BOOKNOTES
READERS GUIDE
taking small
steps
Armpit learned the art of digging ditches
when he served time at Camp Green Lake in
Holes, and author Louis Sachar has now
given him a second chance. This time,
Armpit learns there are small steps and giant
steps in life, and sometimes making the
choice to take a giant step leads to serious
consequences. By his side is Ginny, a
ten-year-old disabled neighbor who needs
him as much as he needs her, and together
they take small steps in the right direction.
Grades 10 up
about the
Delacorte Press hardcover
0-385-73314-3
book
GLB/reinforced
hardcover binding
0-385-90333-2
Listening Library
compact disc
0-307-28226-0
In this poignant novel, Armpit, a character
from the critically acclaimed novel Holes,
takes lessons learned at Camp Green Lake
and sets out to turn his life around one
small step at a time.
Armpit has been home from Camp Green
Lake two years, and he is still trying to prove
that he can turn his life around. He manages
to get a job digging trenches for a landscape
company, save a little money, enroll in
school, and avoid violent situations. In spite
of his efforts, he finds that he is the victim of
his past. The only person who truly believes
in him is Ginny, a ten-year-old neighbor with
cerebral palsy. When X-Ray, a buddy from
Camp Green Lake appears with a get-richquick scheme, Armpit succumbs to the plan
of his fast-talking friend, and winds up in a
brawl at a Kaira DeLeon concert. This leads
to a chance encounter with the teen pop
sensation, a glimpse at her behind-the-scenes
music world, and another chance to gain
control of his life one small step at a time.
Listening Library cassette
0-307-28225-2
pre-reading
activities
Ask students to write a journal entry about a time
when they had to make a tough choice between right
and wrong. Have them include the following points:
What contributed to their decision? How did their
decision affect others? Was the outcome worth it?
Encourage them to share their journal entries in class.
Instruct students to read the newspaper for several
days and bring in articles where people have been in
situations that required them to make a personal
choice that could have a life-changing impact on them or
others. Share the articles in class, and discuss whether
the choices they made were positive or negative.
introducing the characters
Though X-Ray isnt conditioned for honest work,
Armpit uses his connections with the mayor and his
boss at the landscaping company, and gets X-Ray a
real job using his other skilldigging trenches.
GinnyGinny is a ten-year-old girl with cerebral
ArmpitAfter
spending time at
Camp Green Lake
Juvenile Correctional
Facility for getting into a
fight at a movie theater,
Armpit, whose real
name is Theodore, takes
the advice of a counselor
and makes a conscious effort to
turn his life around. Though he makes a brief detour
when a friend from his past involves him in a moneymaking scheme, he manages to regain focus and
change his life, and those around him.
Kaira DeLeonKaira is a spoiled teen pop
sensation who is blind to the corruption of her team,
managed by her stepfather, El Genius. Off stage,
she is often lonely staying in hotel suites and rarely
meets her public. But when a commotion in the
audience delays her concert in Austin, Texas, she
meets Armpit and Ginny. She invites Armpit to
California, which leads to an adventure that nearly
ends in disaster for both of them.
X-RayLike Armpit, X-Ray has served time at Camp
Green Lake. He has a talent for verbal persuasion
and reenters Armpits life with an illegal moneymaking
scheme that temporarily pulls Armpit off course.
palsy who lives with her single mother in a duplex
apartment next door to Armpit. Because she is an
only child, and suffers some stress in school, she
finds comfort in her stuffed animals, which all have
disabilities. She and Armpit develop an unconditional
friendship, and together take small steps toward
improving their lives.
Cherry LaneMs. Lane is the mayor of Austin,
Texas, who is briefly introduced to Armpit when he
is working in her yard for the Raintree Irrigation and
Landscaping Company. She recognizes him at the
Kaira DeLeon concert and comes to his defense
when he is the victim of police brutality and racism.
getting to know
the characters
Armpit and Ginny are both taking small steps in
their lives. Write a letter that Armpit may write
to Ginny from California explaining to her the
consequences of taking a giant step.
Armpit tells Ginny, I dont know what they can
do with someone with no heart and soul. (p. 91)
Write the lyrics for a blues song that focuses on
the heart and soul of one of the above characters
(e.g., The Heart and Soul of X-Ray).
questions for group discussion
FOR SMALL STEPS
Achievement
Honesty and Betrayal
Armpit feels that the way to turn his life around is to
set goals. His five goals are: graduate from high
school; get a job; save money; avoid violent situations;
and lose the name Armpit. Ask students
what Armpits greatest obstacles
are in achieving his goals?
Armpit knows that Coach Simmons has the reputation
for giving better grades to football players. When he
tells the coach that he intends to go out for football,
Tatiana responds, So you lied to him. Isnt that kind
of cheating? (p. 29) How does Armpit justify his lie?
Explain the metaphor
his life would be like
walking upstream in a
rushing river. (p. 4)
At what point does the
river appear to be
rushing out of control?
How does Armpit almost give
up hope of achieving his goals?
