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Chapter 35

Holes

Trailblazers · 4th–6th

Copywork

Stanley didn’t know what to do. He had come to rescue Zero and instead drank the last of his sploosh.

Read the passage aloud. What does the word “instead” turn around in the second sentence?

Discussion

Narration Tell back what happens in this chapter, from Stanley finding Zero under the boat to Zero studying the mountain.

1. Zero says, “Sometimes you just have to …” and smashes a jar on the shovel blade. What does that moment tell us about Zero?Character

2. Stanley came to rescue Zero, yet Zero is the one with the jars. What does that reversal show about the two boys?Theme

3. Zero says, “Then I’ll die out here.” Does he mean it? What in the chapter makes you think so?Inference

4. While Stanley worries about getting him back, Zero asks what “Mar-ya Luh-oh-oo” means. Why might the author put that scene here?Author's choice

5. Zero groans and curls up in pain, and Stanley says, “I’m taking you back.” How much should Zero's pain change what Stanley does?Moral reasoning

Make a Connection Tell about a time you wanted to help someone who did not want your help.

Vocabulary

Crossword
123
4
5
6
78
Across
  • Across 1. To save someone from danger.
  • Across 4. Fresh air moving through a space.
  • Across 5. Tiny living things that can cause sickness.
  • Across 7. In an embarrassed way.
Down
  • Down 1. Rough and scratchy.
  • Down 2. Zero's name for the sweet, muddy stuff in the jars.
  • Down 3. A wonderful event that seems almost impossible.
  • Down 6. A sweet drink.
  • Down 8. Very dry from thirst.
The words in the chapter
  • rescue He had come to rescue Zero
  • sploosh instead drank the last of his sploosh
  • raspy His voice was weak and raspy.
  • sheepishly he smiled sheepishly
  • miracle It was a miracle he was still alive
  • ventilation to provide light and ventilation
  • bacteria what kind of bacteria might be living in it
  • nectar It was a warm, bubbly, mushy nectar, sweet and tangy.
  • parched down his parched throat

Critical thinking

1. Stanley says he has a plan so Zero will not get in trouble. Using two pieces of evidence, explain how sure he is that it will work.

2. Stanley squeezes through the hole under the boat and says he never would have fit before. Using two pieces of evidence, explain how Stanley has changed.

3. Zero says Barf Bag stepped on a rattlesnake on purpose. Using two pieces of evidence, explain what that tells us about how Zero sees the camp.