Holes Review Questions Chapters 1-40
CHAPTERS 1-3
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
Why does the narrator say you might as well lie in the hammock if you’re bitten by the yellowspotted lizard?
Why do people end up at Camp Green Lake?
What is said to happen to bad boys if they dig holes all day?
Why do Stanley and his parents pretend he is going away to a fun camp?
Why do you think we are told about the way Mrs. Bell treated Stanley?
How does Stanley feel about being convicted?
What does the “If Only “ song say about Stanley’s dad?
Why is it ironic that Stanley ‘s dad is an inventor?
Who does Stanley’s father blame for all his messed up experiments?
What does Stanley see as he approaches Camp Green Lake?
How do you think that made him feel?
CHAPTERS 4-6
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
What does Stanley’s response about the Texas Penal Code violations reveal about him?
Why are there no fences or guard towers at Camp Green Lake?
Do you think Stanley would try to run away? Would you?
Does Stanley do the right thing when he chooses not to explain his innocence to Mr. Pendanski? Why
or Why not?
Why do you think the boys call Mr. Pendanski “Mom”?
Why do you think the boy’s nicknames are important to them?
What upsets Stanley most about his trial?
Why are we told about the bad things that happen to Stanley on the day of his arrest?
What advice does Stanley’s mom give to Stanley for the trial?
Why do you think vacancies do not last long at Camp Green Lake?
Chapters 7-10
1. How do you think Stanley feels when he figures he can’t dent the ground with his shovel (use three
words)?
2. Why do you think the Warden wants to know when the boys find something while digging?
3. Why do you think Madame Zeroni points out all of Myra’s problems?
4. In what ways does Elya disobey Madame Zeroni (2 ways)?
5. Why does Elya tell Myra to marry Igor?
6. Why does Stanley feel he is digging his own grave?
Page 2
Chapters 7-10 continued
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
Why is Elya called a pig thief? Didn’t Madame Zeroni give him the pig?
Why is Stanley so proud of the first hole.
Why are we told that lizards eat sunflower seeds?
Why is it said that the second hole is harder than the first?
Why is it important that we know the boys destroyed the Wreck Room?
Why does Stanley write that he does lots of swimming?
Why do you think Stanley’s nickname is “Caveman”?
CHAPTERS 10-12
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Why does Stanley hate the sun?
Why do you think X-Ray wants Stanley to give him whatever he finds in the future?
Why is it more important to Stanley for X-Ray to think he is a good guy than to have a day off?
Why is X-Ray the leader of the group even though he is the smallest?
Why is Stanley glad they called him Caveman?
Why was it important for Stanley to imagine his friends beating up Derrick from school?
Why is it important for Mr. Pendanski to discuss the boy’s lives after Camp Green Lake?
What kind of attitude does X-Ray seem to have?
Why is it important for Mr. Pendanski to have a positive attitude?
Why is it important for the boys to realize who is responsible for their situation.
Why does Mr. Pendanski feel it’s important to talk about the boys’ need to fix their own lives?
What does it mean when Zero says he likes to dig holes? What does it mean about his future?
CHAPTERS 13-15
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Why does Stanley begin to lose track of days, time and # of holes?
Why does Stanley suggest that X-Ray keep the tube until morning, then he’d get the entire day off?
What will Stanley have to do to keep moving to the front of the line?
Why are we just being told that the Warden is a woman?
Why is the Warden so rude to Mr. Pendanski?
Why do you think the author chose to make the Warden a woman?
What do you think the Warden is looking for?
Why does she keep having them dig in the same spot?
Why is she nervous and behaving strangely while the boys are digging?
What’s so interesting about what they are digging?
HOLES QUESTIONS PAGE 3
CHAPTERS 16-19
1. Why do you think Stanley is worried about the true location of the hole?
2. Do you think X-Ray is worried? Why? Why not?
3. Why do you think Stanley smiled when X-Ray announced that Stanley’s letter is probably from a
girlfriend?
4. Why wasn’t ZigZag apologetic when he hit Stanley in the head?
5. Why doesn’t Stanley want the other boys to know that he’s writing to his mother?
6. Do you agree with Stanley’s reason that he cannot teach Zero?
7. How do you think magnet got his name?
8. What do sunflower seeds attract?
9. Why does Stanley say he’s in the wrong place at the wrong time again?
10. Why does Stanley say he stole the bag of seeds?
CHAPTERS 20-22
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
What did the Warden mean when she said that unfortunately for Stanley, Mr. Sir would live?
Why would the snakes be dangerous without a rattle?
Why was Stanley surprised when he returned to his hole?
How was Stanley able to determine who had helped him?
Explain what Stanley meant by Zero having X-Ray vision?
What did Stanley offer to do for Zero?
What did Stanley discover as he attempted to teach Zero the alphabet?
What insight did Stanley suddenly have about the gold tube in ther Warden’s office?
CHAPTERS23-25
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Why are we told about the foot fungus that Charlie Walker had?
Why did Mr. Sir try to choke the boy that asked about his face?
Why does Stanley decide not to talk about what happened with Mr. Sir?
Why does Mr. Sir decide to pour the water for Stanley on the ground?
