Holes: Chapters 17–24

by Louis Sachar
In this comic adventure, Stanley Yelnats is sent to a juvenile detention center where the inmates spend their days digging mysterious holes. But what on earth are they looking for?

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–7, Chapters 8–16, Chapters 17–24, Chapters 25–35, Chapters 36–43, Chapters 44–50

Here is a link to our lists for Small Steps by Louis Sachar.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. warden
    the chief official in charge of a prison
    He wondered why the Warden would ever have the need to wear nail polish or makeup.
    Even though they are not technically prisons, juvenile correctional facilities like the one in Holes would have such a chief official.
  2. gash
    a wound made by cutting
    He felt his wet blood and a pretty big gash just below his ear.
  3. callused
    having tough, thickened areas of skin
    His muscles had strengthened, and his hands were tough and callused.
  4. moisture
    wetness caused by water
    He barely had enough moisture in his mouth to seal and stamp the envelope.
  5. fume
    a cloud of fine particles suspended in a gas
    The air was thick with heat, dust, and exhaust fumes.
  6. toxic
    of or relating to or caused by a poison
    "It's only toxic while it's wet."
  7. recede
    become faint or more distant
    For a second, Mr. Sir's pain seemed to recede.
  8. writhe
    move in a twisting or contorted motion
    His body writhed in agony.
  9. desolate
    providing no shelter or sustenance
    Walking across the desolate wasteland, Stanley thought about his great-grandfather — not the pig stealer but the pig stealer's son, the one who was robbed by Kissin' Kate Barlow.
  10. defiance
    an act boldly resisting authority or an opposing force
    For a second, he thought he saw a flash of defiance in Zero's eyes, but then it passed.
  11. memorize
    learn by heart
    "I just don't have it memorized exactly."
  12. jolt
    a sudden jarring impact
    He felt a jolt of astonishment.
  13. grotesque
    distorted and unnatural in shape or size
    No one even dared to look at his grotesque face.
  14. parched
    dried out by heat or excessive exposure to sunlight
    His mouth was as dry and as parched as the lake.
  15. splatter
    cause or allow to run or flow from a container
    Stanley watched the water splatter on the dirt, where it was quickly absorbed by the thirsty ground.
Created on Sat Aug 31 14:27:28 EDT 2013 (updated Thu Jun 12 18:18:16 EDT 2025)

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