Sachar is the author of holes, the wayside school books, the marvin redpost series, and other titles transcript from 11 a. In reality, zero is extremely smart, but uneducated. Stanley, the protagonist of the novel, is a friendless, selfconscious. Holes is a novel by an american writer, louis sachar, first published in 1999. The main character of the book is called stanley yelnats and has always had bad luck because of a.
Combining his signature wit with a unique blend of adventure and deeply felt characters, sachar explores issues of race, the nature of celebrity, the invisible connections that shape a persons life, and what it takes to stay the course. Sachars overthetop satire has depth, originality and loads of child appeal. Zero has not had much of an education so he does not know how to read or write. Someone could be a better person after reading holes by learning to. In particular, even though he is the only one doesnt greet stanley and zero when they return in the book, hes just as overjoyed as everyone else when they come back in the film and even parts with stanley with some final emotional words before he leaves. After reading holes, use these questions to start a discussion with your students about the book. Select colors and a pose appropriate to story and character traits. Analysis of the main characters, major plot points, and themes. Holes by louis sachar teachers guide penguin random. Pendanski, in particular, mocks and belittles zero at every turn. He is quiet in fact, he rarely speaks, and he doesnt readily reveal his thoughts, feelings, or emotions.
Zero is the novels deuteragonist, the character second in importance. He also uses stanley to investigate the characters and their traits, for example, we found out that zero could not read but could add and. Zero is a quiet, darkskinned boy with a widemouthed smile. Who are the characters in the book holes by louis sachar. Being bitten by a scorpion or even a rattlesnake is not the worst thing that can happen to you. He does this by unfolding the plot into three different stories. Zero is the best digger and generally thought to be stupid by the counselors and the other boys. For each of the major characters, ancestry affects their surroundings, decisions, and even daytoday life. When you import any of the activities below, you can choose to share these readymade characters with your students. Zero has a share in the novels happy ending, as he receives half the treasure and is able to find and reunite with his mother. He is convicted of a crime he did not commit and is sent to the camp green lake juvenile detention center. There once was a very large lake here, the largest lake in texas. He saves zeros life, discovers the buried treasure, and, because his plight draws attention to camp green lake, the camp is closed down and no other boys will ever have to dig holes again. I posted this for the benefit of some students who would like to have an idea of the book before undertaking serious reading on this novel.
He may be our hero, but hes not exactly the hero type, is he. Holes by louis sachar settingcharactersstudy guidebook. The boys eat the onions and find water by digging in the ground, and stanley sings madame zeronis song to zero. It was adapted into a film by disney book this was originally a book. He and stanley become friends when stanley agrees to teach zero how to read. The plot of the novel is about the life of multiple characters and a leading character with whom the whole story of the novel is linked. Holes thorndike press large print literacy bridge series.
The yelnats family has always had bad luck all stemming from stanleys nogooddirtyrotten pigstealinggreatgreatgrandfather. Sam, an onion picker and an african american man, fell in love with kate barlow, the beautiful school teacher of green lake. English, ela, reading for holes by louis sachar possible spoiler alert. Analysis and discussion of characters in louis sachars holes. Biggest loserstanley is the downtrodden kid who gets kicked around by just about everyone and everything.
According to most of the characters in the book, zero is a big fat zero. The counselors and other inmates there feel that zero is stupid and worthless and treat him cruelly. As stanley stared at the glittering night sky, he thought there was no place he would rather be. Zero also is called names, which doesnt really seem nice and zero doesnt seem to care at all. The flashbacks really helped you understand more about the story and characters. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading holes. This discussion guide for holes by louis sachar features summaries of the plot, themes, and conflicts, as well as details about the setting and characters. Stanley ends up at camp green lake, supposedly because of the misdeeds of his greatgreatgrandfather. Holes by louis sachar this is a great book for intermediate readers. In this age of gloom and doom in childrens fiction, its refreshing to find a truly funny book for kids. Digging holes in the desert was not a topic that excited me, so i carefully avoided it throughout school.