Racism and Prejudice
Discuss the difference between overt and covert racism.
Find examples of each type of racism in the novel.
Armpits parents have an image of the type of people
who go to rock concerts. Armpit tells them, Just
because people have tattoos or pierced tongues doesnt
mean theyre crazy. (p. 94) Discuss the relationship
between labeling, image, and prejudices. How are
Armpits parents expressing a prejudice?
Trust
Armpit takes Ginny to the Kaira DeLeon
concert. Why is his mother more worried for
Ginnys safety than her own mother? Discuss
why Armpits mother hesitates when Ginnys
mother says, You must be very proud of
Theodore? Why does the mayors telephone
call at the end of the novel help Armpits mother
look at him differently?
Discuss ways X-Ray has proved to be untrustworthy.
Why does Armpit allow himself to become involved
with X-Rays get-rich scheme when he knows that he
cant trust him?
X-Ray is hauled to police headquarters about the
counterfeit tickets, and tries to blame Armpit. He
says, Armpit is not someone you can say no to.
Im talking big, and mean, and tough. (p. 183)
Why doesnt he tell X-Ray that he heard the entire
conversation? Debate why he doesnt realize
that one betrayal leads to another with X-Ray.
one step beyond
1. Explain what Armpit means when he says,
It wasnt Camp Green Lake that released
him from his anger. It was coming home and
meeting Ginny. (p. 117) What might Armpit
and Ginny teach the other characters in the
book about taking small steps?
2. Discuss how making bad choices are sometimes
driven by temptation and peer pressure. Roleplay a conversation between Armpit and X-Ray
where Armpit refuses X-Rays get-rich scheme.
3. Read aloud the entire song that Armpit hears
Kaira DeLeon sing on radio at the end of the
novel. How does her song make him think
about his new goals? The last two lines read:
Then maybe Ill discover
Who I am along the way . . .
What is the most important discovery that
Armpit has made about himself?
Guide prepared by Pat Scales, Director of Library Services, South Carolina Governors School for the Arts and Humanities, Greenville, South Carolina.
a conversation with
Lucky seems to understand that. He
growls at my wife or my daughter if
they try to enter. Maybe he senses
me growling on the inside. I dont
like being interrupted. Writing is a
kind of self-hypnosis. Interruptions
break the spell, and its sometimes
hard to get back.
You used to be a teacher, as well
as a lawyer, but now you write
full-time. How often do you write?
I generally write for about two
hours a day, the first thing in the
morning. After two hours, I find
myself losing energy and concentration. Its best to quit while Im still
excited about the story. Then it will
be easier to get started tomorrow. I
couldnt write for a longer period,
even if I wanted. Tippy has learned
my schedule. After two hours, she
taps me with her paw, barks, howls,
and otherwise lets me know its time
for her walk.
Do you discuss what youve written each day, or wait until the
manuscript is complete before
sharing it with someone? Can you
tell us how you write?
I never talk about a book until it is
finished. It took me a year and a
half to write Holes, and I never told
anyone anything about it during all
that time. I do this for a variety of
reasons, but mainly motivation. By
not allowing myself to talk about it,
the only way I can let it out is to
finish writing it.
I write five or six drafts of each
book. I start with a small idea, and
it grows as I write. My ideas come
to me while Im writing. The story
changes greatly during the first few
drafts. By the time a book is finished, it is impossible for me to say
how I got the various ideas.
You dislike hot Texas summers.
Have you always lived in Texas?
I was born March 20th, 1954, in
East Meadow, New York. My father
worked on the seventy-eighth floor
of the Empire State Building. When
I was nine, we moved to Tustin,
California.
She was four years old when I
started writing the Marvin Redpost
series. Thats why Marvin has a fouryear-old sister.
Stanley dug holes in his free time,
which was all the time. What do
you like to do?
In my spare time, I like to play
bridge and tennis. Im a much better
bridge player than tennis player. The
other evening, I played tennis with a
teacher. She clobbered me. When I
found out she was a fourth-grade
teacher, I told her who I was. She
was very impressed. She couldnt
wait to tell her class she had killed
Louis Sachar playing tennis!
I went to college at the University of
California at Berkeley. During my
last year there, I helped out at an
elementary schoolHillside School.
It was my experience there that led
to my first book, Sideways Stories
from Wayside School, which I wrote
in 1976.
I attended Hastings College of Law
in San Francisco and graduated in
1980. I worked part-time as a lawyer
for eight years as I continued to
write childrens books.
Tell us about your family.
My wifes name is Carla. When I
first me her, she was a counselor at
an elementary school. She was the
inspiration behind the counselor in
Theres a Boy in the Girls Bathroom.
We were married in 1985. Our
daughter, Sherre, was born in 1987.
