Chapter 24

Holes

Trailblazers · 4th–6th

Copywork

Stanley watched the water splatter on the dirt, where it was quickly absorbed by the thirsty ground.

Read the passage aloud. What does the word thirsty do to the ground, and why might the author choose it?

Discussion

Narration Tell back what happens in the chapter, in order: breakfast, what Mr. Sir does to the boy at the oatmeal pot, the morning on the lake, and the water truck.

1. Mr. Sir asks the boy, “How does my face look to you now?” What is Mr. Sir really asking?Inference

2. Mr. Sir pours the water onto the ground and says, “There, that should be plenty.” What do you hear in that?Tone

3. Stanley says “Thank you, Mr. Sir” at the end, with an empty canteen in his hand. Was that wise, or was it giving in?Moral reasoning

4. Stanley decides, “If he didn’t talk about it, maybe it would go away.” What does that thought show about how he deals with fear?Character

Make a Connection Tell about a time someone in charge made people say something they did not believe. How did people act?

Vocabulary

Crossword

1	2				3
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			5
	6

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			8

Across

Across 1. To fall in drops and spread out.
Across 4. Dried out from thirst.
Across 6. In a way anyone can see.
Across 7. With sharp, uneven edges.
Across 8. Strange and ugly in a way that shocks.

Down

Down 1. Grown larger, as from an injury.
Down 2. Soaked up.
Down 3. Scooped out with a big spoon.
Down 5. Making a bubbling sound in the throat.

The words in the chapter

splatter Stanley watched the water splatter on the dirt
absorbed where it was quickly absorbed by the thirsty ground
swollen The left side of Mr. Sir’s face had swollen
jagged three dark-purple jagged lines
obviously had obviously seen Mr. Sir as well

ladled Mr. Sir ladled some oatmeal-like stuff into his bowl
gurgling A gurgling sound came out of the boy’s mouth
grotesque No one even dared to look at his grotesque face.
parched His mouth was as dry and as parched as the lake.

Critical thinking

1. The other boys in the tent have the good sense not to say anything about Mr. Sir's face. Using two pieces of evidence, explain what they understand that the boy at the pot does not.

2. At the water truck, the boys say only “Thank you, Mr. Sir.” Using two pieces of evidence, explain what their silence shows about the group.

3. Stanley has worked hard and fast all morning and still has an empty canteen. Using two pieces of evidence, explain what that means for his day.