Skip to navigation Skip to content
  • twitter
  • instagram
  • facebook
Shop Now
House of Books & Friends
My Account
  • £0.00 0
House of Books & Friends
  • Home
  • About
    • Our Mission
    • Resources for Connection
    • News
    • Volunteering
  • Shop
  • Events
    • Events Calendar
    • Coffee & Connections
    • The Loneliness Project
    • The Sunday Letter Project
  • Contact
    • Hire Us
    • Accessibility Information
  • Home
  • About
    • Our Mission
    • Resources for Connection
    • News
    • Volunteering
  • Shop
  • Events
    • Events Calendar
    • Coffee & Connections
    • The Loneliness Project
    • The Sunday Letter Project
  • Contact
    • Hire Us
    • Accessibility Information

Buy Online

The hole

£8.99

A little boy has a big hole in his life after his brother’s death. It’s in the bottom bunk where Matty used to sleep, and on Matty’s chair at dinner. It follows him everywhere – and he hates it. But with the help of a friend, he manages to climb into the hole and confront his grief – the sadness, the anger, and the simple truth of how much he misses his brother. And when he finally feels ready to share stories about Matty again, he realises he can find some comfort in filling the hole with his favourite memories.

Peek Inside

In Stock

ISBN: 9780241737156 Category: Children's - Non-Fiction Tags: Children's / Teenage personal & social issues: death & bereavement, Children's / Teenage personal & social issues: Emotions, Children's / Teenage personal & social issues: Friends & friendship issues, Children's picture books
  • Description
  • Additional information
  • Reviews (0)

Description

A powerful and profoundly moving picture book story about grief that is perfect for opening up conversations about loss with young readers

A little boy has a big hole in his life after his brother’s death. It’s in the bottom bunk where Matty used to sleep, and on Matty’s chair at dinner.

It follows him everywhere – and he hates it.

But with the help of a friend, he manages to climb into the hole and confront his grief – the sadness, the anger, and the simple truth of how much he misses his brother. And when he finally feels ready to share stories about Matty again, he realises he can find some comfort in filling the hole with his favourite memories.

This beautifully written and stunningly illustrated story uses a direct and thoughtful metaphor to explain the grieving process for young readers, and demonstrates the importance of friendship, support, and the power of talking about your feelings.

Read a sample here

Additional information

Weight 0.166 kg
Dimensions 25.5 × 20.5 × 0.5 cm
Author

Bonilla, Lindsay

Publisher

Puffin

Imprint

Puffin

Cover

Paperback

Pages

32

Language

English

Edition

Paperback original

Dewey

813.6 (edition:23)

Readership

Children – juvenile / Code: J

Reviews

There are no reviews yet.

Only logged in customers who have purchased this product may leave a review.

Related products

  • The Highway Rat

    £7.99
    Add to basket
  • Wonder

    £14.99
    Add to basket
  • The 13-storey treehouse

    £9.99
    Add to basket

houseofbooksandfriends



View Instagram post by houseofbooksandfriends


Aug 22



Open post by houseofbooksandfriends with ID 18353267266217970


Summer is almost over… but we’ve put together the perfect little final escape for one very lucky winner.

We’ve teamed up with some brilliant B Corps and community-minded businesses to create a prize bundle filled with good things, chosen because they’re thoughtful about people and the communities around them.

🌸 A natural scent hamper from @norfolknaturalliving — beautiful, natural, toxic free, treats for a little everyday luxury.

👜 A 'Book Tourist' tote from @alphabetbags — for carrying your summer reading wherever the day takes you.

🕶️ A pair of recycled sunglasses from @waterhaul_co — because looking after the planet shouldn’t mean compromising on summer style.

📚 Five brilliant summer reads selected by the bookworms here at House of Books & Friends —  no great escape is complete without a stack of books.

🌿 A portable BBQ from @rexlondonuk — for summer evenings in the garden, beach feasts and making the most of the sunshine.