Why do you think it would be good for Sam to tell people that onions keep people healthy and alive?
Why does Miss Barlow keep asking Sam to fix things?
HOLES QUESTIONS PAGE 4
CHAPTERS 26-28
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Why are the townspeople so mad at Miss Barlow? Do you agree with them?
Why did the townspeople kill Sam and Mary Lou?
Why do you think that Kate killed the sheriff?
Why do you think Kate has become one of the most feared outlaws?
What happened to all of Kate’s goodness?
Why do you think the boys told Stanley it is his fault that he got in trouble with the seeds?
How do you think Stanley thinks about X-Ray’s comments about the white boy sitting around?
Why do you think Mr. Sir took Stanley’s canteen around to the truck?
Do you think he really did anything to Stanley’s water?
What is unusual about Hector’s name?
CHAPTERS 29-31
1.
2.
3.
4.
How do you think the Warden comes to live in Kate Barlow’s cabin?
Where did the Warden get her boots?
Why do you think Kate died laughing?
To whom do you think the Warden is related?
CHAPTERS 32-34
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Why are we told “Stanley felt his fingers start to twitch” before he started the truck?
Why do you think Stanley only blames himself for the accident?
Why is this different from everything else that went wrong in Stanley’s life?
Why does Stanley say it was “like trying to guess the numbers in the lottery”?
Why does Stanley keep walking towards the mountain even though he keeps thinking he will turn
around before he gets there?
CHAPTERS 35-37
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Why do you think Stanley assumes Barf Bag didn’t hear the rattle of the rattlesnake?
Why do you think Zero will not go back to Camp Green Lake?
Why does Stanley wonder who will dig his grave?
Why is it now that Big Thumb seems closer?
What does Stanley mean when he says that if he dies the pain his parents feel will never end?
Why might the Warden come to look for Stanley?
How do you think Zero was able to help Stanley off the cliff even though he was very sick?
Why does the spelling of words motivate Stanley and Zero?
Why does Stanley say to Zero, “I’ve already ordered you a hot-fudge sundae. They’re making it right
now”?
HOLES QUESTIONS PAGE 5
CHAPTERS 38-40
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Why is Stanley’s outlook growing worse?
Why does Stanley decide to take care of Zero?
Do you think the other boys at camp would have done the same thing?
Why do you think Zero decides to tell Stanley the truth about the shoes?
Why do you think the confession would bring relief to Zero?
Why do you think Stanley sings Zero the family song?
Why are we told the story about Becca Tennyson?
Why do you think Sam doesn’t take charity?
Why are we told that Stanley finds it hard to believe that he was able to carry Zero so far up the
mountain?
10. Why was he able to carry Zero?
CHAPTERS 41-42
1. Why was Stanley so surprised that he hadn’t gotten sick despite drinking the sploosh and dirty water
or from living on onions?
2. Why did Zero avoid the homeless shelters?
3. Why did Zero steal when he was young?
4. What did Zero do with Clyde Livingston’s shoes when everyone started making a fuss about them
being stolen?
5. Why did Zero fill the bottom of the hole with rocks?
6. Explain the bitter smell that Stanley first detected upon reaching the top of the hill.
7. Explain how the sneakers had managed to fall on Stanley’s head at the beginning of the story?(chpt 6)
8. What was Stanley alluding to when he asked Zero if he wanted to dig one more hole?
CHAPTERS 43-44
1. Explain the significance of Zero mentioning that his mother had sung a lullaby similar to the one
Stanley’s mother had sung to him?
2. Outline what the two boys had planned.
3. Where did Zero get breakfast?
4. What did Stanley uncover in the hole?
CHAPTERS 45-46
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Who was shining the bright light in Stanley’s eyes?
How do we know that the Warden and Mr. Sir were not expecting the two boys?
What terrifying event begins to unfold almost immediately?
Explain the Warden’s statement “It won’t be very long.”
Why did Stanley start to think about his mother?
Why did the Warden ask the counselors to relay the message that the “campers” would no longer
have to dig any holes?
HOLES QUESTIONS PAGE 6
`
CHAPTERS 47 AND 48
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
What does Zero do to keep his mind off the lizards during the night?
What small but important piece of information do we glean about the Warden in this chapter?
Whose name was on the suitcase and how can it be used to describe Zero’s behavior during the night?
What did Ms. Morengo advise Stanley to do when the Warden ordered him to open the suitcase?
Why did Mr. Pendanski hesitate (stared at her) when the Warden ordered him to get Hector Zeroni’s
file?
CHAPTERS 49-50
1. Why does the author relate the story of the rattlesnake hunters at the beginning of this chapter?
2. Ms. Morengo advises Zero not to admit that he has stolen Clyde (Sweet Feet) Johnson’s sneakers. Do
you agree with her advice? Explain your answer.
3. Describe the new product that Stanley’s father has just invented.
4. What happens at Green Lake for the first time in over a hundred years?
5. Explain the curse and how it was resolved.
6. What did they find in the suitcase that proved to be very valuable?
7. What was the new foot odor product called?
8. Describe the woman who is singing the lullaby to Hector (Zero) at the end of the story.
9.