart-breaking, Louis Sachar’s searing story is set in the Camp Green Lake juvenile detention centre. Stanley Yelnats, sentenced to penal labour – digging holes in the desert – begins to tap into the secrets and deception that lie at the heart of the facility. Masquerading as a character building exercise, what is the real reason behind the holes? Intensely touching and artfully plotted, Holes is a masterpiece.