Together, it’s The Great Summer Escape — a bundle of things to eat, read, carry, wear and enjoy, all from businesses doing their bit to make a positive difference.

HOW TO ENTER
☀️ Follow @houseofbooksandfriends and all of our wonderful contributors
☀️ Tag a friend in the comments — every new comment counts as a new entry!
☀️ Share this post to your story for an extra chance to win

Then sit back, pick your perfect summer reading spot and start dreaming of your escape…

Good luck! 🌞📚

DISCLAIMER: Please use the BBQ in a well-ventilated area, on a suitable non-flammable surface and well away from grass, dry vegetation and other flammable materials. Please follow the manufacturer’s safety instructions.

This giveaway will close on Sunday 30th August at 11:59pm and is open across the UK. Winners will be contacted by DM and will be required to share a postage address.

houseofbooksandfriends



View Instagram post by houseofbooksandfriends


Aug 21



Open post by houseofbooksandfriends with ID 18096639254637571


You are cordially summoned to the Night Court.

Leave the mortal realm behind and step through the doors of the bookshop, where the shelves become portals and the pages of A Court of Thorns and Roses come alive after dark.

Join the Inner Circle for an enchanting evening celebrating the Midnight Launch of A Court of Splintered Harmony with music, crafts and quizzes. Receive your copy as the bell tolls midnight...

Tickets on our website ✨

houseofbooksandfriends



View Instagram post by houseofbooksandfriends


Aug 20



Open post by houseofbooksandfriends with ID 18116655248473549


Thank you to everyone for coming and discussing Taiwan Travelogue! For this month's feminist book club, we will be reading Helen of Nowhere by Makenna Goodman.
📆 16th Sept
🕑 6pm
🎟️ in our bio or in-store!

houseofbooksandfriends



View Instagram post by houseofbooksandfriends


Aug 18



Open post by houseofbooksandfriends with ID 18607927147043593


Fantasy, history, memoir - it is easy to find books that fit a genre. But what if you want to go deeper? Who do you turn to for the niche, the unique, the inexplicably specific? We asked our booksellers what they would identify as their special interest genres, and to give a couple of examples!

houseofbooksandfriends



View Instagram post by houseofbooksandfriends


Aug 17



Open post by houseofbooksandfriends with ID 18093350441092975


"Sometimes just being alive is an act of courage" ✨

In this beautifully illustrated journey, Mr Skelly explores the ups and downs of existence and discovers the makings of a meaningful life.

The artwork, the words, the hope it inspires... With the current state of the world, How Lucky Am I is a breath of fresh air.

houseofbooksandfriends



View Instagram post by houseofbooksandfriends


Aug 16



Open post by houseofbooksandfriends with ID 18111993526801152


A writing project for a disconnected world…

Started in 2023, The Sunday Letter Project is an invitiation to slow down, and recallibrate. To take a moment for reflection, and to put pen-to-paper and bring you back to yourself. Every Sunday, take a portion of the day for yourself, and for your loved ones, and write.

Further details of how to get involved can be found on the slides, or our webpage ✒️✉️


Follow on Instagram

You're here, so you must like reading.... our newsletter is akin to a literary classic! We have so many projects, events and plans for House of Books & Friends all of which we will pack in to our newsletter so you can be among the first to find out about all the latest news. Don't worry, we promise not to bombard you!

SUBSCRIBE
  • twitter
  • instagram
  • facebook

Get in Touch

We love to hearing from fellow Bookworms!

Please drop us a message, find out where we are or get directions via our contact page.
Contact Us

 

© House of Books and Friends 2026 / Website designed by Bookswarm

The House of Books and Friends CIC is a community interest company registration number 13909633, the registered office of which is 53 King Street, Manchester, M2 4LQ. Trading Address - 81 King Street, Manchester M2 4AH. what3words ///stars.wished.papers

  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy and Cookies
  • My Account
  • Search
  • Basket 0