Chapter 48

Holes

Trailblazers · 4th–6th

Copywork

Stanley stopped and turned to look at Zero. He couldn’t just leave him here.

Read the passage aloud. What does the word "just" do in the second sentence?

Discussion

Narration Tell back what happens in this chapter, from the walk back to camp to Ms. Morengo taking Zero's hand.

1. The Warden changes her story and demands, “Open the suitcase, Stanley!” What is she afraid of?Inference

2. Stanley does nothing when the Warden orders him to open the suitcase and his lawyer tells him not to. Is that courage or caution?Character

3. Stanley will not leave without Zero, and the Attorney General says Zero is not in danger. How well can Stanley trust what he is told?Moral reasoning

4. The boys of Group D gather round Stanley, and X-Ray stays away. What does that detail tell us?Tone

5. The Attorney General says Zero’s records fell through “a hole in cyberspace.” Why might the author echo the title with that phrase?Author's choice

Make a Connection Tell about a time you stayed with a friend when it would have been easier to go.

Vocabulary

Crossword

1

2			3	4

					5
	6


7				8








		9

Across

Across 1. Came to a halt.
Across 2. To understand.
Across 7. The area or people a person has legal power over.
Across 9. To go away from someone.

Down

Down 3. Out of control with fear or anger.
Down 4. Stunned and unable to think clearly.
Down 5. A feeling that something must be done at once.
Down 6. Very angry because something is wrong.
Down 8. For no set length of time.

The words in the chapter

stopped Stanley stopped and turned to look at Zero.
leave He couldn’t just leave him here.
comprehend not quite able to comprehend what was going on around him
dazed The Warden seemed as dazed as Stanley.
hysterical She was nearly hysterical.

jurisdiction He is no longer under your jurisdiction
urgency with a sense of urgency in her voice
outraged The Attorney General was outraged.
indefinitely Keep him confined indefinitely

Critical thinking

1. The Warden says, “You can’t even read,” to Zero. Using two pieces of evidence, explain what has changed in how she sees him.

2. The Attorney General's tone changes as the scene goes on. Using two pieces of evidence, explain how he treats the Warden at first and at the end.

3. Ms. Morengo and the Attorney General speak about Zero's records. Using two pieces of evidence, explain how she presses him.