Holes

by Louis Sachar

Part 1

Audiobook also available on Spotify.

Part 2

Part 3

Chapter Charter - questions to guide your reading

The following questions will help you think about the important parts of each chapter.

Chapter 1 • What do you learn in this chapter about the setting of the story? Based on its name, what would you imagine a place called Camp Green Lake to be like? What is it really like?

Chapter 2 • Do you think it’s true that digging holes can turn a bad person into a good one? What are some other unpleasant things you’ve heard about that are supposed to “build character”?

Chapter 3 • Stanley’s father, an inventor, says, “I learn from failure.” What do you think this means? Have you ever learned from failure?

Chapter 4 • What kind of tattoo does Mr. Sir have? What does this tell you about him?

Chapter 5 • Why do the boys call Mr. Pendanski “Mom”? Does this nickname suit him?

Chapter 6 • Why don’t the boys believe Stanley when he tells them he stole the sneakers

Chapter 7 • What does Stanley learn from digging his first hole? Why do you think he feels proud when his hole is finished?

Chapter 8 • Do you believe in curses? Why or why not?

Chapter 9 • How do you feel about the nickname X-Ray gives Stanley? Do you have a nickname? If so, how did you get it?

Chapter 10 • Why do the boys always line up for water in the same order? What’s the significance to this order?

Chapter 11 • What does X-Ray ask Stanley to do? Why does Stanley agree to this? What would you have done?

Chapter 12 • Mr. Pendanski tells Stanley: “You messed up your life, and it’s up to you to fix it.” Do you agree with this?

Chapter 13 • What does Stanley gain when he agrees to help X-Ray? What does he lose? 20

Chapter 14 • Were you surprised to discover that the Warden is a woman? What else do you find out about the Warden in this chapter?

Chapter 15 • Do you think Zigzag and the other campers are correct in believing that the Warden is always watching them, or are they just being paranoid?

Chapter 16 • Can you think of some reasons why Zero might not be familiar with any nursery rhymes or the show Sesame Street?

Chapter 17 • What does Stanley find out about Zigzag in this chapter?

Chapter 18 • Why do you think Stanley continues lying to his mom and dad in his letters?

Chapter 19 • Why does Stanley tell Mr. Sir that he stole the sunflower seeds? What would you have done?

Chapter 20 • The Warden does not raise her voice, and she usually speaks in seemingly polite phrases. What makes her so menacing?

Chapter 21 • Why do you think Zero finishes Stanley’s hole for him?

Chapter 22 • Does Stanley seem like a good teacher? Have you ever tutored anyone? What did you learn from the experience?

Chapter 23 • Does the portrait the author paints of Green Lake seem realistic? Can you point to any details that strike you as too good to be true?

Chapter 24 • How does Mr. Sir get back at Stanley? Do you think it is Stanley’s fault that Mr. Sir got scratched?

Chapter 25 • Does it seem like Sam is a respected member of the Green Lake community? Why or why not?

Chapter 26 • Based on the facts the author gives you, can you answer the question, “Whom did God punish?”

Chapter 27 • Why don’t the other boys approve of Stanley and Zero’s arrangement? Do you think it is fair to both boys?

Chapter 28 • Who else has turquoise-studded boots like Kate Barlow’s?

Chapter 29 • What do you think is the significance of Stanley’s vision of the giant thumb? 22

Chapter 30 • Why doesn’t Stanley fight back when Zigzag taunts him? What would you do in his position?

Chapter 31 • Why doesn’t Stanley go after Zero?

Chapter 32 • Thinking about Zero, “what worried [Stanley] the most . . . was the fear that it wasn’t too late.” What does this mean?

Chapter 33 • Does Stanley approach his predicament intelligently? Is his logic sound? What would you do in the same situation?

Chapter 34 • When Stanley sees Big Thumb, “[H]e kept walking toward it, although he didn’t know why.” Why do you think Stanley keeps going?

Chapter 35 • How would you describe Stanley and Zero’s relationship at this point in the story?

Chapter 36 • What does Stanley learn about himself as they climb the mountain? What does he learn about Zero?

Chapter 37 • Why do you think Stanley suddenly calls Zero Hector?

Chapter 38 • “[Stanley] thought only about each step, and not the impossible task that lay before him.” Have you ever attempted anything that seemed impossible? How did you approach it? What did you learn from the experience?

Chapter 39 • Why do you think Zero chooses this moment to confess about the stolen shoes?

Chapter 40 • Why is Stanley surprised to find the sack of jars and the shovel so far down the mountain?

