Holes — Chapter 19

About This Passage

This passage is the quiet, sad beginning of Chapter 19. In the middle of the night Stanley wakes up scared because he hears a strange noise. He thinks it might be a wild animal, but it turns out to be something even sadder — Squid, one of the tough boys who has been rough and mean to Stanley, is crying by himself in his cot. Copying this passage helps a young reader see that even the boys who act the toughest at Camp Green Lake are really just children who cry at night when no one is watching. The scary animal noise is not an animal at all — it is a hurt boy.

Narration Prompt

Retell Chapter 19 in your own words. Start with Stanley waking up to the sound of Squid crying, then Squid's angry words the next morning, then Magnet stealing sunflower seeds from Mr. Sir's truck, then the boys tossing the sack around until it spills in Stanley's hole, then Mr. Sir coming back and finding the sack, then Stanley telling Mr. Sir that HE stole the seeds and ate them all by himself, and finally Stanley riding in the truck to see the Warden.

Discussion Questions

1. What in the story tells you that Squid was really hurting inside at night, even though he acted tough and mean in the morning?
2. What in the story tells you that the boys know taking the sunflower seeds from Mr. Sir's truck could get them into serious trouble?

+ 2 more questions in the complete study guide