Holes
Chapter 19 — Teaching Companion
Louis Sachar · Trailblazers 4th–6th
Coaching, not a script — and not an answer key: every question here has more than one defensible answer.
This chapter's big question
Stanley tells Mr. Sir he stole the sack and ate the seeds alone, and the same boys who shared them call him cold. Was taking the blame the right choice?
The tension Stanley takes the whole blame on himself and lets the boys call him selfish, while the seeds were passed from hand to hand and he never wanted them.
Today's focus
Notice what Stanley says to Mr. Sir, what the boys say to Stanley, and what the chapter leaves unsaid.
Two core ideas
- Sunflower seeds are passed around the hole and spilled into Stanley's, and when Mr. Sir asks, Stanley says he stole them and ate them alone.
- The boys who shared the seeds call him cold, and Stanley goes to the Warden in the truck.
The shape at a glance
Stanley wakes to find Squid crying and is told to keep quiet. At the lake Magnet passes around a sack of sunflower seeds, and when it is thrown to Stanley it spills in his hole. Mr. Sir finds the sack and asks how it got there, Stanley says he stole it, and the boys complain. Mr. Sir takes him to the Warden in the truck, and the chapter ends on Stanley enjoying the ride.
A way in
Start with Mr. Sir's question, "How did my sack of sunflower seeds get in your hole?" Ask the student what Stanley could have said.
Lesson plan
Retell The student tells the chapter back in order: Squid at night, the seeds, the spill, Mr. Sir's questions, Stanley's answer, the boys' reaction and the truck ride.
Imitate the author After copying the passage, the student writes two sentences in the same pattern: one in which a character looks from one thing to another, and one that names the trouble in a short phrase.
Debate Take sides on the big question: was taking the blame the right choice? Each side must use one quote from the chapter.
Purpose Close by asking why an author might let a character take a blame that is not only his.
Easier Read the scene with Mr. Sir aloud together and talk through discussion questions 2 and 4 only.
On level Talk through all five discussion questions, then have the student write one critical-thinking answer with two pieces of evidence from the chapter.
Harder Ask the student to find one more place where the narrator tells us what Stanley thinks about something the other boys do, and to add it to a critical-thinking answer.
Discussion
- Stanley asks if Squid is okay, and Squid threatens to break his jaw. Why might Squid answer kindness that way?Character
What it asks It asks why a boy who was crying at night turns so sharply on the one who noticed.
One reading
He is embarrassed and covers his tears with a threat.
Squid’s head jerked around. He sniffed and caught his breath.
“I got allergies, okay?”
Another reading
He is afraid of looking weak among the boys, and a threat protects his place.
“What are you, my mother?” asked Squid.
“You open your mouth again, and I’ll break your jaw.”
Listen for
- Says what Squid seems to be protecting.
- Notices that Stanley said very little and kept it quiet.
If stuck
- What does Stanley hear in the night?
- What does Squid say in the morning?
- How would Squid have felt if the other boys had heard?
A strong answer Squid is caught crying and answers first by blaming allergies and then with a threat. A reader can see embarrassment, or a fear of looking weak in front of the others, or both. A strong answer picks what Squid is protecting and points to his words, and does not guess why he was crying, because the chapter does not say.
- The narrator says it is unclear whether the seeds spilled before they got to Stanley or after he dropped the bag. Why might the narrator admit that?Author's choice
What it asks It asks why the author lets the narrator say he is not sure, and what that does for the scene.
One reading
It makes the moment feel real and quick, like something that happens too fast to see.
But it all happened very fast.
One moment the sack was flying through the air, and the next thing Stanley knew the sack was in his hole
Another reading
It leaves the blame open, so the reader cannot easily point to one boy.
It seemed to him that Zigzag hadn’t rolled up the top before throwing it, and that was the reason he didn’t catch it.
It’s unclear whether the seeds spilled before they got to Stanley
Listen for
- Says what the narrator is sure of and what he is not.
- Says what the reader does with the open question.
If stuck
- What does Stanley think Zigzag did?
- How fast does the chapter say it all happened?
- Who is to blame if the top was not rolled up?
A strong answer The narrator says it is unclear, then adds only what it seemed to Stanley, that Zigzag had not rolled up the top. That makes the moment feel quick and a little confused, and it keeps the blame from landing neatly on one boy. A strong answer says what the open question does and points to the narrator's words.
- Stanley later sees that he should have knocked a dirt pile into his hole, but at the time that was “unthinkable.” Why might a good idea be unthinkable in the moment?Inference
What it asks It asks why a boy who is quick enough to see the answer later could not see it in the moment, and what stood in the way.
One reading
His hole is the product of a whole day's work, and putting dirt back feels like undoing it.
But the idea of putting dirt into his hole was unthinkable.
He dug his shovel into his hole, and tried to turn over the dirt and bury the seeds.
Another reading
He is rushed and afraid, so he goes for the first fix that comes to mind.
“The truck’s coming!” shouted Zigzag.
Stanley didn’t know what to do.
Listen for
- Says what the hole means to Stanley.
- Says what pressure the boy is under.
If stuck
- How long has Stanley been digging this hole?
- What does Zigzag shout?
- What does Stanley try instead of the better idea?
A strong answer Stanley sees the better fix only later, and the narrator says the idea of putting dirt back into the hole was unthinkable. One reason is that a hole is hard work and filling it feels wrong. Another is that the truck is coming and he does not know what to do. A strong answer gives a reason and uses one line about the hole and one about the time.