Chapter 41 • Zero says, “If I had just kept those old smelly sneakers, then neither of us would be here right now.” Do you think he’s right? Is there anything positive about their situation?

Chapter 42 • Stanley believes it was his destiny to be hit by those falling shoes. What’s the difference between coincidence and destiny? Do you believe in destiny?

Chapter 43 • When he hears Zero’s stories, how does Stanley feel about his own family? How do these stories make you feel?

Chapter 44 • How do you think Stanley and Zero feel when the Warden confronts them? 24

Chapter 45 • What do you learn about the Warden in this chapter? How does it influence your feelings about her?

Chapter 46 • Why do you think Zero gives Stanley the thumbs-up sign?

Chapter 47 • The Warden’s name is Walker; who else in the story has the same last name? Why might this be important?

Chapter 48 • Why won’t Stanley leave without Hector?

Chapter 49 • The chapter ends with these words: “. . . and for the first time in over a hundred years, a drop of rain fell into the empty lake.” Does this seem important to you? Why do you suppose the author chose to end Part II here?

Chapter 50 • How has Stanley changed in the course of the story? Do you think Stanley had a “hole” in his life before attending Camp Green Lake? Does he have one now?

Genre - young adult literature

Plot

Thinking about the plot:

• What are the different stories told in Holes? How do these stories relate to one another?

• What is the relationship of the past to the present in this book?

• What types of holes exist in the story?

Setting/time & place

Thinking about the setting:

• Where does Holes take place? Explain the name of the camp, is it symbolic?

• Which parts of the setting seem realistic to you? Which ones do not?

• How does the setting influence what happens in the story?

Themes

Thinking about the themes:

• What do you think is the main theme of Holes? What are some other themes in the book?

• What are some of the things—either positive or negative—that have been passed down in your family?

• Have you ever bullied anyone, or been the victim of a bully?

Main themes:

“What goes around, comes around”

All human actions have appropriate consequences.

Inheritance

what gets passed down from one generation to the next within a family - everything from money and property to physical characteristics like eye or hair color, or even things that aren’t visible, such as responsibilities and character traits. Or curses.

Bullying

a bully can be anyone who tries to frighten, intimidate, or torment another person by using physical threats, teasing, or other forms of verbal abuse - kid or adult.

Characters

Thinking about the characters:

• Why is Stanley nicknamed “Caveman”? How does his character change over the course of the book?

• How does Zero’s character change?

• What are the “signatures” of the other characters? What do they tell you about them?

• Do the characters in the past seem as real or complex to you as those in the present? Why or why not?

Characters in the present:

Stanley Yelnats IV tall, heavy, camper in Group D, main character

Hector Zeroni (“Zero”) small camper in Group D

X-Ray leader of the Group D campers, wears thick glasses

Armpit tall camper in Group D Magnet camper in Group D

Zigzag Group D camper with frizzy blond hair

Squid camper in Group D

Twitch fidgety camper in Group D

Mr. Pendanski counselor for Group D 41

The Warden, Ms. Walker woman who runs Camp Green Lake

Mr. Sir camp director

Stanley’s father inventor

Stanley’s mother homemaker

Derrick Dunne middle-school bully

Clyde “Sweet Feet” Livingston famous baseball player

Ms. Morengo patent attorney

Attorney General head lawyer for the state of Texas

Characters in the past

In Latvia

Elya Yelnats Stanley’s great-great-grandfather

Myra Menke beautiful but empty-headed girl

Madame Zeroni Zero’s great-great-greatgrandmother

Myra’s father - decides who Myra will marry

In America

Sarah Miller Stanley IV’s great-greatgrandmother

Katherine Barlow a.k.a. Kissin’ Kate, schoolteacher turned outlaw

Sam “Onion Sam” an onion seller

Mary Lou Sam’s donkey

Charles “Trout” Walker rich man

Linda Walker Trout’s wife

The STEAL model

Remember that character analysis involves examining not only what characters say and do, but also their motivations, growth arcs, and relationships with other characters.

Analyzing these aspects will give you a deeper understanding of the characters' roles within the story and their contribution to the overall themes and narrative.

Perspective

The Hate U Give (thug)

by Angie Thomas

Holes

by Louis Sanchar

How do the two stories relate? Find similarities and differences and put the two books into perspective.

