Name:
Date:
Reading Components
The following outlines how we will approach our reading. We will explore each component (literary
elements, vocabulary, literary device, written/discussion questions for comprehension, results, etc.) as part
of an organized routine that helps us to improve our understanding.
Genre:
What type of story is this and why? (form, style, etc.)
Literary Elements (5Ws):
chose
Characters:
-List names, an adjective that best describes them, and the reason why you
(who)
that
adjective
-Who is the protagonist, antagonist?
-Character Relationships - charting how each character is related.
Setting:
(where/when)
-Note the location, time, and mood of the story.
Main Idea:
-Note the central idea/event(s) of the story.
(what: there can be additional “what’s” identified in the book)
Plot:
-Note the sequence/order of events.
-Note the problem(s) that often grows out of the conflict between the main
Solution:
character and another character in the story. It can also involve a
circumstance
that produces an obstacle in life (hurricane, war, etc.). How is it
solved?
Problem &
story).
Theme:
-Note the moral or message the author is trying to convey (central to
(why: there can be additional “why’s” identified in the book)
Vocabulary:
Learning/applying new words and keeping a log.
Questions:
Examining/answering questions that show our oral/written comprehension
skills and our ability to support our opinion.
Literary Devices: Understanding writing techniques that accentuate ideas.
Results:
Our ability to combine all of this knowledge into a concisely written analysis
(summary, reading response, etc.).
Genre:
A type of literature identified by subject, style or theme. Some examples include fiction,
non-fiction, mystery, fantasy, poetry, biography, action, adventure, historical, horror,
realistic fiction, and folktale.
Style also considers the way an author writes and reveals their personality and voice. Some
examples include satirical, humorous, analytical, and reflective.
Literary Elements: 5Ws
Literary elements are the components of a literary piece such as the characters, setting,
main idea, conflict, plot & resolution, theme. The characters and setting are often easier
to identify than the main idea (what the story is about), conflict (problem identified,
forces that oppose each other, decision to be made), plot (the sequenced events in the
story, how the action develops) and resolution (the turning point the events built up
to/climax), and the theme (the central message/idea the author’s trying to get across).
VOCABULARY:
You should learn the five reading vocabulary words listed under each chapter heading. Add
these words to your Personal Glossary vocabulary list in your workbook along with any
additional unfamiliar words that you discover in the reading.
You can use the information from the Optional: Vocabulary Exercises to help define the
unfamiliar words discovered OR you can choose to complete the optional vocabulary
exercises instead. These exercises assist with many of the words you may not understand by
providing definitions, context clues, antonyms, synonyms, and analogies.
Written Questions:
Written questions help you to identify, and provide details for, the literary elements (5Ws).
The answers are usually straightforward, can be found in the text, and can help to shape
our predictions (forecast) and support our inferences (a conclusion reached on the basis
of evidence and reasoning).
Answer the questions after reading the chapters specified, including the prediction(s).
All answers should include 1 to 2 sentences, each with 9 words minimum, and include the
question’s language as part of each sentence. PLEASE WRITE NEATLY OR YOU MUST
RESUBMIT.
Why do you think certain sentences are highlighted below? (Hint: think topics and
paragraph form).
Literary Device:
A literary device is a writing technique that produces a specific effect and helps to
accentuate the idea. Answer the questions for each literary device as they come up in the
book.
Discussion Questions: (topics for debate)
Discussion questions ask for a supported opinion (inference). The answers can be
debatable and require text support. Although you will choose one question for your
discussion, be prepared to have an opinion on all questions (topics) below. You can use
your discussion questions as the basis for your summary, reading response, and paragraph
assignments.
We always debate respectfully, listening to different ideas and how they are supported. Be
prepared to show how you’ve arrived at your opinion by using Post-Its to mark your text
support. Your skeptic can provide a strong counter-argument that you can use in your own
writing. Remember, “We speak as we write and we write as we speak”, avoiding words such
as “like”, “um”, “thing”, etc.
Literary Elements: 5Ws
Literary elements are the components of a literary piece such as the characters, setting,
main idea, conflict, plot & resolution, theme. The characters and setting are often easier
to identify than the main idea (what the story is about), conflict (problem identified,
forces that oppose each other, decision to be made), plot (the sequenced events in the
story, how the action develops) and resolution (the turning point the events built up
to/climax), and the theme (the central message/idea the author’s trying to get across).
Chapters 1 - 15
Characterization
•Chapters 11 - 15: Names play an important role in this novel. They define a character and often
provide an ironic commentary about the character.
Look up the word "rex" in a dictionary to determine the significance of X-Ray's real name.
What do you think is the significance of the Yelnats' family name?
Why do you think the boys at Camp Green Lake only use nicknames for one another?
Why do you think the Warden's name is not revealed?
VOCABULARY:
You should learn the five reading vocabulary words listed under each chapter heading. Add
these words to your Personal Glossary vocabulary list in your workbook along with any
additional unfamiliar words that you discover in the reading.
You can use the information from the Optional: Vocabulary Exercises to help define the
unfamiliar words discovered OR you can choose to complete the optional vocabulary
exercises instead. These exercises assist with many of the words you may not understand by
providing definitions, context clues, antonyms, synonyms, and analogies.
Chapters 1 – 15
vast
desolate
perseverance
scarcity
coincidence
OPTIONAL: Vocabulary Exercises
•Draw a line from each word on the left to its definition on the right. Then use the numbered words to fill
in the blanks in the sentences below.
1. warden
a. heirs; offspring
2. descendants
b. governing officer of a prison
3. vast
c. faucet
4. perseverance
d. container for carrying drinking water
5. barren
e. without inhabitants; empty
6. desolate
f. not fertile or productive
7. canteen
g. continued effort in spite of difficulty
8. spigot
h. of very great area or extent
1. If you attach the hose to the
plants.