- After Stanley says he ate the seeds alone, Armpit says “How come you didn’t share any with us?” What do you make of that?Tone
What it asks It asks the student to hear the boys' complaint and decide whether it sounds real, playful, or something else.
One reading
It sounds like a real complaint, since the boys do care about who shares.
“That’s cold, man,” said X-Ray.
“I thought you were our friend,” said Magnet.
Another reading
It sounds like a show: they were the ones who ate the seeds and know what happened.
The sack went from X-Ray to Armpit to Squid.
“How come you didn’t share any with us?”
Listen for
- Says what the boys know that Mr. Sir does not.
- Says whether the complaint sounds real, and why.
If stuck
- Who ate the sunflower seeds before the spill?
- What does Stanley have to say to the boys?
- How would Mr. Sir hear their words?
A strong answer Several of the boys handled the sack before the spill, so they know Stanley did not eat the seeds alone. Their complaint can be read as a show for Mr. Sir or as genuine talk that makes Stanley the one to blame. The chapter does not say which. A strong answer says what it hears and points to X-Ray's or Magnet's words.
- Stanley says that on the lake the boys “were all the same reddish brown color.” What do you think the author is getting at?Theme
What it asks It asks the student to say what the shared color of dirt means in a place where the boys are not all alike.
One reading
Shared hardship makes them alike: the lake covers them all in the same dirt.
On the lake they were all the same reddish brown color
Stanley was thankful that there were no racial problems.
Another reading
The sameness is only on the surface, and the boys remain wary of one another.
They called him Caveman and all that, but he couldn’t forget that they were dangerous, too.
He didn’t talk too much to any of the boys, afraid that he might say the wrong thing.
Listen for
- Says what the lake does to the boys.
- Says what still separates them in Stanley's mind.
If stuck
- What does the narrator say the boys look like on the lake?
- What does Stanley say about racial problems?
- Why does Stanley keep his mouth shut?
A strong answer The lake covers every boy in the same dirt, so in a way they are alike, and Stanley is thankful for it. But he also keeps his mouth shut and cannot forget the boys are dangerous, so the likeness may only be skin deep. A strong answer says what the line shows and points to one line of each kind.
Critical thinking
- Mr. Sir will not take the sack and keeps asking questions. Using two pieces of evidence, explain what he seems to be doing.
What it asks It asks the student to read Mr. Sir's questions as a way of testing Stanley, and to say what he gets out of it.
One reading
He is leading Stanley to say what happened, one step at a time.
“So, tell me, Caveman,” said Mr. Sir. “How did my sack of sunflower seeds get in your hole?”
“What happened to all the sunflower seeds?”
Another reading
He is looking around the group, as if weighing whether the story is the whole one.
He tried to hand it to Mr. Sir, but he wouldn’t take it.
Mr. Sir looked around from one boy to another, then back to Stanley.
Listen for
- Two separate pieces of evidence, not one told twice.
- Does not claim to know what Mr. Sir believes.
If stuck
- What does Mr. Sir do with the sack?
- What questions does he ask?
- What does he do after Stanley answers?
A strong answer Mr. Sir asks one question after another and does not take the sack, so he seems to be drawing Stanley's story out. He also looks from boy to boy and then back to Stanley, so he may be weighing the others as well. The chapter does not say what he believes. A strong answer uses two pieces of evidence and admits that.
- The seeds were taken, passed and spilled, and Stanley takes the blame. Using two pieces of evidence, explain who else might share the blame.
What it asks It asks the student to spread the blame across the chain of hands that handled the sack, using what the chapter says each one did.
One reading
The boy who took the sack, and the boys who ate from it.
“How’d you get them without Mr. Sir seeing you?” asked Armpit.
The sack went from X-Ray to Armpit to Squid.
Another reading
Zigzag, who threw it with the top open.
It seemed to him that Zigzag hadn’t rolled up the top before throwing it
“Coming your way, Caveman,” said Zigzag.
Listen for
- Two separate pieces of evidence, not one told twice.
- Says how much each boy had to do with it.
If stuck
- Who brought the sack?
- Who threw it to Stanley?
- What does Stanley think about how it was thrown?
A strong answer The chapter shows the sack passing from boy to boy before it gets to Stanley, and Armpit asks how Magnet got the seeds without Mr. Sir seeing. It also shows Zigzag tossing it to Stanley, and Stanley thinks the top was not rolled up. A strong answer names who might share the blame, uses two pieces of evidence, and says how much of it Stanley has.
- At the end Stanley feels good in the truck, which is a surprise given where he is going. Using two pieces of evidence, explain why.
What it asks It asks the student to say why small comforts matter so much to Stanley in this place.
One reading
He is so worn by the heat and the work that a seat in the shade is a gift.
It felt good to sit inside the truck, out of the direct rays of the sun.
It felt good to sit down on a comfortable seat for a change.
Another reading
A moving truck gives him a break from the hole and the boys, even if what comes next is hard.
Stanley was surprised he could feel good about anything at the moment, but he did.
he was able to appreciate the air blowing through the open window onto his hot and sweaty face
Listen for
- Two separate pieces of evidence, not one told twice.
- Says what the comfort shows about Stanley's days.
If stuck
- What does Stanley feel in the truck?
- Where is he going?
- What does he usually have instead of a seat?
A strong answer Stanley is surprised that he can feel good about anything, but the truck gives him shade, a seat and the wind from the window, which his days do not. That shows how worn down he is, and how small a comfort has to be to matter. The chapter does not say what the Warden will do, and a strong answer does not guess.