Pendanski and the other boys in thinking that zero is stupid and has nothing to offer. The character of stanley yelnats in holes from litcharts. Stanley makes friends and, when he is on the mountain with zero, despite the ordeal he is going through, he likes himself and is happy. They could learn this from te part of the book when zero runs away. Who are the main characters of holes by louis sachar. The character of zerohector zeroni in holes from litcharts the. Have the students predict who the lady was with zero at the end of the novel, as well as providing an explanation as to how she got there. In truth, zero is very smart, although he has never been taught how to read. Zero is the one who stole the shoes that stanley was arrested for and accused of stealing. Every book on your english syllabus summed up in a quote from the office. The protagonist, stanley yelnats iv, is an average teenage boy that is sentenced to a juvenile behavior camp, camp green lake, as he is accused of stealing clyde livingstons shoes. Zero is the nickname all the other boys have given to him. Loved how the characters are all connected like in a spiderweb. Character analysis book summaries, test preparation.
The main theme in louis sachar s holes is the theme of justice. Justice is what stanley wants and expects, and the way it plays out is what makes the story work. Okay, maybe thats obvious, but its also a key part of the story, so well take a look. Character analysis zeros real name is hector zeroni, but he has been called zero for most of his life. Create a wanted poster for one of the characters in the book, including what they are wanted for. Zero is a small black boy who has dealt with many hardships in his young life. Holes thorndike press large print literacy bridge series sachar, louis on. This excites readers and gives them a sense of accomplishment as they realize how each plot is intertwined. A publishers weekly best book of the year a bulletin blue ribbon book a school library journal best book of the year louis sachar is the popular author of small steps, 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. Holes study guide contains a biography of louis sachar, literature. Analysis of the friendship in holes by louis sachar and best friends by jacqueline wilson 1564 words 7 pages sacrificial friendship in the book holes, written by louis sachar, stanley yelnats the main character is a poor, friendless, over weighted boy who is constantly bullied at school.
The holes characters chapter of this holes study guide course is the most efficient way to study the characters from the novel holes by louis sachar. He saves zero s life, discovers the buried treasure, and, because his plight draws attention to camp green lake, the camp is closed down and no other boys will ever have to dig holes again. Related questions and answers for characters in holes. Camp green lake characters caveman stanley yelnats iv a teenage white overweight average weight in the movie boy who was falsely accused of stealing clyde livingstons shoes which got him sent to camp green lake. Caveman stanley yelnats iva teenage white overweight average weight in the movie boy who was falsely accused of stealing clyde livingstons shoes which got him sent to camp green lake. Newberry medal national book award boston globe horn book award ala best book for young adults ala notable book ala quick pick christopher award for juvenile fiction new york times book. Doing the right thing is never a wrong choicebut always a small step in right direction. Zero is the only boy at camp green lake who is referred to by his nickname by other campers and mr. In 2006, newberywinning author louis sachar participated in two chats with scholastic students and teachers. Zero, whose real name is hector zeroni, is a camper at camp green lake who is given the nickname zero because of his perceived lack of intelligence.
As the story evolves, more of zero is discovered, and he is not who he once appeared to be. They could learn it is important to have a friend at your side. Aug 20, 1998 holes, louis sachar holes is a 1998 young adult mystery comedy novel written by louis sachar and first published by farrar, straus and giroux. Despite all the adversity that he has faced, zero knows that he is smart. The newest form of bad luck placed upon the family is stanley being sent to the awful camp green lake where he has nothing to but dig holes day in and day out. Stanley remembered what zero had said a few days before. Zero is the greatgreatgreatgrandson of madame zeroni, the woman who put a curse on stanleys family. The yelnats family stanley yelnats iv caveman the protagonist of holes. I think zero is going to be really good friends with stanley as zero also digs stanleys hole and when everybody was insulting stanley he helped stanley and went against zigzag when he was punching stanley in. Louis sachar has said in interviews that kate barlow is his favorite character in holes. I absolutely love novels that come full circle, and holes by louis sachar is one of those novels.
Stanley ends up at camp green lake, supposedly because of the. Stanley is a teenage boy who was arrested for a crime he didnt commit. I think zero is going to be really good friends with stanley as zero also digs stanleys hole and when everybody was insulting stanley he helped stanley and went against zigzag when he was punching stanley in the face. Ancestry is a heavily emphasized theme in holes, and it goes hand in hand with the themes of fate and destiny. Stanley the main character of the book is called stanley yelnats and has always had bad luck because of a curse that was brought upon his family by his greatgreatgrandfather. Characters, symbolism and themes of holes by louis sachar. Holes by louis sachar 1998 y ou really get three stories for the price of one with this book, but the main theme is how young stanley yelnats iv comes to redeem the curse which was visited upon his greatgreatgrandfather and all the yelnats family, through the generations, by madame zeroni. Everyone in holes seems to be convinced that zero is a real nothing of a kid.