, you will be able to water the
2. After centuries of neglect, the castle seemed to be a
unfit for habitation.
3. Before beginning the hike I filled my
place,
with drinking water.
4. The wealthy businessman left his estate to be divided among his
5. Thinking I had inherited a small plot of land, I was amazed to view the
.
acres that stretched before me.
6. Our once fertile farmland became
and
floods.
7. Endurance and
8. The
after a year of harsh storms
enabled the tortoise to defeat the hare.
and the guards searched all the prisoners upon arrival.
•Use the context to figure out the meaning of the underlined word in each of the following sentences.
Then compare your definition with a dictionary definition.
1. After a season of storms and cold weather, there was a scarcity of fresh fruit and vegetables
in the
market.
Your definition:
Dictionary definition:
2. The archeologist learned about an ancient species offish from the fossil embedded in a rock.
Your definition:
Dictionary definition:
3. Once the toy was found to be defective, the government demanded it be taken off the market.
Your definition:
Dictionary definition:
4. The teenager was punished for the despicable act of stealing from the homeless. Your
definition
Your definition:
Dictionary definition:
5. It was quite a coincidence when my cousin and I arrived at the wedding wearing the same
dress.
Your definition:
Dictionary definition:
6. The elderly man walked his dog around the perimeter of the park, staying close to the fence
surrounding it.
Your definition:
Dictionary definition:
7. Small mammals are not only cautious of other land animals that might prey upon them, but they
must avoid predatory birds as well.
Your definition:
Dictionary definition:
•Use the context to select the best meaning for the underlined word in each of the following sentences.
Circle the letter of the meaning you choose.
1. The general, because of his high rank, had the authority to begin the attack.
a. power
b. energy
c. disguise
d. courage
2. The detective was able to identify the locket because of the initials that were etched inside.
a. found
b. engraved
c. invisible
d. locked
3. Following several incidents of violence in my neighborhood, I became too paranoid to leave my
apartment.
a. extremely
b. slightly
c. overly
d. excessively
wealthy
unbelieving
unkind
distrustful
4. While workers excavated earth to build a subway system, scientists and archeologists were
allowed to study the material that was removed.
a. plowed
b. dug out
c. covered over d. revealed
5. My parents always told me that if I worked hard I could accomplish my goals.
a. fulfill
b. undermine
c. extend
d. forget
HOLES
Chapters 1 – 15
Written Questions:
Written questions help you to identify, and provide details for, the literary elements (5Ws).
The answers are usually straightforward, can be found in the text, and can help to shape
our predictions (forecast) and support our inferences (a conclusion reached on the basis
of evidence and reasoning).
Answer the questions after reading the chapters specified, including the prediction(s).
All answers should include 1 to 2 sentences, each with 9 words minimum, and include the
question’s language as part of each sentence. PLEASE WRITE NEATLY OR YOU MUST
RESUBMIT.
Why do you think certain sentences are highlighted below? (Hint: think topics and
paragraph form).
1. How did Camp Green Lake differ from Stanley's idea of camp?
2. Why did some "campers" allow themselves to be bitten by scorpions or rattlesnakes?
3. How had Stanley been treated by his teacher and the students at his school?
4. How did Stanley's family justify their bad luck?
5. How had Stanley's great-grandfather lost his fortune?
6. Why weren't there any fences around Camp Green Lake?
7. How did Stanley's parents’ belief in the court system affect Stanley?
8. Why had Elya Yelnats, Stanley's great-great-grandfather, agreed to carry a piglet up a mountain
every day?
10. Why did Stanley agree to give anything he found to X-Ray?
11. How did memories of the boys at school help Stanley survive his second day of digging?
12. How did Stanley benefit from giving the gold tube he found to X-Ray?
13. Prediction(s):
Literary Device:
A literary device is a writing technique that produces a specific effect and helps to
accentuate the idea. Answer the questions for each literary device as they come up in the
book.
IRONY
Irony: (located in chapters 1 – 5)
Irony refers to a situation that turns out to be the opposite of what is expected.
What is ironic about Stanley’s plight?
What is ironic about Mr. Pendanski’s attitude toward Stanley and the other boys in his
“team”?
HOLES
Discussion Questions: (topics for debate)
Discussion questions ask for a supported opinion (inference). The answers can be
debatable and require text support. Although you will choose one question for your
discussion, be prepared to have an opinion on all questions (topics) below. You can use
your discussion questions as the basis for your summary, reading response, and paragraph
assignments.
We always debate respectfully, listening to different ideas and how they are supported. Be
prepared to show how you’ve arrived at your opinion by using Post-Its to mark your text
support. Your skeptic can provide a strong counter-argument that you can use in your own
writing. Remember, “We speak as we write and we write as we speak”, avoiding words such
as “like”, “um”, “thing”, etc.
Chapters 1 - 15
1. How was Stanley's kindness revealed?
2. Why do you think Stanley did not explain his innocence to Mr. Pendanski?
3. Do you think life could be as unfair as Stanley described?
4. Why do you think the story of Elya Yelnats was recounted as Stanley began his days at Camp
Green
Lake?
5. In your opinion, why did Elya decide not to marry Myra?
6. Why do you think Stanley's fossil was of no interest to the Warden?
7. Do you think there was any value to the work program at Camp Green Lake?
8. Why do you think X-Ray was the leader of the group despite his small size?
9. Why do you think the Warden was concerned about the boys' thirst?
10. In what ways do you think Stanley has begun to lose his innocence?
LITERARY ELEMENTS:
Chapters 16 – 35
Characterization
•Chapters 16 – 20: Complete a character web, such as the one below, by listing one characteristic
or quality of Stanley's personality in each of the small circles. On each connecting line, write a
statement or action. Are there any other characters for whom you could create a web? Choose
one, create a web, and compare your response with those of your classmates.
