Holes Discussion Questions

Week 1

Chapters 1-3

1. What is interesting about the name “Camp Green Lake?”

2. Who owns the shade at Camp Green Lake?

3. What options does the judge give Stanley?

4. Why do boys go to Camp Green Lake?

5. Explain the curse from the one-legged gypsy.

6. Why is Stanley Yelnats name so interesting?

7. Why did the Yelnats’ apartment smell of food odor and burning rubber?

1. Do you think it’s true that digging holes can turn a bad person into a good
one?
2. Stanley’s father, an inventor, says, “I learn from failure.” What do you think
this means?

Chapters 4-7

1. Explain the daily process of digging.

2. Who is Mr. Pendanski?

3. Why doesn’t Mr. Pendanski like to use nicknames?

4. Why doesn’t Camp Green Lake have fences or guards?

7. Explain the story of Madame Zeroni and Elya Yelnats.

1. Why do the boys call Mr. Pendanski “Mom”? Does this nickname suit him?
2. What does Stanley learn from digging his first hole? Why do you think he
feels proud when his hole is finished?

Chapters 8-10

1. How does Stanley almost get in a fight?

2. What does Stanley write to his mother about?

3. Who is Caveman?

4. What does Stanley find after digging his first hole?

5. Explain the yellow-spotted lizards.

1. Why do the boys always line up for water in the same order? What’s the
significance to this order?
 Week 2
Chapters 11-14

1. Where did X-Ray’s nickname come from?

2. How do the boys at camp feel about Zero?

3. Explain what Stanley finds in his hole.

4. How does X-Ray mistreat Stanley?

5. Describe the Warden.

6. Why did X-Ray wait to show the tube to the Warden?

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

Chapters 15-17

1. According to Zigzag, how does the Warden know the boys’ names?

2. Why did Zero not understand the joke in Stanley’s letter?

3. Explain the change in digging.

4. What does Stanley know that the Warden doesn’t?

5. Explain the situation in which Stanley gets hurt.

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

Chapters 18-21

1. Why doesn’t Stanley worry that Zero is looking over his shoulder?

2. How did Magnet get his nickname?

3. Explain what happens with the sunflower seeds.

4. Explain what happens when Mr. Sir takes Stanley to the Warden.

5. What surprised Stanley when he returned to his hole?

6. How was Stanley able to tell that Zero had dug his hole?

7. How did Stanley’s great-grandfather claim to have survived in the desert?

1. Why do you think Stanley continues lying to his mom and dad in his letters?
2. Why do you think Zero finishes Stanley’s hole for him?

Chapters 22-24

1. What deal do Stanley and Zero work out?

2. What insight did Stanley have about the tube he found in his hole?
3. Describe Green Lake 110 years ago.

4. How did Mr. Sir respond when asked about his face?

5. Who is Katherine Barlow?

1. 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?
 Week 3

Chapters 25-28

1. Describe Sam and Katherine.

2. According to Sam, what could onions cure?

3. Explain how Katherine became Kissin’ Kate Barlow.

4. What is Zero’s real name and why is it significant?

5. Who returned to Green Lake after twenty years? What had happened?

6. When was the last time rain fell on Green Lake?

1. Why don’t the other boys approve of Stanley and Zero’s arrangement? Do
you think it is fair to both boys?
2. Who else has turquoise-studded boots like Kate Barlow’s?

Chapters 29-31

1. What does the lightening reveal to Stanley?

2. Explain how Zero reacted to Mr. Pendanski telling him he was only good for
digging holes.
 3. Where does Stanley hope Zero would take refuge?

4. Why does the Warden repeatedly ask Mr. Pendanski if Zero had any family or
social worker who might have taken an interest in him?

1. Why doesn’t Stanley fight back when Zigzag taunts him?

Chapters 32-35

1. Why was new boy (Brian) given the nickname, Twitch?

2. Explain what happens to allow Stanley to escape.

3. Why did Stanley think he might have to return to camp?

4. Describe what Stanley found while walking across the wasteland.

5. What is different about the most distant holes?

6. Explain Sploosh.

1. When Stanley sees Big Thumb, “[H]e kept walking toward it, although he
didn’t know why.” Why do you think Stanley keeps going?
2. Thinking about Zero, “what worried [Stanley] the most . . . was the fear that it
wasn’t too late.” What does this mean?

Chapters 36-38

1. What evidence is there that Barfbag may have purposely stepped on a

2. According to Zero, how did the boat probably get its name?
 3. What scares Stanley most about dying?

4. Explain the gully at the top of the mountain.

1. Why do you think Stanley suddenly calls Zero Hector?

Week 4
Chapters 39-42

1. Explain what Zero confesses to Stanley.

2. Why did Hattie Parker blush when Mrs. Tennyson mentioned that her daughter
had almost died from eating some bad meat?

3. Why does Stanley want to dig one more hole?

4. Why did Zero fill the bottom of their hole with rocks?

5. Explain how the shoes had managed to fall on Stanley’s head at the beginning of
the story.

1. Why do you think Zero chooses this moment to confess about the stolen
shoes?
2. 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?

Chapters 43-45

1. Explain Stanley and Zero’s plan.

3. Why is Zero the one to sneak into camp for food and water?

4. What did Stanley find in his old hole?

5. Who finds Stanley and Zero?

6. Explain what terrifying event happens when the Warden shines the light on
Stanley.

1. Why do you think the families lullabies are similar?

Chapters 46-48

1. Why did the Warden ask the counselors to tell the campers they would not be
digging anymore holes ?

2. What does the Warden plan on telling Stanley’s family?

3. What request does Stanley make of Ms. Morengo?

4. Why did Mr. Pendanski hesitate when the Warden ordered him to get Hector
Zeroni’s file?

5. Explain why the suitcase belongs to Stanley.

6. Why don’t the lizards bit Stanley or Zero?

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

Chapters 49-50

1. Describe the new product that Stanley’s father invented.

2. What happens at Camp Green Lake for the first time in over 100 years?

3. How does Ms. Morengo prove Stanley’s innocence?

4. What was in the suitcase?

1. 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?