He is the greatgreatgreatgrandson of madame zeroni, the woman who put a curse on stanleys family. Characters character list stanley yelnats the novels protagonist, stanley is an overweight kid with a lot of bad luck. She is a mysterious and shady character during the first half of the book. Choose a character to represent each of the story characters. At first he is presented as a strange character because he rarely speaks and always walks around with a scowl on his face. Get an answer for who are the main characters of holes by louis sachar. The book holes by louis sachar is a well written book.
The multiple plot lines can be confusing at first, but it all comes together in the end. A list of all the characters in holes camp green lake characters. Great for learning settings with multiple stories all placed in. Zeros greatgreatgrandmother was madame zeroni, who put a curse on generations of the yelnats family. He was homeless before being sent to camp green lake.
Hole is a novel written by louis sachar and has already won newbery medal. Analysis and discussion of characters in louis sachar s holes. List five character traits of stanley, the protagonist of holes. Holes, louis sachar holes is a 1998 young adult mystery comedy novel written by louis sachar and first published by farrar, straus and giroux. Okay, maybe thats obvious, but its also a key part of the story, so we. Holes is a novel by an american writer, louis sachar, first. National book award for young peoples literature and the 1999 newbery medal for the years most distinguished contribution to american literature for children. He is a quiet, strong willed boy who is at the detention center with stanley. The book centers on an unlucky teenage boy named stanley yelnats, who is sent to camp green lake, a juvenile corrections facility in a desert in texas, after being falsely accused of theft.
The book holes talks about in adventure for stanley as he meets a boy named zero who he helps throughout the book. Out on the lake, rattlesnakes and scorpions find shade under rocks and in the holes dug by the campers. Heres a good rule to remember about rattlesnakes and scorpions. The reader is never quite given all of the details. Choose a scene or background that makes sense for the character. Holes is an awardwinning childrens novel by the talented, american author, louis sachar. Zero is shown to be an honest character after becoming close friends with stanley. Zeros real name is hector zeroni, but he has been called zero for most of his life. Find here characters, the plot, symbolism, and themes explained. Analysis of the friendship in holes by louis sachar and. Holes is a 1998 young adult novel written by louis sachar and first published by farrar, straus and giroux.
For a main character in holes, there is little known about zero. His family is cursed because of his nogooddirtyrottenpigstealinggreatgreatgrandfather. Hector zeroni zero gallery holes lesson plan holes by louis sachar characters digging holes with stanley hector zeroni marion sevillo png characters digging holes with stanley zero hector zeroni holes wiki fandomwhat hened to zero from holes khleo thomas is still involvedwhat hair type is the character zero from holes curltalkzero holes character traits a. However when the parts come together, holes turns into a puzzle, or mystery book. Aug 02, 2017 holes thorndike press large print literacy bridge series sachar, louis on. Contentsshow holes character list a list of all the characters in holes. He was very feeble and couldnthave survived without stanley there to find the food and water. Zero s real name is hector zeroni, but he has been called zero for most of his life. He was glad they fell from the overpass and hit him on the head. Holes zero character description a pictures of hole 2018. English essay holes by louis sachar louis sachar, the author of holes, uses the protagonist, stanley, to explore the themes and main concerns of the novel. Stanleys lawyer shows up to protect the case and prove his innocence. In what ways is the saying you cant judge a book by its cover a good one for this story. Over the course of the novel, this unselfconfident, nondescript boy becomes a.
Newberry medal national book award boston globe horn book award ala best book for. Story is written in main two parts referring as flashback and current or present situation. Holes holes series louis sachar, vladimir radunsky, bagram ibatoulline on. When zero becomes friends with stanley, he tells him his story about being homeless on the streets and how his mother disappeared one day and now he becomes a ward of the state. He was a kind and caring man who treated everyone with respect, and it is easy to see why kate barlow fell in love with him, too. Zero has a share in the novels happy ending, as he receives half the. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets.
In the book, stanley starts out being overweight, but eventually loses. The power of his friendship with zero helps stanley discover his own courage. Louis sachar has long been a great and deserved favorite among children, despite the benign neglect of critics. Identify the major characters in holes and type their names into the different title boxes. Stanley is the downtrodden kid who gets kicked around by just about everyone and everything. Stanley yelnats the novels protagonist, stanley is an overweight kid with a lot. The intricacy of the plot, eccentricity of the characters, and overall absurdity of the story reminds us of the novels of ellen.
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