Comparison
Holes vs Refugee
How Holes by Louis Sachar and Refugee by Alan Gratz compare on reading level, grade placement, curriculum overlap, and shared themes — derived from primary-source citations on each book’s ReadingList page.
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At a glance
- Lexile differential
- 140L (Holes: 660L · Refugee: 800L)
- Grade-range overlap
- Grades 5–7
- Year-of-publication gap
- 19 years (1998 vs 2017)
- Page-count gap
- 119 pages (233 vs 352)
- Shared curricula
- 77 of 117
- Shared themes
- 0 of 10
Reading-level difference
The 140-point Lexile gap puts Refugee roughly a notch above Holes. Lexile differences below 50L typically reflect equivalent decoding load (sentence length + word frequency); differences above 200L cross developmental reading-band boundaries. More on how Lexile measures work →
Curriculum overlap
Both books appear in 77 shared curriculum frameworks:
Themes
Only Holes
fate vs choice · friendship · justice · family legacy · racial history
Only Refugee
refugees · survival · family · displacement · empathy
Common questions
- Which is harder to read, Holes or Refugee?
- Refugee (Lexile 800) is the harder read — 140L higher than Holes (Lexile 660). Lexile differential ≥150L typically means a 1-2 grade-level difference. Both are in the 3-5 grade band, though.
- What grade level is Holes vs Refugee?
- Holes: 4-7 grade range. Refugee: 5-9 grade range. Both assigned within the 3-5 band. Specific district and curriculum vary; see each book's page for the full assignment history.
- Which is more commonly taught, Holes or Refugee?
- Both Holes and Refugee are in the top-10 most-cited books on ReadingList.school across US school assignments and curricula. Each book's individual page (Holes, Refugee) lists every tracked assignment with source citation, so you can see which has broader curriculum reach in your specific region.
- Should I read Holes or Refugee first?
- If they're in the same school year, follow the syllabus order (usually chronological by publication or grouped by theme). If reading independently: start with the shorter or lower-Lexile title (Holes) to build context, then move to the other. Both titles often appear together on AP / IB reading lists as paired study.
Get these books
Holes
Louis Sachar
Where to find this book
Audible: many assigned titles are included with a membership, and listening starts right away, with no wait for delivery. Offers vary by account.
Other formats on Amazon: Kindle · Audiobook
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Refugee
Alan Gratz
Where to find this book
Audible: many assigned titles are included with a membership, and listening starts right away, with no wait for delivery. Offers vary by account.
Other formats on Amazon: Kindle · Audiobook
As an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases and membership trials at no extra cost to you. Pricing, Prime, and trial terms shown on Amazon.