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Danny, Who Fell in a Hole
Danny’s parents have always been a bit flaky, but this time they have gone too far! Their latest plan to follow their dreams means Danny and his older brother will spend six months in Banff (wherever that is) and six months in New York City. Furious, Danny runs out of the house and straight into a very, very large hole. When it appears that help is not on the way, Danny becomes a subterranean Robinson Crusoe, creating shelter (garbage bag and paper clips), cereal (coffee creamer, rainwater, granola bars, and a few rogue raisins), and a washroom (a hole in a hole). His Man Friday has a long, earth-covered snout, a taste for beetles, and no eyes to speak of. Oh, and he also talks. His name is Mole, and he is excellent company — until a snake appears, and Danny must save his new friend.
96 pages, Hardcover
First published March 18, 2013
6 people are currently reading
58 people want to read
About the author
Cary Fagan
72 books74 followersCary Fagan has written numerous books for children, including What Are You Doing, Benny?, Little Blue Chair and Mr. Zinger's Hat, which was awarded the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award and the IODE Jean Throop Award. He has also won the Vicky Metcalf Award for Literature for Young People for his body of work. Cary was born and raised in Toronto, where he continues to live with his family.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
October 17, 2020
Fagan'ın bir gün vasat bir şey yazdığını da görürüz belki. Ya da görmeyiz, bilmiyorum.
February 9, 2014
Hilarious, vintage Cary Fagan. A talking mole, and the leavings from the bottom of a backpack are all that Danny has to keep him company for an entire weekend, after he falls into an open construction hole. 'Course, he DID run off after his family told him they were moving to Banff and, or, New York, so he was hardly well prepared. I'll never walk past a construction site again without wondering what surprises are hidden at the bottom. Great fun for middle-graders.
February 14, 2014
What a delightful tale depicting the honest thought processes of a child anticipating transition. Cleverly written and a lot of fun, this book is truly worth the read!
June 9, 2016
this was so so so so so so so so good!!!!
February 2, 2024
When Danny's parents announce they are going to be living apart for a year or two, and that Danny and his older brother Doug will be living with each of them part time, AND that they have given away his dog ... Danny can't take it! He grabs his backpack and runs out the door. Eventually, running into a construction site, Danny accidentally falls into a very deep, large hole. He has to use his wits and ingenuity to take care of himself until someone finds him. While there, he meets a talking mole who keeps him company. Mole is attacked by a snake that had also fallen, and Danny tries to find a way to save his friend.
Great action story, easy to read, for mg.
Great action story, easy to read, for mg.
October 22, 2018
Just finished sharing this as a read aloud with my grade 3/4 class. They LOVED it! I used it as a teaching tool for Literature circles as we cycled through all the different “jobs” I will be assigning when they are reading other books in small groups. They were so engaged with this story, they hardly realized they were working. Absolutely delightful. Now to find my next book!
March 28, 2020
Odd book, ended rather abruptly.
September 26, 2025
Danny had always been the odd one out; the practical one in his creative family. When his parents announce a big move AND they give away his dog without any warning, Danny has had enough. He decides to run away. He wasn't planning to go for too long, but when he accidentally falls into a huge construction pit, things suddenly become very strange. He now must survive in the hole, using only the contents of his backpack, until someone can rescue him.
Suggested for ages 8+
THEMES: Resourcefulness, Moving, Animals, Feeling left out
OVERALL RATING 7/10
This short chapter book is pretty great! The way Cary Fagan brings real life struggles into a comedic plot is wonderful to read. The story stays relatively lighthearted, while still dealing with the thoughts of a child going through traumatic events (moving, losing a pet, feeling left out, and getting lost). The conclusion is quite sweet, and shows the family reaching a better place than they were at the beginning. The rating is a little low just because I feel that the book did not have good representation of female characters. The only real female character was Danny's Mom, and she is hardly in the story. Other females are mentioned, but only as crushes or romantic interests for the male characters. Overall, I think it was a good book, especially because it's unusual to find a book about a boy dealing with real emotions!
