Intro
If you just finished Holes, by Louis Sachar, and you want more books with a clever puzzle and a big heart, this video is for you.
These are six spoiler free picks for readers who loved the humor, the mystery, and the way everything clicks together at the end. Let’s dig in.
Small Steps
Number one is Small Steps, by Louis Sachar, from two thousand six. It is a companion to Holes that follows Armpit, one of the boys from the camp, a couple of years later.
It has the same dry humor and quick chapters, but a very different story, with a young musician, a ticket scam, and a chance at a new start. It is the easiest next read, because the voice is the same.
Hatchet
Number two is Hatchet, by Gary Paulsen, from nineteen eighty seven. After a plane crash, thirteen year old Brian is alone in the Canadian wilderness with nothing but a hatchet.
Like Holes, it is about a kid pushed to his limits who slowly gets tougher and smarter. It is a lean, fast survival story, and a great pick for readers who loved the desert.
The Westing Game
Number three is The Westing Game, by Ellen Raskin, from nineteen seventy eight. Sixteen people are named in the will of a very strange millionaire, and they have to solve a puzzle to claim a fortune.
It won the Newbery Medal, and it is a perfect pick for anyone who loved Holes’ clever structure and sneaky clues. Every character is hiding something.
Tuck Everlasting
Number four is Tuck Everlasting, by Natalie Babbitt, from nineteen seventy five. Winnie Foster meets a family who drank from a magical spring and can never die.
It is slower and more poetic than Holes, but it has the same feeling of fate, the same old secret, and a big question about what a good life really means.
Maniac Magee
Number five is Maniac Magee, by Jerry Spinelli, from nineteen ninety. Jeffrey Magee is an orphan who runs into a divided town and becomes a legend.
It is funny and warm, but it also takes on serious things, like friendship across lines. If you liked the way Stanley and Zero grow close in Holes, you will love the friendships here.
Bud, Not Buddy
Number six is Bud, Not Buddy, by Christopher Paul Curtis, from nineteen ninety nine. It is nineteen thirty six in Michigan, and ten year old Bud sets off to find the father he has never met.
It is full of humor and heart, and it also won the Newbery Medal. It is a great pick if you loved Holes’ mix of hardship and hope.
Where To Start
So which one first? If you want more Sachar, start with Small Steps. If you want adventure, go for Hatchet. If you want a puzzle, pick The Westing Game. Links to all six are in the description below.
Tell me in the comments which one you will read first, and thanks for watching.
