Holes

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 was it really like?

I imagined that it would be nicer and there would be a freshwater lake. There would be bright green grass and plenty of trees everywhere. I also thought that there would be clean neat cabins two people per room

It turned out to be a place with no fresh water a dried up lake no grass anywhere not even weeds there were only two big old oak trees and that was the only shade. There were no cabins except for one but only the warden was allowed in it and all the people there sleep on yuck old mattresses in tents.

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”?

Yes and no because if I said yes I would say because the person that went there and dug holes would never want to go back and do it again for another 18 months.

No because the people could become more grumpy and that could change there personality and how they act because they are grumpy and depressed.

3

Stanley's father , an inventor , says”I learn from failure” What do you think this means?

Have you ever learned from failure?

I think it means that even if you made a mistake you can get back up and try again and you may improve from that mistake.

Yes because u can always get back up and try again you may fail many times but you can keep trying because it is only you in the way from stopping and giving up

4

What kind of tattoo does Mr.Sir have?

What does this tell you about him?

Mr.Sir has a tattoo of a Rattlesnake on his arm.I think in a way this makes him seem like a very depressed and grumpy man that is never happy and the tattoo also makes him seem like a nasty rude person.

5

Why do the boys call Mr. Pendanski “Mom”?

Does this nickname suit him?

They call him Mom because he is sort of like a mum to the buys because he is always helping them and all the boys except Stanley have been there for quite awhile.

6

Why don’t the boys believe Stanley when he tells them he stole the sneakers?

They don’t believe Stanley because they have all done much much worse things not just stealing shoes so that makes it quite appealing and funny to them.

7

What does Stanley learn from digging his first hole?

Why do you think he feels proud when his hole is finished?

Stanley learnt that it is a lot harder than it seems especially in the hot sun when the sun is burning him to death and the shovel is giving him heaps of blisters so he is struggling because it is hot he has to dig a really big hole and his hands have blisters on them. I think he feels proud because of how much effort and pain he went through he had finished.

8

Do you believe in curses?

Why or why not?

No, because

9

How do you feel about the nickname X-Ray give Stanley?

Do you have a nickname?

If so, how did you get it?

I think his nickname is a little bit weird but I guess it is kind of cool.

Yes I do have quite a few nicknames the one that my mom uses is Ellsbells and I do not know how I got that nickname

10

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

Some of the boys have possibly always been in the line first and they might be closer to where the water comes from from where they dig their holes.

11

What does X-Ray ask Stanley to do?

Why does Stanley agree to this?

What would you have done?

He asks him to give something to him if he finds something.

Because he has been there longer than stanley and he thinks he deserved it more .

I would have said No because just because he is there longer does not mean he should get a brake if stanley was the actual person to find it.

12

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

It depends if it was stanley or not because stanley did not actually steal the shoes so technically he did not mess up his life. But if someone actually did do something then I would understand because for example if you are going to go rob a bank and you get in jail you are the one that made that mistake and you can't just get away with it you should become a better person and not do stuff like that.

13

What does Stanley gain when he agrees to help X-Ray? What does he lose?

I guess they could become closer friends. He loses a time to relax and have the rest of the day off.

14

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

No I was not surprised that the warden was a lady.

She is very tall and she has red hair. She likes to boss everyone around especially Mr Pendanski

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?

The Warden sounds like a very cheeky and sneaky person so no I do not think that the boys are being paranoid.

16

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

I think that Zero is not very familiar with nursery rhymes because he sounds like he did not have a lot of family when he was growing up and maybe he was poor.

17

What does Stanley find out about Zigzag in this chapter?

I think that I learnt that Zig-zag is a little self centered in some ways and he is very chill and laid back

18

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

19

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

Because he does not want to get his friends in trouble so he just said it was himself.

20

The Warden does not raise her voice, and she usually speaks in seemingly polite phrases.

What makes her so menacing?

Well for a start she is very tall so she will be like looking down at you and I imagine she is also quite big and bolky. She alsoseems very ruse and self centered

21

Does Stanley seem like a good teacher? Have you ever tutored anyone?

What did you learn from the experience?

Sort of but he has not had that much experience with being a teacher.No, I have not tutured any one.

22

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?

Yes. He does paint a good picture of Green Lake and it definitely painted a picture for me.

24

How does Mr. Sir get back at Stanley?

Do you think it is Stanley’s fault that Mr. Sir got scratched?

Mr Sir got back at stanley by filling his canteen with no water. He just tipped out his canteen so stanley had no water

25

Does it seem like Sam is a respected member of the Green Lake community?

Why or why not?

Yes. He seems to be a generous person who likes to help around the community

26

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

Miss Katherine heard the sheriff say “The law of god will punish Sam.

27

Why don’t the other boys approve of Stanley and Zero’s arrangement?

Do you think it is fair to both boys? Why or why not?

They don't agree with zero getting taught by stanley while the other boys are digging holes all day.

28

The Warden

29

Stanley said that the giant thumb was just like a thumb of god

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

Zig-zag is stronger than stanley that is why stanley did not fight back

31

Because zero is mad at everyone so stanley does not want to go after him he just leaves him alone

32

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

Stanley was worried about how to find zero because it would take hours even in a car or bus

33

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

Stanley walked for a while but collapsed because he had no water

34

When Stanley sees Big Thumb, “[He] kept walking toward it, although he didn’t know why.” Why

do you think Stanley keeps going?

Stanley thinks there is no point because it is so far away

35

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

They are kind of friends I guess because of the fact that stanley is helping zero

36

What does Stanley learn about himself as they climb the mountain? What does he learn about

Zero?

Stanley was hungry thirsty and worried stanley nearly fainted

37

Why do you think Stanley suddenly calls Zero Hector?

Because that is zero's real name and that should be what people are calling him

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?

I don't really think I have…

39

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

I think he tells stanley because they are on top of a mountain all alone

40

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

Stanley wondered if the shovel and the sack might have rolled down the hill. But none of the jars were broken except the one which had broken earlier

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?

Maybe he should have just taken the sneakers in a way because the he would not of had to go to camp Green Lake

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?

I do believe in destiny it basically means when something goes the right way and it is really good

43

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

stories make you feel?

When zero tells stanley his life stories stanley feels kind of sad and sorry for zero stanleys life was better tthan zeros before

44

How do you think Stanley and Zero feel when the Warden confronts them?

I think Stanley and Zero felt scared and worried about the warden approaching them.

45

45

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

her?

I think the warden had a tougher life when she was younger that is why she is so grumpy and is never in a good mood.

46

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

Because he wanted to tell stanley it was okay that there was a very very poisonous lizard on his shoulder and that he was being brave.

47

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

Trout also has the last name “Walker” I think that they could be related in some way

48

Why won’t Stanley leave without Hector?

Because they were pretty decent friends and Stanley did not want to leave his friend behind

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?

Yes it is very important because there had not been even a drop of rain water in 100 YEARS!!! That is a very long time.

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?

Stanley's life changed alot before and after Green Lake in many different ways. One big difference was digging holes he never dug holes before Green Lake and after he was a pro.