Photo courtesy of author
Im sitting in my office, which is
located over the garage of my house
in Austin, Texas. My dogs, Lucky
and Tippy, are here with me. They
are the only people allowed in my
office when Im writing.
louis sachar
about the
author
Louis Sachar is the bestselling author of the awardwinning novel Holes, as well as
Stanley Yelnats Survival Guide
to Camp Green Lake, Theres a
Boy in the Girls Bathroom, Dogs
Dont Tell Jokes, and the Marvin
Redpost series, among many
others. Small Steps is his
latest novel.
about holes
In this funny yet poignant story, Stanley Yelnats is sent to Camp Green Lake,
a juvenile detention center in the middle of a Texas desert, after being
falsely arrested for stealing a pair of sneakers. As the summer progresses,
Stanley makes some startling discoveries about himself, and the true
meaning of friendship.
Connecting to the Curriculum
Language ArtsRemind students that tall tales are often based on facts
and are always characterized by exaggerated humor and whopping lies.
How does the story about Kate Barlow resemble a tall tale? Ask students
to write the story of Kate Barlow, embellishing it with their own
exaggerated humor and lies.
Grades 10 up
Yearling paperback 0-440-41480-6
Laurel-Leaf paperback 0-440-22859-X
Listening Library compact disc 0-807-26202-1
Listening Library cassette 0-807-28162-X
Praise and Awards
There is no question,
kids will love Holes.
Starred, School Library Journal
Winner of the
Newbery Medal
Social StudiesAsk students to discuss how the study of juvenile crime
fits under the topic of social studies. Why are child abuse and homelessness
considered social problems? Ask students to make a booklet describing
local agencies and organizations dedicated to fighting juvenile crime and
helping the homeless.
ScienceStanleys father is an inventor. Although it is said that an
inventor must have intelligence, perseverance, and a lot of luck, Stanleys
father never seems to have any luck. Have student research inventors
such as Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Graham Bell, Thomas Edison, and
the Wright brothers. How did luck play a role in their inventions?
Winner of the
National Book Award
Also from Louis Sachar
Winner of the Boston
GlobeHorn Book Award
Winner of the
Christopher Award
An ALA Best Books for
Young Adults
An ALA Notable Book
An ALA Quick Pick
Yearling paperback
0-440-41947-6
Should you ever find yourself at Camp Green Lake
or somewhere similarthis is the guide for you.
Stanley Yelnats (Caveman, to some of you) offers
anecdotes and advice on everything from digging the
perfect hole to identifying and avoiding the wildlife
(scorpions, tarantulas, rattlesnakes, yellow-spotted
lizards, Mr. Sir) to help make your stay a more
pleasant one.
GLB/reinforced hardcover binding
0-385-90140-2
Introducing Author 411
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questions for group discussion
FOR HOLES
1. The Yelnats family blames their bad luck on their
no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather. How does a belief in luck change the way a
person reacts to good or bad fortune? Discuss
whether Stanleys father uses his familys bad luck
as an excuse for this failure as an inventor.
2. At times, Stanley feels that his life is controlled by
destiny, or fate. A thesaurus offers luck as a synonym
for fate. How is luck different from fate? How much
of what happens to Stanley is because of fate? How
might a person control his or her own destiny?
3. Stanley has no friends and is an easy target for
bullies. Trace the development of Stanley as a
character from a naive, friendless, overweight kid
to a more self-confident boy who understands and
appreciates the true meaning of friendship.
4. Sachar considers every detail in revealing the inner
and outer conflicts of his characters. How does he
use nicknames to reveal the personality and underlying conflict of each boy at Camp Green Lake?
Why is Stanley called Caveman? Discuss how a
name like Zero might further damage an already
fractured self-concept.
5. There are nuances throughout the novel that are
symbolic of a developing friendship between
Stanley and Zero. For example, Stanley calls Zero
by his real name when they are in the desert
together. Discuss other times in the novel when
Sachar uses subtle variations in plot and character
to symbolize a special occurrence.
6. Discuss the obvious and the symbolic meanings of
the titles Holes.
7. Each event in the novel is related and eventually
reveals its own purpose. However, Sachar leaves
three questions unanswered: Who are the Wardens
parents? Why did Zeros mother never come back to
him in the park? And why were the jars of peaches
in the boat? Try to figure out the answers to these
questions, taking clues from the novel.
8. What is the significance of the lullaby in the story?
Compare Stanleys fathers version (p. 8) and the
Zeroni family version (p. 231). How do these two
differing versions reflect an attitude or a belief
regarding a predestined life?
9. Stanley Yelnats is a palindrome, a word or phrase
that is the same spelled forward or backward. Why
do you think the author named his main character
in that way?
10. Holes has been described by Publishers Weekly as a
dazzling blend of social commentary, tall tales
and magical realism. What are the social messages
in the book? What are the literary differences
between a tall tale and a story that uses magical
realism? How does Sachar use a tall tale, the
parallel story in the novel, to further define the
social messages?
11. Holes has been described as darkly humorous.
Describe dark humor. How is irony used as a
literary mechanism to convey humor? How does
Sachar combine humor and compassion to create
characters that leave an indelible mark on readers?
What is the irony in the fate of Camp Green Lake?
12. What defines a classic? Discuss the distinguishing
literary elements of Holes. How might it become a
literary classic?
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