Stanley Yelnats, the main character of Holes, is only briefly and indirectly mentioned. It is a spinoff and the sequel to Holes, focusing on Theodore 'Armpit' Johnson, a secondary character from Holes. Louis Sachar is a terrific writer and you cannot really go wrong with any of his books.Small Steps is a 2006 novel for young adults by Louis Sachar, first published by Delacorte Books ( Dell). Its also a really funny book with a whole host of crazy characters and a rich storyline. Being strong is not about size but about your character in the face of adversity and how you treat others. People are going to expect the worst from you, and will treat you that way.” Watching his life unfold after prison was quite the eye-opening experience for my kids – they were rooting for Armpit every step of the way!Īrmpit is big and strong – and yet his relationship with his neighbor, a girl named Ginny who has cerebral palsy, is gentle and affectionate.

His counsellor described it as follows: “If you think life was unfair before you went to prison, its going to be twice as bad when you go back. Its heart breaking to see the tough lives that minority kids face, especially after spending time in a juvenile facility. An elegant yet beautiful message that we can all remember.Īs a character, Armpit is a very likeable, strong yet kind, and a hard-working character that you instantly fall in love with. If you try to take too big a step, the current will knock you off your feet and carry you back downstream. The secret is to take small steps and just keep moving forward. I paraphrase: “Life is like walking upstream in a rushing river. He has a great message which all of us could use. This book is a bit of a continuation from his previous book Holes and the main protagonist is ‘Armpit’ who is an African-American teenager trying to rebuild his life after the 1 year he spent in a juvenile facility (Camp Green Lake). This is the second Louis Sachar book we have read (first was his very famous book titled ‘Holes’) and he is an author who knows how to create a simple yet provocative storyline with some very strong characters and positive messages.

My kids and I just read Small Steps by Louis Sachar – get the book if you want to be rolling in laughter but learning about some strong messages at the same time.

Louis sachar small steps