The Fox Hole

by Ivan Southall

When a ten-year-old boy gets caught in an abandoned mine shaft, his aunt and uncle's concern rapidly turns to greed as gold is discovered during their rescue attempts.

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1967

About the author

Ivan Southall was an award-winning Australian writer of young-adult fiction and non-fiction. He was the first and still the only Australian to win the Carnegie Medal for children's literature. His books include Hills End, Ash Road, Josh, and Let the Balloon Go. Also notable is Fly West, a book of true stories based on his experiences flying in Short Sunderland flying boats during the Second World War.

Winner of the Dromkeen Medal (2003).

Reviews

[Michael Fitzgerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting quick read.

[Fiona · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a child, I loved reading Ivan Southall’s books. They were about ordinary, everyday, Australian children - just like me - facing grave danger with incredible courage and bravery; dealing with difficult situations in the absence of adult help. As an adult, I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Fox Hole for the first time. I found it gripping, absorbing and, at times, spine-chilling. His portrayal of Ken and his three cousins was masterful. I felt Ken’s disappointments and worries as he travelled to Bob and Kath’s place, the overwhelming sense of weariness as he had to cope with being bombarded by Hugh, Joan and Francie (I had a very strong desire to tell Francie to SHUT UP and just leave Ken alone!) and then, of course, there was his terrifying sense of fear as he found himself stuck in the blackberry bushes before tumbling down the fox hole.

Unlike other Southall books I had already read, there were adults in this story, but they weren’t always particularly helpful and were sometimes outshone by their own children. I found the portrayal of the different characters mostly very powerful, but felt the one weak point in the story was the rapid change - both negative and positive - seen in Uncle Bob. It just felt like it needed to be fleshed out a little more. In spite of this, I thought this was an excellent book and well worth reading.

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Fox Hole is a slim middle grade novel by Australian author Ivan Southall. Ken has come to stay with his aunt, uncle, and cousins. When he falls into a fox hole and makes a surprising and valuable discovery, Ken's uncle, Bob, struggles with two conflicting desires: the desire to rescue his nephew, and the desire to strike it rich.

This is a concise story that packs a bit of a punch. Ivan Southall not only portrays a realistic child character to whom most kids can relate, but he also uses his story to raise moral questions about how people, including adults, navigate their lives. At first the story feels like it could have been lifted from the everyday life of any child. but it takes a bit of a dark turn when it becomes clear that the uncle is having second thoughts about actually helping Ken. The author deftly handles the change in tone and also manages to write an ending that resolves most of the story's tension but still makes the reader think.

I think this book would pair nicely with something like On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer, which also explores the complicated feelings people sometimes have when things go wrong. I definitely want to read some more from Ivan Southall - in his economy of language, he reminds me very much of one of my favorite authors, Betsy Byars.

This review also appears on my blog, Read-at-Home Mom.

[Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

Done good human moments/observations. Highlight for me was uncle Bob's relief when he hears Ken's voice for the first time. The end came suddenly and left me with lots of questions.

[Alla Sobirova · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, the reminder of not valuing gold beyond human life is good but the framework of the plot is maybe too simple.

[Luan On · Rating 3 out of 5]

A tense, anxious read. Only a short book, but there's a lot to take in; its 'busy': characters come at you hard and fast with little room for absorption. There's an air of suffocation at the unrelenting pace, effectively aligning the reader with the main character, Ken, who is sent to stay with his country cousins and overwhelmed by their effusive personalities.

Taken literally, it's a simple story of a boy falling down a shaft (the Fox Hole) and stays put till he is rescued by his Uncle. On another level it's an impressive character study of a lonely, sensitive boy coming to terms with his surroundings, and an Uncle accepting adult responsibility over personal gain.

Interestingly the novel starts and ends with Hugh, Ken's cousin, who barely features in it - if only to act as a stark contrast to Ken: who tends to overthink, while Hugh lacks introspection.

[Angela Randall]

We actually own this as a collection: Three Novels: "Fox Hole", "Let the Balloon Go" and "Over the Top"