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Holes
Trailblazers · 4th–6th
He concentrated on one step at a time, carefully raising and setting down each foot. He thought only about each step, and not the impossible task that lay before him.
Read the passage aloud. What do the repeated words "step" and "each" do to the way it sounds?
Narration Tell back what happens in this chapter, from Stanley lifting Zero to the onion he breaks in half.
1. The chapter says Stanley's strength comes from deep inside him and also seems to come from the outside. Where might the outside strength be coming from?Inference
2. Around Stanley, the smell is “the bitter smell of despair.” Why might the author give a smell that name?Tone
3. Stanley knows he will find no water, yet he continues toward the Thumb. Is that brave, or foolish?Moral reasoning
4. “He never made it.” sits alone as a short paragraph. Why might the author give it a line of its own?Author's choice
5. Lying face down, Stanley is not sure he will even try to get up, and then thinks, “You need water to make mud!” What changes in him?Character
Make a Connection Tell about a time you kept going when you were sure it would not work.
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He concentrated on one step at a time
and not the impossible task that lay before him
it was as if the rock had absorbed his energy
he became aware of a foul odor
a huge stone precipice rose up ahead of him
It no longer resembled a thumb.
It was the bitter smell of despair.
tumbled into a small muddy gully
he dug a hole in the soggy soil
1. Stanley finds water in the dark by touch. Using two pieces of evidence, explain how he becomes sure it is there.
2. Stanley splits the onion with Zero. Using two pieces of evidence, explain what Stanley does for Zero in this chapter.
3. Big Thumb looks different as Stanley gets close. Using two pieces of evidence, explain what has changed.