7/30/2017 0 Comments Hasta Luego, summerHey all, thank you for staying with me this summer! I had a great time keeping my skills up to par, and really enjoyed some reading. I am going to have to quit my program with Holes a little earlier than I anticipated. I had it scheduled out to finish the week before kids go back to school--but school starts a little earlier than I expected here! I got a new job (hallelujah!) and teachers report back this week. I was only hired on Friday afternoon, so now I have to cram classroom prep into just a few short days before we start training. I want to devote all I have to my new classroom kiddos and my own family, so I will need to cut things here a little short. I am so sorry--but I hope they had fun!
I encourage ya'll to finish up reading Holes, and watch the film when you're finished. Have a discussion afterwards comparing/contrasting the novel and the film; there are a few differences! Thank you for being with me-and if you're a student at Rocky Mountain Classical Academy this year- I'll see ya'll soon.
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7/18/2017 0 Comments Chapters 1-10Let's look at some major literary devices that appeared in chapters 1-10!
"There is no lake at Camp Green Lake." Irony-(n) the expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect. The author uses the name of the camp as irony as a way of telling the reader that this is a bleak, sad place. He opens the book with this very fact. There is no lake at camp Green Lake. There is no fun at Camp Green Lake. There is nothing good at Camp Green Lake. Irony is often found in books, either as a major or minor literary device. It often provides humor to the story or the characters, but can also show intense differences-as seen here. Stanley Yelnats Did you notice anything weird about Stanley's name when you first read it? It looks a little strange to the eye as it's read, right? Stanley actually discusses this later, that Stanley is actually Yelnats backwards. When something is spelled the same backwards and forwards, it is called a palindrome. A palindrome is a set of words/letters/numbers that is written the same backwards AND forwards. Often in math, it's a funny coincidence, but when seen in literature like this, it intentional word play and meant to provide comedy. Now, here is some funny and random word knowledge for ya. Some people often think it's funny that there is NO palindrome for the word palindrome. To remedy this, some fellow literature nerd has created one. "Emordnilap". While this is not a recognized word in the English dictionary, it is a word that is going a little viral in the literature world and can be a fun thing to impress your teacher with next year! The name emordnilap is actually funny in and of itself because it is the backwards spelling of the word palindrome. Therefore, palindrome emordnilap is actually a full palindrome. It's funny and weird and this is why I love the English language. Kissin' Kate Barlow Alliteration--the repetition of beginning letter sounds. This is often seen in nicknames of athletes or in titles of books or songs, but we most often associate and recognize alliterations as "tongue twisters". Think of a tongue twister that is only alliteration. I guarantee that you know at least 2! Mr. Sir Mr. Sir? I agree with Stanley, what in the world type of name is Mr. Sir???? Weird. When something seems to be doubly explaining itself, this is called a redundancy. It's not really a recognized literary device that you might write with specifically, but it is funny and weird. "Mr." already explains that you're a man, as does "sir"…so why would a name of a made up book character have both? Think about what this might mean for the character of Mr. Sir. Nicknames One of the first things that Stanley learns about his new camp buddies is that they all go by nicknames. Only their counselor, Mr. Pendanski, calls them by their legal names. Nicknames are fun and create a sense of bond between a group of people. Think about you and your friends--do you have any nicknames with just one person? Nicknames are often seen in camps as a way of bonding with new people and creating a sort of inside joke with them. However, nicknames are also a way of re-identifying yourself. It may be easier for the boys to not act like or quite be themselves while they are at Camp Green Lake. It's clearly not a pleasant place, and they clearly did something bad to get there; so why would they want to dwell on their decision every day or every time someone says their name? It may be easier for them to identify as someone else while they are here at Camp than to think it's their real self. As you read, realize that the author did a very intentional job with names throughout the book-so pay attention when new characters or places are introduced! Enjoy reading! Work on Chapters 11-20 through the next few days! |
![]() Originally published nearly 20 years ago, Holes has become a modern classic for children's literature. It's popular among both boys and girls, despite being set in a boy's detention camp. The humor, wit and intriguing plot are fully universal and always a treat! It also has wonderful lessons about destiny, integrity and fate. Get your copies ready--this will be one they want to zoom through. I may not do questions for every single chapter, I'll be sticking to major literary devices that appear and keep them thinking about nuances in the plot and characters--there's lots to be had!
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