Stanley
•Chapters 21 - 25: Use the Venn diagram below to compare the two important female characters
who have appeared in the story. Write about the qualities they share in the overlapping part of
the circles.
Warden
Katherine
Conflict
•Chapters 21 - 25:
Conflict in literature
refers to a struggle
between opposing forces. A novel may contain one or more conflicts that may be resolved at its
end. The characters in this novel struggle with many conflicts. On the chart below, list the
conflicts that have occurred up to this point in the story. As you continue reading, add to the
chart.
Kind of Conflict
Person vs. person/society
Person vs. nature
Person vs. self (inner struggle)
Example
VOCABULARY:
Chapters 16 – 35
condemned
recede
writhe
accelerated
random
OPTIONAL: Vocabulary Exercises
•Circle one word in each line that does not belong. Then explain how the remaining words are alike.
1. evict
welcome
expel
remove
The other words are alike because:
2. thickened
hardened
The other words are alike because:
callused
softened
3. pardoned
condemned
convicted
blamed
The other words are alike because:
4. poisonous
harmful
toxic
harmless
The other words are alike because:
5. advance
withdraw
diminish
recede
writhed
twisted
The other words are alike because:
6. squirmed
relaxed
The other words are alike because:
•Analogies are equations in which the first pair of words has the same relationship as the second pair of
words. In the example analogy below, both pairs of words are opposites.
Example: RAPID is to SLOW as PAST is to PRESENT
Choose the word from the Word Box that best completes each of the analogies below:
WORD BOX
concoctions
grotesque
preserve
reconsider
refuge
remedy
1. REQUEST is to ASK as REEVALUATE is to
.
2. DESTROY is to EYESORE as
is to LANDMARK.
3. CHEERFUL is to GROUCHY as
is to ORDINARY.
4. CURE is to
as EXIT is to DEPART.
5. PROMISE is to PLEDGE as MIXTURES are to
6. PUNISHMENT is to PENALTY as SHELTER is to
.
.
•Draw a line from each word on the left to its definition on the right. Then use the numbered words to fill
in the blanks in the sentences below.
1. ward
a. dry
2. deftly
b. circulation of air
3. accelerated
c. optical illusion
4. systematic
d. person under the care of a guardian
5. random
e. increased in speed
6. mirage
f. skillfully
7. ventilation
g. in an orderly or methodical way
8. parched
h. without a plan or pattern
1. Hot, thirsty, and lost in the desert, he began to weep upon realizing the water he saw ahead
was only a(n)
.
2. The boy became a(n)
parents.
of the state after the death of his
3. Once the lake was drained, the ground became
desperately in need of water.
4. Without windows or fans, there was no
auditorium.
in the
in an attempt to pass the other
5. The driver of the vehicle
cars.
6. With one smooth movement, the archery coach
bull's eye.
7. Using a(n)
my seven-room house in a week.
8. A(n)
for
the prize-winner.
and
hit the
approach to spring cleaning, I managed to clean
choice was made by conducting a drawing
HOLES
Chapters 16 – 35
Written Questions:
1. Why did Stanley finally agree to teach Zero to read and write?
2. Why was Stanley surprised that Zero was able to calculate numbers quickly?
3. How did Green Lake of Katherine Barlow's time contrast with Green Lake of Stanley's time?
4. Why wasn't Sam allowed to attend classes at the school along with the other men in town?
5. Why did Katherine become an outlaw?
6. According to legend, how had Green Lake become as it
was when Stanley came to "camp"?
7. Why did the image of the stone formation that appeared to be a fist and a thumb remain in
Stanley's mind?
8. How did the Warden plan to cover up Zero's disappearance?
9. Why did Stanley run away from camp and what dangers did Stanley face in the desert?
10. Where did Stanley find Zero? How had he survived?
11. Prediction(s):
Literary Devices:
IRONY, FLASHBACK, ANALOGY, FORESHADOWING, SIMILE, SYMBOLISM,
and SARCASM
Irony: (located in chapters 6 – 10)
What was ironic about Stanley’s letter to his mom?
What was ironic about Stanley's new nickname?
Flashback: (located in chapters 6 – 10)
A flashback is a scene or series of scenes showing events that happened at an earlier time. The
author used many flashbacks in this novel to explain Stanley's current situation. Choose one
flashback in this section of the novel, indicating when it begins and ends.
What purpose does this flashback serve?
Analogy:
An analogy is a comparison of two or more similar objects which suggests that if they are alike in
certain respects, they will probably be alike in other ways as well.
What is the analogy at the beginning of Chapter Eight? Why does the author make this
comparison? (located in chapters 6 – 10)
What analogy to human characters in the story was Stanley making when he commented, "the
rattlesnake would be a lot more dangerous if it didn't have a rattle"? (located in chapters 21 –
25)
Foreshadowing: (located in chapters 21 – 25)
Foreshadowing refers to the clues an author provides to suggest what will happen in the story.
What do you think Hattie Parker's comment, "God will punish you!" might foreshadow for
Sam and
Katherine?
Simile: (located in chapters 21 – 25)
A simile is a figure of speech in which two unlike objects are compared using the words "like" or
"as." For example: His mouth was as dry and as parched as the lake. What is being compared?
Why is this a good comparison?
Find another example of a simile in Chapters 2l - 25.
Symbolism: (located in chapters 21 – 25)
A symbol in literature is a person, object, or event that represents an idea or a set of ideas.
What does the "Big Thumb" symbolize for Stanley?
Sarcasm: (located in chapters 21 – 25)
Sarcasm is a form of irony in which a character says the opposite of what he or she means, either
to amuse or anger.
For example, when the boys began making comments about Zero helping dig Stanley's hole, Squid said, "He
sure is a nice guy to let Zero dig his hole for him."
What was Squid's real meaning?
be at
Later in the scene, X-Ray said, "Why should Caveman take your place, when he deserves to
the very front? He's better than all of us." What was X-Ray's real meaning?
Discussion Questions: (topics for debate)
Chapters 16 - 35
(These discussion questions may be randomly selected from a basket)
1. Why do you think Squid was crying? Why did he become angry when Stanley showed concern for
him?
2. How had Stanley's personality changed since he arrived at Camp Green Lake? Do you think his
character has improved or become worse?
3. Do you think Stanley was wise to spare Magnet from punishment for stealing the sunflower
seeds?
4. Why do you think the Warden punished Mr. Sir more severely than Stanley?
5. Do you think there are any other boys at Camp Green Lake who, like Stanley, did not deserve
to be
sent there?
6. What did the Warden mean by her warning, "He's [Mr. Sir’s] not going to die. Unfortunately for
you"?
7. Why do you think the story of Katherine Barlow was introduced at this point in Stanley's story?
8. In your opinion, why was Zero thought to be ignorant?
9. Why do you think Stanley believed that not talking about a problem would make it go away?
Have
you ever thought the same way?
10. Why was Sam treated unfairly in the community at the banks of Green Lake?
11. What reasons beyond Sam’s senseless killing caused Katherine to become totally disillusioned
with
her community?
12. Why do you think Zigzag started the fight with Stanley?
13. Why do you think the sheriff refused to help Katherine?
14. In your opinion, why did Green Lake dry up?
15. Why do you think Stanley felt compelled to search for Zero?
16. Why do you think Stanley ran away after stealing the truck? Do you think it was a wise
decision?
17. How did Sam and Katherine’s past affect Stanley and Zero’s present situation?
18. How did Stanley know the boat must have been there for over one hundred years?
19. Do you think Stanley and Zero will return to Camp Green Lake or continue toward the "Big
Thumb"?
LITERARY ELEMENTS:
Chapters 36 – 50
Characterization
•Chapters 46 - 50: On the chart below, record how Stanley and Zero change during the course of
the novel.
Beginning of Novel
End of Novel
Stanley
Zero (Hector)
Plot (Chapters 46 – 50)
Plot refers to the events that occur in a novel and the order in which they take place. Usually,
the events build to a climax, or turning point; and then resolve themselves at the end.
What would you consider the climax of this novel?
Were all of the issues of the plot resolved at the end of the story?
What role did coincidence play in the plot of this novel? 119 120 582
Theme (Chapters 46 – 50)
The theme of a novel refers to its central ideas or the message the author is trying to convey.
What do you think the author was trying to convey about society as a whole, about human
character in general, and about society's treatment of children? List several themes that
underlie
this novel.
Setting (Chapters 46 – 50)
Setting refers to the time and place in which a work of literature occurs.
What is the setting of this novel?
What is its significance to the story being told?
Could the same story have been told in another setting?
VOCABULARY:
Chapters 36 – 50
systematic
contritely
defy
distinct
authentic
•Synonyms are words with similar meanings. Draw a line from each word in column A to its synonym in
column B. Then use the words in column A to fill in the blanks in the sentences below.
A
1. contaminate
2. fugitive
3. inexplicable
4. raspy
5. distinctive
c. adjoining
6. adjacent
d. unstable
7. precarious
e. runaway
8. suppress
f. hoarse
B
a. withhold
g. pollute
h. unexplainable
b. unique
position at the edge of
1. Observing the cup of hot coffee in a(n)
the
the table, I worried that it would spill.
2. As a result of my sore throat, my voice sounded
telephone.
3. Since our classroom is
you
become too noisy.
over the
to yours, we can overhear your class when
4. Unwilling to turn himself in to the police, the accused criminal became a(n)
from the law.
5. It was hard to
during the play.
our giggles when the actors missed their cues
6. Our community was concerned that chemicals used to spray nearby farmland would
the water supply.
7. Despite months of study, the cause of the illness that had affected so many people
remained
.
8. Because she wore a(n)
hat, she was easily noticed in the crowd.
•Antonyms are words with opposite meanings. Draw a line from each word in column A to its anton5rm in
column B. Then use the words in column A to fill in the blanks in the sentences below.
A
B
1. authentic
a. guilty
2. strenuous
b. minimized
3. rigid
c. release
4. incarcerate
d. easy
5. frantic
e. fake
6. innocent
f. flexible
7. exaggerated
g. calm
1. Knowing she was
detector
test.
2. The weather forecaster
that people would prepare for the worst.
3. My body became
ready to strike.
of the crime, my friend agreed to take a lie
the details of the oncoming storm so
with fear as I noticed a rattle snake in my path
4. Citizens were warned that the police would
cross the barrier.
anyone who tried to
5. Only accustomed to running a distance of five miles, I know that a marathon would be too
for me.
6. The passengers became
when the airplane took a nose dive.
7. As a trained gemologist, I know the difference between a(n)
diamond and a copy.
HOLES
Chapters 36 – 50
Written Questions: (determine which questions should be highlighted in these chapters)
1. How did Stanley help Zero continue toward the mountain?
2. Why did Stanley think it would be more difficult for the Warden to destroy his records than
for her
to destroy Zero's?
3. Why did Stanley have to carry Zero up the mountain?
4. What was the source of the foul odor Stanley smelled on the mountain?
5. What saved Becca Tennyson when she almost died from eating spoiled meat? How did this story
relate to Stanley and Zero?
6. How had Zero become homeless? How did he hide the absence of his mother at the various
homeless
shelters in which he stayed?
