Holes

HOLES

Overview: Holes tells the story of 13-year-old Stanley Yelnats who is sent to a camp as punishment for stealing a pair of shoes. At the camp, he is made to dig holes in a dried-up lake bed. Eventually, he discovers that the warden is on the lookout for treasure. Along with his friend Zero, he discovers the treasure after many adventures in the desert.

Number of classes: 4 storytelling + Any 3 activities

Resource material: “Holes” by Louis Sachar, Laurel-Leaf Books.

Story summary: Stanley Yelnats is sent to Camp Green Lake for stealing the shoes of baseball player Clyde Livingstone. At the camp, he is made to dig holes along with the other boys. Stanley befriends Zero at the camp. One day, after an altercation with the warden, Zero runs away. Stanley follows Zero into the desert.

When Stanley finds Zero, he discovers that his friend has been surviving on pickled peaches that he had found in an old boat. Stanley and Zero spot a mountain that resembles “God’s thumb”. They link it to the stories told by Stanley’s great grandfather of how he had survived in the desert after being robbed by the outlaw Katherine Barlow. On the mountain, they find a field of onions and eat to their fill. Once they return to the camp, they dig up one of the holes in which Stanley had found something interesting. Soon, they discover a treasure box but the warden appears and stakes claim to it. Zero points out that Stanley’s name is on the box.

Eventually, all the pieces of the puzzle fall into place. Zero is the heir of Madame Zeroni who had cursed Stanley’s ancestor. When Stanley carries Zero up the mountain and sings to him, the curse is removed. Meanwhile, the treasure belongs to Stanley’s great grandfather and has been stolen from him by Katherine Barlow.

Preparation for the class: Read “Holes”. As the storyline is a little complicated and has a neatly interwoven narrative, we suggest you read the entire book.

Class description: Show the students the cover of the book. Ask them what it might mean. Ask them if they have ever dug a hole. If they say yes, ask them whether they would like to do it repeatedly. Then, tell them the story of Stanley Yelnats.

Related activities

1. 'What is a palindrome?* (Comprehension, During reading, Whole class)

A palindrome is a word that reads the same both ways. For instance, “Stanley Yelnats”. Write down the following palindromes on the board: “MADAM I’M ADAM”, “MALAYALAM”, “A MAN A PLAN A CANAL PANAMA”, “RADAR”, “RACECAR”. Then, ask the students to make up palindromes out of their own first names. For example: A student named Shankar can call himself SHANKAR RAKNAHS. Also, ask students to come up with other palindromic words from the English language.

2. 'Wanted* (Research, After reading, Individual)

Ask the students to come up with names of outlaws. These can be Indians like Phoolan Devi and Paan Singh Tomar, or American outlaws like the Sundance Kid, Butch Cassidy, Jesse James and Billy the Kid. Now, tell the students to research these outlaws and make a wanted poster featuring them based on the template given in the activity sheet.

3. 'The name game (Creative, After reading, Whole class)

Stanley was called Caveman. Hector was called Zero. Each boy at Camp Green Lake had a nickname. Split the class into groups of two and ask the students to come up with nicknames for each other. The group with the most innovative set of nicknames can be asked to do a dramatized reading from the book.

4. 'Postman knocks* (Writing, After reading, Whole class)

Ask the students to imagine they are one of the characters in the book and tell them to write a letter to another character who lived in the same time period. For instance, Stanley Yelnats I can write to Kate Barlow asking her to return his money. Or, Stanley Yelnats IV can write to Clyde Livingston proclaiming his innocence.

5. 'Dialogue drama (Theatre, After reading, Small group)

The book is filled with dialogue that can be dramatized. Ask the students to come up in front of the class and read out excerpts from the book. Ask them to modulate their voice, change their accent and posture according to the character and use their body effectively.

6. 'Acrostic poem (Writing, After reading, Individual)

Ask the students to make up acrostic poems based on the names of the characters in the book. The sentences need not rhyme – they just need to be true to the character’s personality. For instance,

S = So fussy about his food

A = Always seen eating only potatoes

M = Makes good finger chips

Recommended reading

“Small Steps” by Louis Sachar, Laurel-Leaf Books

“Wayside School” by Louis Sachar, Harper Collins

Keep digging, check out the Activities.