Let's practice putting texts in to perspective using this exam model:

to texts within the same area study (forløb)
to other texts studied in class
to text etc from other subjects or elsewhere

What to do when Malin talks to other students:

The 4 stages of a Bildungsroman

How does Stanley move from innocence to awareness at Camp Green Lake?
What key conflicts force Stanley to grow as a person?
How does Stanley’s relationship with Zero contribute to his development?
At what point does Stanley begin to take control of his own fate?
How is Stanley different at the end of the novel compared to the beginning?

Plot and Setting

How does the harsh setting of Camp Green Lake influence the boys’ behavior and choices?
Why is the history of Green Lake important to understanding the present-day plot?
How does the structure of flashbacks affect the reader’s understanding of the story?
In what ways does the setting create conflict in the novel?
How would the story change if it took place somewhere other than the desert?

Themes (bullying, inheritance, karma)

How is bullying shown at Camp Green Lake, and how do the boys respond to it?
How does the idea of inheritance (the family curse) affect Stanley’s actions?
Do you think the curse is real, or is it a way of explaining bad luck? Why?
How are actions from the past (e.g. Elya, Kate, Sam) connected to consequences in the present?
What message does the novel give about fairness and justice?

Characters (STEAL model)

What do Stanley’s actions reveal about his personality at different points in the story?
How do Zero’s words (or lack of them) shape our understanding of his character?
What do other characters’ reactions to Stanley show about his development?
How do Stanley’s thoughts reveal his fears and motivations?
How does the author use descriptions (looks) to show changes in Stanley or Zero?

Holes in perspective to The Hate U Give

How do both novels explore injustice, even though they are set in very different environments?
How do Stanley and Starr respond differently to unfair systems around them?
What role does friendship or community play in helping the protagonists survive and grow?
How do both stories show that actions (past or present) have lasting consequences?
Which novel do you think more strongly challenges injustice, and why?

Round 2 - the challenging version

The 4 stages of a Bildungsroman

How does Starr’s development in The Hate U Give compare to Stanley’s journey in Holes across the four stages (innocence → conflict → growth → maturity)?
At what point do both protagonists begin to question the systems around them, and what triggers this shift?
How do key relationships influence Starr’s and Stanley’s personal growth?
In what ways do both characters take action to change their situation, and how does this mark their transition to maturity?
Do both novels suggest that growing up requires confronting injustice? Why or why not?

Plot & Setting

How does the setting (Garden Heights vs Camp Green Lake) shape the challenges the protagonists face?
In what ways do the environments reflect larger social issues in each novel?
How does the plot in both stories build tension around injustice?
What role does the community (or lack of it) play in shaping the narrative?
How would each story change if it were set in a different environment?

Themes (bullying, inheritance, karma)

How is bullying shown differently in The Hate U Give compared to Holes?
How do both novels explore the idea of inheritance—whether it is trauma, responsibility, or “curse”?
Can the idea of karma or consequences be seen in both stories? Give examples.
How do characters respond to unfair treatment, and what message does each novel send about justice?
Which theme is most central in each novel, and how are they connected?

Characters (STEAL model)

Using STEAL, how do Starr’s words and actions reveal her internal conflict compared to Stanley’s?
How do other characters’ reactions help shape our understanding of Starr and Stanley?
What do the protagonists’ thoughts reveal about their fears and motivations?
How does the author use looks or descriptions to communicate character development?
How do both protagonists change based on what they say and do throughout the story?

5. Perspective

How does Starr’s first-person narration affect how we understand events compared to the third-person narration in Holes?
What are the advantages and limitations of each narrative perspective?
How might Holes change if it were told from Stanley’s first-person point of view?
How does perspective influence the reader’s emotional connection to injustice in both novels?
Why might the authors have chosen different perspectives to tell their stories?

30/4

(2)

Book sum up

Download this Pixi to help you with exam: here

While I finish talking to your classmates work with this self-quiz related to the Pixi.

Lesson plan:

12/3 (2) Reading

19/3 (2) Themes, setting, characters

14/4 (1) Ya model - the four phases

16/4 (2) Final essay

21/4 (2) Individual oral

23/4 (2) Individual oral

28/4 (2) Individual oral

30/4 (2) We sum up the book.

5/5 (2) We watch the movie - karakterdeadline

7/5 (2) Repetition pensum

12/5 (2) Repetition pensum

EXTRA materials - Not used!

https://esl-bits.org/ESL.English.Learning.Audiobooks/Hoyo/A/design.html

https://catherineroot.weebly.com/unit-plan---holes-by-louis-sachar.html

https://www.resourceroom.net/Comprehension/literature/holes/holescomp.html

https://bookunitsteacher.com/wp/?p=816

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