7. Why didn't Zero understand that he was stealing Clyde Livingston's shoes? What did he do
when he
realized he had been wrong to take the shoes?
8. Why did Zero wish he had kept the shoes?
9. Why did Stanley and Zero go back to Camp Green Lake?
10. Why did the Warden assume that the lizards were not hungry? When did she realize she had
been
wrong? Why hadn't the lizards bitten Stanley and Zero?
11. How did Zero's reading ability help to keep the suitcase in Stanley's possession?
12. If there had been a curse, how was it broken? What evidence showed that the curse was
broken?
13. Prediction(s):
Literary Devices:
IRONY, PERSONIFICATION, and CLIFFHANGER
Irony: (located in chapters 41 – 45)
In what ways was Zero's thievery and its consequences ironic?
What was ironic about the destiny of Camp Green Lake? (located in chapters 46 – 50)
What was ironic about the warden's lifelong quest for treasure? (located in chapters 46 – 50)
Personification: (located in chapters 41 – 45)
Personification is a literary device in which an author grants human characteristics to a
nonhuman object.
For example: The sun cut through the cloud, and Stanley felt its rays beating down on him.
What is being personified?
Why is this better than saying, "the sun felt hot on Stanley's back"?
Cliffhanger: (located in chapters 41 – 45)
A cliffhanger is a device borrowed from silent serialized films in which an episode ends at a
moment of suspense. In a book it is usually placed at the end of a chapter to encourage the
reader to continue on to the next part.
What is the cliffhanger at the end of Chapter Forty-five?
Discussion Questions: (topics for debate)
Chapters 36 - 50
1. How did the time spent at camp Green Lake change Stanley?
2. Why do you think Stanley felt death might be a relief?
3. What do you think gave Stanley the strength to not only climb the mountain, but also to carry
Zero
4. why do you think Stanley called Zero by his rear name when they were climbing the mountain?
5. Why do you think Stanley never became sick from drinking the Sploosh and Zero was able to
recover
from his illness?
6. Why do you think Stanley was glad Zero had thrown the shoes from the overpass?
7. Do you think it was coincidence or destiny that the shoes landed on Stanley's head?
8. Do you think there was legal justification in sending Zero to any kind of juvenile detention
center?
9. Why do you think the author called this novel Holes? How did digging holes help Stanley and
Zero
survive? Do you think there was a "hole" in Stanley’s life when he went to Camp Green Lake? If
so,
how was the “hole” filled?
10. In your opinion, who was the woman singing to Hector at the end of the story?
11. Do you believe there was a curse on the Yelnats, or do you think it was a series of
coincidence?
12. Are you satisfied with the ending of the novel? Are there any additional "holes,' that you
would like
to see filled?
Paragraph Ideas (for Reading Responses, Summaries, etc.)
You may choose a topic from the written or discussion questions as well. Always use paragraph format and
include a topic sentence, supportive details, and a concluding sentence.
1. Why is the book called Holes?
2. What was the hole in Stanley’s life when he first went to Camp Green Lake? How was it filled
in?
3. Discuss the significance of the nicknames of the boys at Camp Green Lake.
4. How did Stanley’s memories of Derrick Dunne help him survive his second day of digging?
5. Explain the importance of onions, peaches, May Lou.
6. What does X-Ray’s real name, Rex, mean? Why was he the leader of the group?
7. How did Stanley’s personality change since arriving at Camp Green Lake? Has his character
improved
or deteriorated?
8. Compare and contrast the three versions of the song that appears throughout the book.
9. Compare and contrast the characters Stanley and Zero. Use physical and personality traits in
your
descriptions.
10. Give examples of Stanley’s conflicts with people, nature, and himself.
11. Find an example of sarcasm, irony, and simile in the novel. Explain the meaning of each.
12. Describe the similarities between Madame Zeroni and Zero, and Stanley and Elya.
TEACHER’s NOTES
ANSWER KEY
Chapters 1 – 15
Chapters 1- 5
Vocabulary
1. b
2. a
3. h
4. g
5. f
6. e
7. d
8. c
Sentences
1. spigot
2. desolate
3. canteen
4. descendants
5. vast
6. barren
7. perseverance
8. warden
Questions:
1. Stanley had imagined all camps to be beautiful places where children went in the summer to
have
fun. Camp Green Lake, however, was a harsh juvenile detention center set in the middle of a
dried up
lake bed where children were forced into hard labor.
2. Some of the campers, fed up with hard labor, would look forward to a non-fatal scorpion sting
or
rattlesnake bite in order to be sent away to the hospital.
3. Stanley had been treated insensitively by his teacher who called attention to his weight and by
his
classmates who taunted him because he was overweight.
4. Stanley's family justified their bad luck by citing a curse that a gypsy placed upon them because
Stanley's great-great-grandfather had broken a promise.
5. Stanley's great-grandfather had lost his fortune to Kissin' Kate Barlow who robbed his
stagecoach.
6. There weren't any fences around Camp Green Lake because there was nowhere to run and the
nearest source of water was one hundred miles away.
Chapters 6 - 10
Vocabulary:
1. scarcity-lack; insufficient supply
2. fossil-remains of animals and plants buried in earth or rock
3. defective-imperfect; faulty
4. despicable-mean
5. coincidence-happening at the same time
6. perimeter-distance around an area
7. predatory-living by preying on others
Questions:
1. At his trial, Stanley was more upset that his idol, Clyde Livingston, thought him a common
criminal than he was about being accused of a crime he didn't commit.
2. When the sneakers thrown off the freeway overpass accidentally landed on Stanley's head, he
thought they would be perfect for his father's scientific experiments. This was too much of a
wonderful coincidence, he thought, to be anything but a "g1ft from God."
3. Because Stanley's parents believed their son would receive justice in a court of law, they
trusted that their inability to pay a lawyer to represent Stanley would not impede his ability to
have a fair hearing. Their optimism inadvertently caused Stanley to be sent to a work camp.
4. Elya Yelnats had agreed to the daily ritual of carrying the piglet up a mountain to drink from a
stream upon the advice of a gypsy woman who had given him the animal to fatten up as a dowry
gift to his future father-in-law.
5. Elya left for America when it became clear that Madame Zeroni had been correct in assessing
Myra as an empty-headed girl. He brought a curse upon himself and his family by forgetting to
fulfill the vow made to Madame Zeroni to carry her up the mountain.
6. It was harder for Stanley to dig because as a newcomer his hands were not sufficiently
calloused and his body was not yet muscular.
7. Stanley showed Mr. Pedanski a rock that contained a fossilized fish because he believed Mr.
Sir's promise that he would be rewarded with a day off if he found anything interesting.
Chapters 11 - 15
Vocabulary:
1. a
2.b
3. d
4.b
5. a
Questions:
1. Stanley agreed to give anything he found to X-Ray because he wanted the acceptance of the
leader of the group of boys, and thus the acceptance of the others as well.
2. Stanley survived his second day of digging by fantasizing about the bullies at his old school
being attacked by his new- found friends at camp.
3. Stanley didn't get the day off by revealing the gold tube to the Warden himself, but he
benefitted by giving it to X-Ray, the group leader, who offered him a better place in the water
line.
4. X-Ray refused to discuss the tube with Stanley because he believed the Warden had hidden
cameras and microphones to spy on the boys.
5. Stanley concluded that the purpose of the boys' digging was not to build character, but to find
something valuable. This became clear when the Warden organized the digging routine and
remained on the site.
Chapters 16 – 35
Chapters 16 – 20
Vocabulary:
1. welcome - this word means gladly permitted. The other words mean send away.
2. softened - this word means made soft. The other words mean made hard.
3. pardoned - this word means excused. The other words mean declared guilty.
4. harmless - this word means without harm. The other words mean harmful.
5. advance - this word means move forward. The other words mean move back.
6. relaxed - this word means became less tense. The other words suggest tense movements due to
pain.
Questions:
l. Zigzag attacked Stanley because the holes were getting closer as the Warden demanded the
digging of enlarged holes, causing Stanley to inadvertently toss dirt into Zigzag's space.
2. Stanley refused to teach Zero to read and write because he felt he would not have the
strength to teach Zero after digging holes all day. He also did not think Zero merited any special
attention.
3. Stanley found himself again at the wrong place at the wrong time when Magnet stole Mr. Sir's
bag of sunflower seeds and began throwing the bag into each of the boys. When the bag was
thrown to Stanley, they spilled into his new hole where Mr. Sir found them.
4. The Warden openly exhibited her cruelty when she struck Stanley and then scratched Mr. Sir
with poisonous snake venom that was an ingredient of her nail polish.
Chapters 2l - 25
Vocabulary:
1. reconsider
2. preserve
3. grotesque
4. remedy
5. concoctions
6. refuge
Questions:
1. Stanley agreed to teach Zero to read and write because Zero had helped him by completing his
hole when Stanley was sent to the Warden. Zero offered to dig part-of Stanley's hole every day.
2. Stanley was surprised that Zero l{rad mathematical ability because he assumed Zero's lack of
reading and writing skills was an indication that he was ignorant.
3. Stanley concluded that the gold tube was "Kissin’ Kate Barlow's" famous lipstick tube.
4. In Katherine Barlow's time, Green Lake was a beautiful lake with peach trees blooming on its
shores. The neighboring farm community had a one-room schoolhouse in which Katherine Barlow
instructed children and adults who eagerly attended her classes. It contrasted sharply with the
arid, desolate place of cruelty that it had-become for Stanley Yelnats and the other residents at
Camp Green Lake.
5. Mr. Sir punished Stanley by refusing to give him water.
6. Katherine was unhappy that Sam had completed all of the repairs because she had fallen in love
with him and had run out of excuses to keep him coming back to the schoolhouse.
7. Sam was not allowed to attend classes because he was black.
8. It was clear that Sam returned Katherine's feelings of affection because he kept doing repairs
on the school building, and he kissed her.
Chapter 26 – 28
Vocabulary:
Across
2. hazy
4. delirious
7. astonishment
9. drought
10. deprive
Down
1. feeble
2. horizon
3. rummage
5. holstered
6. vile
8. humid
Questions:
1. Trout Walker led the angry mob to destroy the schoolhouse because he was q1ryy that
Katherine had refused his affections and he was jealous that she loved Sam.
2. Appalled by the prejudice, violence, and lack of justice sparked by her romantic relationship
with Sam, Katherine declded to leave the town that had destroyed the man she loved and
retaliate by becoming an outlaw. She also wanted to separate herself from Trout Walker, the man
who threatened her when his romantic interest was thwarted.
3. According to legend, God punished the people of Green Lake for perpetuating violence against
Sam and Katherine by ceasing rainfall. It was believed that this caused the lake to dry up and a
desert to take its place.
4. Stanley discovered that Hector (a.k.a. Zero) had the surname of Zeroni, the same as that of
the woman who had once put a curse on the Yelnats' family.
5. Trout Walker and his wife confronted Kate because they wanted the money she had stolen
during her years as an outlaw, which they assumed she had buried in the lakebed of Green Lake.
6. Katherine died from a lizard's sting before she uncovered the buried money that Trout and
Linda were forcing her to find for them.
Chapters 29 - 35
Vocabulary:
1.d
2.f
3.e
4.g
5.h
6.c
7.b
8.a
Sentences
l. mirage
2. ward
3. parched
4. ventilation
5. accelerated
6. deftly
7. systematic
8. random
Questions:
1. The stone formation that Stanley noticed during the lightning storm reminded him of the story
attributed to his great-grandfather who had been robbed in the desert by Kate Barlow and had
found refuge on God's Thumb.
2. Zero ran away after he became the butt of the boys' and the adults' insults, causing him to
retaliate by striking Mr. Pendanski with a shovel. No one tried to prevent his escape because they
believed the harsh desert condition would force him to return.
3. After Zero ran away, Stanley dug his hole because Zero had been helping Stanley dig in return
for reading instruction.
4. The Warden planned to hide Zero's disappearance by destroying-all-of Zero's records. She felt
this would not be difficult because Zero had no family to question officials.
5. Haunted by images of Zero struggling or dead in the desert, Stanley unsuccessfully tried to
steal Mr. Sir’s truck. When his plan failed, he fled.
6. The desert contained many dangers for Stanley: an absence of water for many miles, no shelter
from the sun or heat, and an abundance of yellow-spotted lizards and rattlesnakes.
7. Stanley walked toward the mountain that looked like a fist because the upward pointing thumb
seemed to be an optimistic sign, and he recalled the story of his great-grandfather who may have
found refuge in precisely this spot.
8. Stanley found Zero under Sam’s boat, which sank during the confrontation between Sam,
Kate, and Trout Walker. Zero had survived under Sam's boat for days by eating what once were
Kate's canned spiced peaches that were in the boat when it sank.
Chapters 36 – 50
Chapters 36 - 40
Vocabulary:
Across
1. precipice
2. contritely
4. frail
5. altitude
8. increments
Down
1. protruding
3. leeches
6. tonic
7. defy
Questions:
1. Despite the hardships they might face, Zero thought that going with Stanley toward the
mountain had to be better than anything he had experienced before in his life.
2. Stanley distracted Zero from his pain and weakness by helping him learn new words.
3. Stanley thought it would be more difficult for the Warden to destroy his records than Zero's
because Stanley had a family that would demand accountability.
4. The far side of Green Lake basin, unlike the side where the camp was situated, presented a
steep bank which Stanley and Zero had to scale.
5. Stanley had to carry Zero up the mountain because Zero collapsed from lack of water and
eating the "Sploosh."
6. The foul odor Stanley smelled on the mountain emanated from the onions that grew wild in the
meadow.
7. Sam's onion tonic saved Becca. This story related to Stanley and Zero because the onions that
grew in the meadow atop the mountain that had probably saved their lives could have been the
descendants of onions sets that Sam planted.
Chapters 4l - 45
Vocabulary
1. g
2. e
3. h
4. f
5. b
6. c
7. d
8. a
Sentences
1. precarious
2. raspy
3. adjacent
4. fugitive
5. suppress
6. contaminate
7. inexplicable
8. distinctive
Questions:
I. Zero became homeless after being abandoned by his mother. He only went to a shelter when
the weather was bad, and when he did, he would find a stranger to pretend to be his mother
because he did not want to become a ward of the state.
2. Zero did not realize that he was stealing because he had been taught to take things he needed
to survive. He also did not realize the shoes were special. When he did realize he did something
wrong, he left the sneakers on top of a parked car.
3. Zero felt if he had kept the shoes, Stanley would not have been convicted of stealing them and
he would not have been arrested for stealing a new pair from the shoe store the following day.
4. Stanley and Zero returned to Camp Green Lake in search of the treasure Stanley was
convinced was buried in the hole where he found the lipstick tube.
5. Although the return trip to camp presented the same difficulties of heat and distance, Stanley
and Zero now had onions for nourishment and canteens of water.
6. While digging the hole, Stanley encountered a suitcase that seemed to be Kate's buried
treasure; he was met there by Mr. Pendanski and Mr. Sir; and was noticed and accosted by
spotted lizards.
Chapters 46 - 50
Vocabulary
1. e
2. d
3. f
4. c
5. g
6. a
7. b
Sentences
1. innocent
2. exaggerated
3. rigid
4. incarcerate
5. strenuous
6. frantic
7. authentic
Questions:
1. Stanley learned that he had been declared innocent on the day before he and Zero returned to
Camp Green Lake as the two boys were stuck in the hole that was crawling with poisonous
lizards.
2. Stanley was able to divert his fear by recalling a loving, happy time with his mother when they
slipped down a snowy hill and laughed together when they reached the bottom.
3. The Warden assumed the lizards did not bite the boys because they were not hungry. She
realized she was wrong when a tarantula was quickly consumed by one of the lizards while the
boys remained unharmed.
4. Because Zero had started to learn to read, he could recognize Stanley's name on the suitcase.
Therefore, when the Warden tried to accuse Stanley of stealing her suitcase, Zero was able to
tell the attorney that his friend's name was written on it.
5. When the Warden was unable to produce any records for Zero, since she had them destroyed,
the lawyer with the state's attorney general felt justified in removing the boy from the camp.
6. The lizards did not bite Stanley and Zero because they did not like onions, which the boys had
been eating for days.
7. The curse was removed when the great-great-grandson of Madame Zetoni (Zero) was carried
up the mountain by Elya Yelnats's great-great-grandson (Stanley). It was clear that the family curse
had been removed when Stanley was not killed by lizards, when his innocence was pro- claimed,
and when his father invented a peach-based cure for foot odor that would probably bring about
financial rewards.
SYNOPSIS
Fifteen-year-old Stanley Yelnats always seemed to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
He blamed this on a family curse placed on his great-great-grandfather for breaking a promise to a
Gypsy. As evidence of this curse, his father was never able to conclude an experiment and reap
financial gain. Now, when a pair of used sneakers fell from a freeway overpass and landed on top
of Stanley's head, he was merely surprised. But when he was arrested for theft of a famous
ballplayer's sneakers and sent to Camp Green Lake, Stanley believed it was because of the curse.
Despite its lyrical name, Camp Green Lake was a Texas Juvenile Correctional Facility where
the residents, living in dire conditions, spent their days digging five-foot holes in a dried-up lake
bed in the desert. The sinister Warden of the facility seemed particularly interested in anything
the boys might uncover in their digs. She instructed her underlings, Mr. Sir and Mr. Pendanski, to
offer a day's work relief to anyone who uncovered anything interesting. Stanley was amazed to
discover that the Warden was more interested in the base-metal lipstick tube he found than in
the fossil that he had unearthed the previous day.
Accepted by his peers for the first time in his life, Stanley was given the nick- name
"Caveman," a comment on his girth, not his strength. Befriended by Zero, a boy who couldn't read
or write, Stanley agreed to teach Zero to read in return for help in digging his hole. This caused
so much resentment among the other boys that a fight ensued. In the melee, Zero struck a
counselor and walked away from camp into the harsh desert, where it was presumed he would
die. Unwilling to bring about an investigation into his disappearance, which might upset her plans
to uncover outlaw Kate Barlow's buried treasure in one of the holes, and aware that he had no
family, the Warden chose to destroy Zero's records and not hunt him down.
Desperate to help his friend, Stanley attempted to steal Mr. Sir's truck and rescue Zero.
Lack of driving skill landed Stanley in one of the holes. Grabbing a shovel and carrying an empty
canteen, he headed for "Big Thumb," a rock formation in the desert that fit the description of
the place in which his great-grandfather, the first Stanley Yelnats, had sought refuge after being
robbed by Kate Barlow.
About to give up his search, Stanley found Zero barely alive underneath the rotted hull of a
boat, eating the remains of canned peaches that had sunk with the boat. Stanley encouraged his
seriously weakened friend to head toward "Big Thumb" with him. After a grueling walk across the
desert, they reached the rock formation. Stanley had to carry Zero up the steep ascent to the
top where they found a small source of water that had been Great-grandfather Yelnats' salvation.
Surviving on water and wild onions that grew in a meadow at the top of the rock formation,
Stanley and Zero gathered their strength before heading back to Camp Green Lake, where they
hoped to find Kate Barlow's entire treasure in the same hole where the lipstick tube had been
found. Arriving late at night at the hole, Stanley and Zero managed to unearth a suitcase that
they believed contained the treasure. At that very moment, the Warden and her guards appeared,
as did a horde of deadly lizards that had been disturbed in the digging.
Unable to move a muscle for fear of being bitten by the lizards, the boys were rescued by
the State Attorney General and a lawyer for Stanley's father who had arrived on the scene. They
revealed that Stanley's innocence had been established the previous day. Since the boys emitted a
repellent odor from having eaten only onions for days, the lizards left them untouched, so Stanley
and Zero were able to get out of the hole unharmed. Zero's newly acquired reading skills allowed
him to identify the suitcase as belonging to Stanley, although it really had belonged to his greatgrandfather, and not to the Warden who was desperately claiming ownership. Vowing to conduct
a thorough investigation of Camp Green Lake, the Attorney General and the lawyer whisked
Stanley and Zero away.
In the final chapter of the book, it is revealed that Zero, whose real name was Hector, was
the great-great-grandson of Madam Zeroni, the Gypsy who had supposedly put a curse on
Stanley's family. By carrying Zero up the mountain, Stanley had removed the curse. The two boys
shared the treasure, which was enough for Stanley to buy his family a new home with a laboratory
for his father, and for Zero to hire a detective to find his long-lost mother. Camp Green Lake
was closed and turned into a Girl Scout camp.
PRE-READING ACTIVITIES
1. Preview the book by reading the title and the author's name and by looking at the illustration
on the cover. What do you think this book is going to be about? Do you think it will be serious or
humorous? Have you read any other books by the same author?
2. In the Anticipation Guide below, write "T" in the Before Reading column if you believe the
statement is true. Write "F' if you feel the statement is false. After completing the book, read and
mark your answers again to see if your opinion has changed.
Statements
1. Inability to read and
write indicates lack of intelligence.
2. Stealing is wrong in any circumstance.
3. Parents who abandon their children do
not love them.
4. All people are treated fairly in the
Before Reading
After Reading
justice system.
5. A brave person is never afraid.
6. A person who tells the truth will be
treated fairly.
7. All people in prison have committed crimes.
3. Do some research to learn about the juvenile justice system in your locality. Investigate the
purpose of juvenile detention centers and possible alternatives to these centers. What is a
probation officer? When are juveniles tried as adults? Learn about the juvenile justice system in
Texas. If you do not live in Texas, compare its laws to the laws in your own state.
4. Stanley Yelnats, the main character in the novel, frequently seems to be at the wrong place at
the wrong time. Have you ever found yourself in this situation? Were you able to resolve the
problem? If so, explain how the problem was resolved.
5. Stanley did not have friends at the school he attended. He attributed this to his being
overweight. Have you experienced or witnessed cruelty due to a physical characteristic? Why do
you think people make judgments about others based on physical appearances? Do you think a
person's physical appearance is an indication of his or her personality? In an ideal society, how do
you think a person's character should be judged?
6. Character Relationships: Many of the characters in Holes are related to one another in various
ways. As the links between the characters are revealed throughout the novel, draw lines to join
the characters and indicate the way in which the characters are connected.
Elya
Yelnats
Stanley
Yelnats
Madame
Zeroni
Katherine
Trout
Walker
Stanley
Yelnats
!!
Stanley
Yelnats
!!I
Zero
The
Warden
Sam