Suggested for ages 8+
THEMES: Resourcefulness, Moving, Animals, Feeling left out
OVERALL RATING 7/10
This short chapter book is pretty great! The way Cary Fagan brings real life struggles into a comedic plot is wonderful to read. The story stays relatively lighthearted, while still dealing with the thoughts of a child going through traumatic events (moving, losing a pet, feeling left out, and getting lost). The conclusion is quite sweet, and shows the family reaching a better place than they were at the beginning. The rating is a little low just because I feel that the book did not have good representation of female characters. The only real female character was Danny's Mom, and she is hardly in the story. Other females are mentioned, but only as crushes or romantic interests for the male characters. Overall, I think it was a good book, especially because it's unusual to find a book about a boy dealing with real emotions!
December 31, 2013
When Danny learns of his parents' plans to separate so they each can follow their own dreams, he realizes that he will be moving away from everything that is familiar. While his mother plans to move to Banff and his father plans to move to New York City, Danny prefers to stay right where he is now. The final straw comes when he realizes that they have given away his beloved dog, Thwack. He runs away, falls into a hole, and is befriended by a strange Shakespeare-quoting mole. The mole helps him find a way to accept change while learning to rely on the supplies he brought with him in his backpack. This is an odd yet compelling brief story that will make readers think about the events in their own lives as well as the choices they face.
January 26, 2014
Short & Sweet: When Danny finds out his family is going to split up and move to fulfill their dreams, he is upset. So upset, he decides he needs to take a run to get his emotions out. Unfortunately, he finds himself on a construction site and falls into a hole, one he cannot climb out of. Finding that he may be stuck, the only company that comes and visits is a talking mole, who helps him realize his life might be as bad as he thought.
Final Verdict: Danny Who Fell in a Hole is a short and quick story that makes you think about what is important in life.
Final Verdict: Danny Who Fell in a Hole is a short and quick story that makes you think about what is important in life.
May 9, 2013
When Danny's parents tell him and his older brother that they are splitting up and the kids will be living in both Banff and New York City AND they found another home for the family dog, Danny runs out of the house and keeps running, running until he accidently falls down into a deep construction hole. What he does after that is not just funny but thought provoking as well.
June 27, 2013
Full review at http://www.perogiesandgyoza.com/2013/...
Cary Fagan (Oh Fey So?) has an amazing sense of humour that shines through his writing whether a picture book or middle grade reader. A talking mole is just absurd enough to elicit giggles. The adventure will appeal to kids who loved Robert Munsch books and are now moving onto chapter books
Cary Fagan (Oh Fey So?) has an amazing sense of humour that shines through his writing whether a picture book or middle grade reader. A talking mole is just absurd enough to elicit giggles. The adventure will appeal to kids who loved Robert Munsch books and are now moving onto chapter books
November 11, 2013
Falling in a hole sure gives you sometime to think! When Danny's parents decide to follow their dreams Danny thinks they are being selfish. They made some big decisions without consulting him! Should they have included him in making these decisions? Were they being selfish? The ending makes you wonder what happens to Danny and his family.
March 18, 2014
One Sentence Review: Though I confess that I cannot remember it as well as I'd like, I can tell you that Fagan's title is a short, lovely little book that extends its metaphor without ever abusing it.
June 21, 2013
An interesting premise, but so much more could have been done with this book. I was hoping to see the "poetry-spouting mole" play a bigger role in teaching Danny about life. Ultimately, it was very unclear as to how Danny grew emotionally and learned to deal with his dysfunctional family.
October 23, 2013
Eh, not the best book I've ever read. It wasn't what I was expecting to read after seeing the summary on the back of the book. I did like how resourceful Danny was, using the supplies he had in his backpack to survive his time in the hole.
June 17, 2013
Nice easy reader - not my favourite Fagan but certainly fun!
September 11, 2016
We really enjoyed the talking mole.
March 6, 2014
I Never Read The Book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
April 28, 2014
My 8 year old son just finished this and loved it. He didn't read a lot into Danny's emotional development, but he loved the mole and related to Danny. Perfect for his reading level.
March 22, 2015
Cute, short story. Loved the mole character. Was a little disappointed in the ending, though.
February 21, 2016
Scouty recommended this book to me. She loved it.
March 7, 2015
This is hilarious!! Loll
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews