small steps book review

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Small steps, common sense media reviewers.

Holes sequel delves into edgier territory.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

This will appeal to fans of Holes -- it's fun

Armpit doesn't always make the right choices,

Armpit does go along with X-Ray to scalp tickets a

Fights, a stabbing, attempted murder with a baseba

Several kisses. Armpit and Kaira strike up a roman

A few mild epithets.

X-Ray sells parsley as if it's marijuana, Armp

Parents need to know that this is a better choice for tweens and teens -- young kids who liked Holes may not be quite ready for the edgy material here. There are references to sex and drugs, a bit of pretty nasty violence, and the hero is involved, mostly through stupidity, in some shady dealings. Armpit doesn…

Educational Value

This will appeal to fans of Holes -- it's fun to read and may get readers thinking about the book's bigger ideas.

Positive Messages

Armpit doesn't always make the right choices, but ultimately he has a good heart and figures things out in time to make a heroic move.

Positive Role Models

Armpit does go along with X-Ray to scalp tickets and lie to the police -- but he begins the book committed to rehabilitating himself. Readers will find it easy to root for him.

Violence & Scariness

Fights, a stabbing, attempted murder with a baseball bat.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Several kisses. Armpit and Kaira strike up a romance. Kaira's bodyguard sees her with her top open, X-Ray hoots at a girl, who flips him off, Kaira tells an audience she's a virgin.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

X-Ray sells parsley as if it's marijuana, Armpit's parents believe he's using drugs and ask for urine samples, an ex-ball player used steroids, band members drink and smoke.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this is a better choice for tweens and teens -- young kids who liked Holes may not be quite ready for the edgy material here. There are references to sex and drugs, a bit of pretty nasty violence, and the hero is involved, mostly through stupidity, in some shady dealings. Armpit doesn't always make the right choices, but ultimately he has a good heart and figures things out in time to make a heroic move.

Where to Read

Community reviews.

• Parents say (2)
• Kids say (25)

Based on 2 parent reviews

For a much more mature audience than “Holes”

What's the story.

At the end of Holes , Camp Green Lake had been shut down and the boys released. After spending time in a halfway house, Theodore (nicknamed Armpit) is working hard to get his life back on track. He has a job, is taking extra classes to graduate from high school, and is saving his money while trying to stay out of trouble. He has even befriended the young girl next door who has cerebral palsy. But then X-Ray shows up with a get-rich-quick scheme that involves scalping tickets to a concert by Kaira DeLeon, the latest teen pop sensation. From there the story gets complicated. Armpit meets Kaira and they strike up a tentative romance. X-Ray goes beyond scalping to counterfeiting, and both the police and rival scalpers come after both of them. And Kaira's manager/stepfather plans to murder her and pin it on Armpit.

Is It Any Good?

It's hard to believe that SMALL STEPS was written by the same author as Holes : This is more of a tangle of elements that resolves into an ill-fitting mess. Holes was a masterpiece of craftsmanship, a complex symphony of disparate thematic elements and vibrant characters woven together in intricate pattern that resolved perfectly.

Louis Sachar knows how to write a fun and enjoyable book. But Holes set the bar a lot higher, and for the sequel to that Newbery Medalist and National Book Award winner something more is expected -- a higher degree of craftsmanship, depth, sophistication, and emotional power, all of which are missing here. Fans of the first book will no doubt want to read it and may even enjoy it (though the romance section of the book appeals to an entirely different audience), but they won't find it as memorable or as powerful.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about sequels. What do you think compels authors to write them? Can a sequel ever live up to a book like Holes , which received so many positive reviews and awards?

This book has some edgy material, even though it is marketed for 10+. Common Sense Media gave it a 12+ rating, even though it marked Holes at 9+ -- what do you think? Parents may want to encourage kids to leave their own age recommendations (and overall opinion) by signing into the site and writing a short review.

Book Details

• Author : Louis Sachar
• Genre : Contemporary Fiction
• Book type : Fiction
• Publisher : Delacorte Press
• Publication date : January 9, 2006
• Publisher's recommended age(s) : 10 - 10
• Number of pages : 257
• Last updated : July 12, 2017

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'Small Steps,' by Louis Sachar

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By A. O. Scott

• Jan. 15, 2006

SMALL STEPS

By Louis Sachar.

257 pp. Delacorte Press. $16.95.

(Ages 10 and up)

At the end of Louis Sachar's "Holes," Camp Green Lake -- a notorious, absurdly misnamed correctional facility for young offenders -- was permanently shut down. But though it was a terrible place, the camp was at the same time a marvelous feat of imagination, fascinating in its gothic cruelty and inspiring for the way it fostered solidarity among its inmates. Dreaming it up placed Sachar at the front rank of young-adult novelists, so it makes sense that he, along with the legions of readers who made "Holes" into a minor classic of the genre, would be unwilling to let go of Camp Green Lake altogether. And there may yet be some loose ends and tangents worth exploring. We know that Stanley Yelnats and Hector Zeroni parlayed peaches and onions into fame and fortune, but what about the rest of the shovel-wielding misfits? How did they handle the world beyond Green Lake?

One of them, as it happens, is still wielding a shovel, though for modest wages rather than as exorbitant payment of his debt to society. Theodore Johnson, better known as Armpit, is the hero of "Small Steps," Sachar's follow-up and partial sequel to "Holes." Armpit is a quieter type than Stanley, and also sadder, and his book is therefore more subdued than his old friend's. "Holes," in which Armpit was a minor character, was a tour de force, with a wildly inventive plot, overtones of allegory and the unmistakable flavor of magic realism. This time, the realism is more conventional, and the book sticks more closely to the genre of young-adult problem literature. The world is still unfair, but back in Austin, Tex., where Armpit lives, the injustice is less lavishly Dickensian and more humdrum. There are no poison lizards or buried treasure, just racism, adult indifference and the arduous daily struggle against them.

Armpit, who is African-American, works mainly in the wealthier, whiter parts of town. In addition to his landscaping job, he is working toward his high school diploma. His best friend is Ginny, a 10-year-old neighbor with cerebral palsy, though he still sees his Green Lake buddy X-Ray, who is not the best company for a young man with a criminal record trying to stick to the straight and narrow. It is X-Ray's ticket-scalping scheme that sets the novel's plot in motion. A teenage pop star named Kaira DeLeon -- who resembles Aaliyah more than Britney Spears, though Spears is her real last name -- is coming to Austin, and X-Ray hatches a plan to turn Armpit's savings into a handsome profit.

Complications ensue, though they are not always the ones you expect, which is part of Sachar's appeal. His prose is clear and relaxed, and funny in a low-key, observant way: "Even in her high heels, Aileen was shorter than Kaira. Everything about her was small: her waist, her feet, her ears, her mouth. She was stylish, efficient and compact, like a cellphone." The book ends with a flurry of incidents -- sudden reversals of fortune, themselves suddenly reversed; a fairly shocking episode of violence -- that somehow don't disrupt its good-natured, even-tempered atmosphere.

Much of that comes from Armpit himself, who is thoroughly decent without being a saint. He is shy, frequently tongue-tied, lacking in guile. He is, if anything, a little too quiet to carry the whole novel, so it helps that he shares it with Kaira, whose problems give "Small Steps" a second plot. She may be a celebrity, but in some ways Kaira's troubles are worse than Armpit's, since she lives in a bubble of fame and at the mercy of impatient adults, few of whom seem to have her best interests at heart.

Both characters are ordinary, mostly good people who are, in large ways and small, mistreated and underestimated by those around them. As such, they are easy to identify with and impossible not to root for, even if the book they inhabit feels thinly imagined in comparison with its predecessor. It is likable and readable, but it never quite emerges from the shadow of "Holes." No one said life after Camp Green Lake would be easy

Children's Books A. O. Scott is a film critic for The Times.

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Book Review: Louis Sachar’s Small Steps

Posted May 17, 2017 by Kathy Davie in Book Reviews , Young Adult readers

I received this book for free from the library in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Small Steps

Louis sachar.

Second in the Holes realistic fiction series and revolving around Theodore Johnson — we knew him as Armpit. It’s been two years since Holes , 1.

In 2007, Small Steps won the Schneider Family Book Award for Teen Book.

This’ll get your dander up when you read how Armpit was railroaded! Where the heck is justice in this world!!

I will say Sachar went off in an unexpected direction, and I’m loving it. It’s so positive and upbeat, in spite of the setbacks. Instead it’s an opportunity for Theodore to grow and to demonstrate the positives of life. It’s those small steps Theodore plans to follow that give me heart…and Theodore goals. Okay, yeah, it’s sad as well. It’s part of what makes this seemingly simple story more complex as it reflects life.

I absolutely LOVE the relationship Theodore has with Ginny. They’re so good for each other; it’s definitely a mutually beneficial relationship, especially at that crucial moment, lol. As for what Theodore tells Ginny about her father’s disability…yep, I’m in love with that boy!

Sachar doesn’t take long to insert the tension with all that hype about tickets and selling out. That damned X-Ray! It’s the disaster of X-Ray and his mega plans that topple Theodore and put him up at the top. I can’t help it. I know X-Ray means well, but I just wanna smack him. Him and that sleazebag. Then there’s Theodore’s loyalty to his friends.

I know, I know, this is twisted, but I thought it was cute that Ginny has assigned disabilities to all of her stuffed animals. It also made my heart cry.

“‘Does Coo have a disability?’ he asked. ‘Leukemia,’ Ginny whispered. ‘But we don’t talk about it.'”

It’s a sad look at the life of a teen rock star, and how she’s abused. Made all the more interesting with that third-person dual point-of-view from Theodore’s and Kaira’s perspectives. Theodore has his thoughts about his life, about what’s happening around him while Kaira also has her thoughts, and her stepfather is pretty high up in them.

Two years after Camp Green Lake, Armpit is home in Austin. With a record, everyone expects the worst except his sweet, disabled neighbor, Ginny.

It’s all about the small steps on the right path until X-Ray gets that get-rich-quick idea. It could work, except for how the attraction of teen pop sensation Kaira DeLeon spins his life out of control.

Doing the right thing is never a wrong choice, but a small step in the right direction.

The Characters

Armpit, er, I mean, Theodore Johnson , is a former inmate of Camp Green Lake Juvenile Correctional Facility. His father works as a meter reader for the electric company and a dispatcher for a taxi service at night. His mother works at a supermarket. His older sister is married and in Houston. An older brother is serving time in Huntsville.

The ten-year-old Ginny McDonald has cerebral palsy. Her mother appreciates Theodore. Coo is Ginny’s stuffed bunny.

The ambitious X-Ray , a.k.a., Rex Alvi Washburn, had been one of the inmates with Theodore. Felix and Moses are “entrepreneurs”. Murdock runs a cafe, Smokestack Lightnin’. Wiley is one of his customers. Detective Debbie Newberg is with the Austin Police Department.

Kaira DeLeon , a.k.a., Kathy Spears, is a seventeen-year-old singing sensation. Fred is her doofus of a bodyguard. Jerome “El Genius” Paisley is her business agent, manager, and stepfather. Her real father had been John Spears . Tim B is the lead guitarist. Duncan is the bass player. Cotton plays drums. Billy Goat , a.k.a., Gotlieb, is on keyboard. Aileen manages the accounts. Rosemary does hair. David works backstage, Terry is the soundboard operator. Polly is her psychiatrist.

Tatiana (a girl Theodore likes), Claire (and Roxanne is a friend of theirs), and Robbie Kincaid are in Theodore’s speech class, taught by Coach Simmons . Mr. Warren teaches economics; Matt Kapok is in the class. Mrs. Randsinkle had been Ginny’s art teacher last year.

Raincreek Irrigation and Landscaping is… …where Theodore now works. Jack Dunlevy is Theodore’s boss. Cherry Lane , the mayor of Austin, is one of their clients.

Billy Boy is writing threatening letters. Denise Linaria plans to go to Costa Rica. Nancy Young is in charge of guest relations at the hotel in San Francisco. Stanley Yelnats ‘ dad has invented Sploosh. Donnell , Cole , and Sharese are part of Theodore’s old gang.

The Cover and Title

The cover is a deep eggplant purple with a grouping of raised footsteps in different textures of greens, turquoise, brown, and red. Four are close together while the fifth is taking a bigger step. One that lands between the words of the title, as small as those steps, centered on the cover in white. The author’s name is a vivid coral at the top with an information blurb below it in white.

The title is Theodore’s philosophy toward life, taking Small Steps forward.

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Small Steps

by Louis Sachar

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A sequel to Holes by master story-teller Louis Sachar. Ages 12+

Small Steps is the sequel to Sachar's runaway bestseller Holes , published in 1998 and winner of the Newbery Medal and a multitude of other awards. If you're looking for a book for a 5th grader or older and he/she has not read Holes , we recommend it enthusiastically, especially for boys. If Holes has been read and enjoyed, go out and get Small Steps. Serious Holes fans might also want to get their hands on a copy of Stanley Yelnat's Survival Guide to Camp Green Lake , which Sachar wrote shortly after Holes . The movie of Holes is surprisingly good too!

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• Small Steps by Louis Sachar

Small Steps by Louis Sachar MAG

     It’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for. You’ve read Holes and seen the movie, and loved them both, so how could the sequel be anything but fantastic? As it turns out, Small Steps is like a trip to the dentist - it’s slow, painful, and leaves a bad taste in your mouth. Small Steps tells the story of Armpit after he comes home from Camp Green Lake. He is shadowed by his past, since everybody expects the worst from a delinquent, though - amazingly - he has transformed from Tough Guy to Mr. Rogers. The only person who sees beyond his reputation is his ten-year-old neighbor Ginny, who has cerebral palsy. But just as Armpit’s life seems to be getting back to normal, X-Ray shows up with a money-making scheme that leads to him meeting the famous Kaira DeLeon. Kaira is a rising star, but Sachar’s attempt to get into Kaira’s head is unsuccessful. He uses the cliché character of El Genius, the evil manager who can’t wait to get his hands on Kaira’s money; Kaira, of course, is a perky girl who doesn’t see it coming. After reading Holes, an excellent novel filled with twists and interesting characters, Small Steps is a disappointment. Sachar chooses a dull character to write about, and in an effort to make his book interesting, puts Armpit in a series of events that are not believable. I find it hard to imagine that a teenager who was sentenced for brutally beating someone in a movie theater would spend his free time caring for his neighbor. It’s about as probable as a Crip walking his granny’s French poodle. I also found it odd how Armpit, really a nobody, gets to meet Kaira and become acquainted with her. Another irritating factor is the way Sachar writes Ginny’s dialogue: “Is-Is-Isn’t th-th-th-is a-an-an-annoying?” We get the point that she stutters! When you write about someone with an accent, you don’t write the whole book saying, “Aye, em uh Rashan!” It seems that Sachar has lost his zest. The ingredients are wrong and just don’t mix. Sachar has used the recipe from Holes but Small Steps is just half-baked. Dough, anyone?

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Common terms and phrases, about the author  (2006).

Louis Sachar is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Holes , which won the Newbery Medal, the National Book Award, and the Christopher Award, as well as Stanley Yelnats' Survival to Camp Green Lake ; Small Steps , winner of the Schneider Family Book Award; and The Cardturner , a Publishers Weekly Best Book, a Parents' Choice Gold Award recipient, and an ALA-YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults Book. His books for younger readers include  There's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom, The Boy Who Lost His Face, Dogs Don't Tell Jokes, and the Marvin Redpost series, among many others.

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Filling in the Holes story

Small Steps by Louis Sachar 259pp, Bloomsbury, £12.99

Louis Sachar's last novel was published eight years ago. It sold several million copies, became a star-laden Hollywood movie and, most importantly, is brilliant. A complex, intelligent novel which has been a massive commercial success, Holes is one of those books that sweeps away your cynicism about the publishing industry.

It's also a tough act to follow. In the past few years, Sachar has written the screenplay for the movie of Holes and published a companion guide to the book, complete with tips on digging the perfect hole, but waited until now to write another novel.

Small Steps isn't exactly a sequel to Holes, but features two minor characters from the book, Theodore and Rex, aka Armpit and X-Ray; it picks up their stories a couple of years after their escape from the Camp Green Lake Juvenile Correctional Facility. They have both moved to Austin, Texas (which is also Sachar's home). Armpit lives with his parents and works for a landscape gardener, digging yet more holes, while trying to catch up with the schooling that he's missed. X-Ray drives around Austin in a rusty Honda Civic, making a nuisance of himself. Stanley Yelnats, the hero of Holes, isn't even mentioned by name, although there is a sly reference to him: Armpit has been sent a free case of Sploosh, the deodorant invented by Stanley's dad, and he sprays it on his feet and armpits every day.

Armpit is an intriguing character. Quiet, kind and honest, he's condemned to be viewed with suspicion by just about everyone because he has three fatal flaws: he's big, he's black and he has a criminal record. People cross the street to avoid brushing past him. Muscle-packed and scary-looking, he's actually a nervous teenager, constantly trying to avoid trouble and tongue-tied by any contact with the most fanciable girl in his class.

Armpit has been saving money from his job and has now managed to bank $800, which he foolishly agrees to invest in one of X-Ray's hare-brained schemes: buying 12 tickets for a concert by teen sensation Kaira DeLeon and touting them for twice the price. The ensuing plot, featuring theft, extortion, attempted murder, double-crosses, dodgy deals and a blushing policewoman, could have been borrowed from Elmore Leonard, but lacks the moral complexity that he would have found in every character.

Left with two of the tickets, Armpit goes to the concert himself, taking his next-door neighbour, Ginny, a 13-year-old girl with celebral palsy. In an enjoyable piece of wish fulfilment, Ginny and Armpit end up on stage with Kaira. The ensuing romance between Armpit and Kaira feels lightweight and a little predictable, but Sachar intermingles it with a thriller plot which keeps the action flowing.

Small Steps has a lot to recommend it - funny dialogue, a fast-moving story, some emotive scenes, an interesting central character - but does inevitably suffer by comparison with Sachar's last novel. The characters of Holes are complicated and contradictory; the prose is terse and witty and almost arrogantly self-confident; the plot is multi-layered, dodging back and forth in time and place, often forcing the reader to scamper desperately after the action, trying to catch up. Small Steps is more straightforward in every way. It's not as sophisticated or fascinating as Holes - but not many novels are.

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Small Steps Book Review

Small Steps is author Louis Sachars follow-up to the hit novel, Holes. Get Kidzworlds book review right here.

From the author of the best-selling novel Holes comes a book that focuses on a former Camp Green Lake detainee. Small Steps fast forwards two years after Holes left off and follows Armpit as he re-adjusts to life on the outside. Read on to find out if this follow-up is as captivating as the original.

The Key to Success

After spending a few years at Camp Green Lake, digging holes in the middle of the desert with the likes of Stanley Yelnats, X-Ray and Zero , Armpit has been released back into the custody of his parents in Austin, Texas . Armpit knows that if he wants to avoid a life in jail, he's going to have to buckle down and finish high school and stay away from trouble ! Things are going well for Armpit and he feels like he's finally getting back on the right track - until his old pal X-Ray shows up with a get-rich-quick scheme that can't go wrong.

Too Good to Be True

X-Ray's brilliant plan involves Armpit fronting the money to buy tickets for a Kaira DeLeon (the hottest new pop singer ) concert and then re-selling them for more than double the price . Since tickets to Kaira's concert re-sold for more than $700 in other cities , X-Ray is convinced it's a fool-proof plan that will help them rake in some serious coin. Armpit goes along with the plan, but this hassle-free scheme turns out to be a big pain in the butt . Eventually the majority of the tickets are sold and Armpit finds himself using the last pair to go to the show himself - accompanied by his ten year-old neighbor who has cerebral palsy .

Appearances Can Be Deceiving

Armpit and X-Ray's ticket scalping venture takes some interesting turns when X-Ray decides to sell the last remaining tickets and replace them with counterfeit ones without telling his partner. So, Armpit ends up in a big scuffle with security when the real ticket holders arrive. Somehow, however, this mishap gets the attention of Kaira herself who feels bad about how Armpit and Ginny have been treated by security and invite them backstage . This twist of fate leads Armpit on a journey of love , deceit and a whole lot of adventure !

The Bottom Line

Despite following a former Holes character, Small Steps takes on a much different tone than that book. It's a lot less quirky and a bit more serious, but has its own charm. Like most of Louis Sachar's books, Small Steps is certainly a page-turner . It deals with a lot of important issues as well, including racism, childhood disease and breaking the law. If you're looking for a good summer read , Small Steps is a great choice!

Related Stories:

• Holes Book Review
• Holes DVD Review
• The Misadventures of Maude March Book Review
• More Great Summer Reads!

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SMALL STEPS

The year i got polio.

by Peg Kehret ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 1, 1996

From a writer known for her fiction, a moving memoir about a 12-year-old who got polio in 1949 in Austin, Minnesota. Kehret (Earthquake Terror, 1996, etc.) describes the disease, the diagnosis, the severe symptoms, treatments, physical therapy, slow recovery, and return home with walking sticks—and how she was forever changed. After her fever broke and she lay paralyzed in the hospital, her parents delivered a big brown packet of letters from her classmates. ``I had a strange feeling that I was reading about a different lifetime . . . none of this mattered. I had faced death. I had lived with excruciating pain and with loneliness and uncertainty about the future. Bad haircuts and lost ball games would never bother me again.'' There are touching black-and-white photographs of her roommates, who had already been there for ten years. Kehret's were the only parents who visited her each Sunday, and soon ``adopted'' her fellow polio victims. A simple, direct, and sometimes self-deprecating style of writing tenderly draws readers into Kehret's experiences and the effects of the disease firsthand. Almost a half-century later, this lovely book refocuses attention on what matters most: health, love of family, friends, determination, generosity, and compassion. (Nonfiction. 8-13)

Pub Date: Nov. 1, 1996

ISBN: 0-8075-7457-0

Page Count: 179

Publisher: Whitman

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1996

TEENS & YOUNG ADULT NONFICTION

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BOOK REVIEW

by Peg Kehret

LEFTY CARMICHAEL HAS A FIT

by Don Trembath ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 15, 2000

After years of normal living, a teenager learns he has epilepsy and has to cope not just with the disease, but with the side effects, including the hostility of his peers. High schooler Lefty has an epileptic seizure while hanging out with his best friend, Reuben, and must subsequently learn to live with the disease, deal with medication, make lifestyle changes, overcome his own fear, as well as that of family and friends, and face his peers. What little action there is in this marathon talkfest concerns Lefty and his friends (including his 12-year-old brother) smoking and drinking. In his tough, working-class neighborhood this is considered perfectly normal, and the author never counters that. Most of readers’ efforts may be spent trying to keep track of the many characters: Lefty’s friends and brothers, his mother’s tough-as-nails girlfriends, neighbors, classmates, medical personnel, etc. When Lefty, a budding writer, pens an imaginary dialogue between two elderly neighbors and a would-be mugger, the story picks up; otherwise this is a flat and emotionally distant bull session that, though extended, leads nowhere. (Fiction. 11-13)

Pub Date: Jan. 15, 2000

ISBN: 1-55143-166-1

Page Count: 215

Publisher: Orca

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2000

More by Don Trembath

by Don Trembath

1000 MAKERS OF THE MILLENNIUM

by Simon Adams ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 1, 1999

With an emphasis on Western “makers” of the millennium, and, perhaps inevitably, deep coverage of the last 200 years and fleeting coverage of the first few centuries, this volume offers brief biographical sketches of 1,000 people who had an impact on the last 1,000 years. Profusely illustrated and printed on heavy glossy stock, this is a coffee table book for children, meant to be dipped into rather than read from start to finish. Organized chronologically, with a chapter for each century, the parade of people is given context through a timeline of major events, with those of particular importance discussed in special boxes. As with any effort of this kind, there are surprising omissions (the publisher is creating a website for readers’ own suggestions) and inclusions, a Western predominance that grows more pronounced in the later centuries, and an emphasis on sports and celebrity that finishes off the last few decades. The selection can seem highly subjective and provocatively arbitrary, e.g., the US presidents from Nixon back to Teddy Roosevelt are all covered, but none after Nixon. Still, there is a clear effort to include a wide variety of countries and cultures, and this ambitious effort will be the starting point for many historical journeys. (chronology, index) (Nonfiction. 8-12)

Pub Date: Nov. 1, 1999

ISBN: 0-7894-4709-6

Page Count: 256

Publisher: DK Publishing

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 1999

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by Simon Adams

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Small Steps Paperback – Import, July 1, 2007

• Book 2 of 2 Holes
• Print length 272 pages
• Language English
• Dimensions 7.76 x 0.67 x 5.08 inches
• Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
• Publication date July 1, 2007
• ISBN-10 0747583455
• ISBN-13 978-0747583455
• See all details

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Product details

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bloomsbury Publishing PLC; New edition (July 1, 2007)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 272 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0747583455
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0747583455
• Reading age ‏ : ‎ 9 - 12 years, from customers
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 6.8 ounces
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.76 x 0.67 x 5.08 inches
• #1,493 in Teen & Young Adult Fiction about Values & Virtues (Books)
• #175,447 in New Age & Spirituality

About the author

Louis sachar.

Louis Sachar was born in New York. He was inspired to write children's books after working as a teacher's aide to gain extra credit. After graduation he worked in a sweater warehouse in Connecticut and wrote at night. He was soon fired from that job and moved onto law school where in his first week of study Sideways Stories From Wayside School was published. In 2000 Louis Sacher wrote Holes which became both an instant classic and a film starring Sigourney Weaver. Holes was his first book to be published in the UK and continues to prove popular among younger readers. Once Louis Sachar begins writing a new book he refuses to talk to anyone until it is finished and entry to his office is barred apart from his two dogs. The Cardturner is his new book which publishes in 2010.

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SMALL STEPS Novel Study Comprehension, Critical Thinking, Vocab, MCQs, True or False, Writing Prompt

Subject: English

Age range: 8 - 14

Resource type: Worksheet/Activity

Last updated

16 May 2024

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SMALL STEPS Novel Study: This is a Novel Study by LOUIS SACHAR consist of 36 Chapters divided into 6 Sections (60 pages). Each Section of this Novel Study comprised of following questions: 12 x Comprehension Questions (3 Worksheets) 4 x Critical Thinking Questions (1 Worksheet) 4 x Writing Prompts Questions (1 Worksheet) 10 x Vocabulary Words (Definition Required) (1 Worksheet) 4 x Chapter Review Questions (1 Worksheet) 5 x MCQ’s (1 Worksheet) 5 x True or False Questions (1 Worksheet) Answer Key is given (Where Applicable) (1 Worksheet) For ease of understanding and mastering literary skills, novel study is divided into a manageable size of Parts/Sections. Detail of the Chapters breakdown into Sections is as follows: SECTION 1: Chapter 1-6 SECTION 2: Chapter 7-12 SECTION 3: Chapter 13-18 SECTION 4: Chapter 19-24 SECTION 5: Chapter 25-30 SECTION 6: Chapter 31-36 Purpose of this Novel study is to improve learning & comprehension skills through high quality Literature by engaging the students in a way they forge personal connection with the Story & its Characters. Expose students to different emotions, experiences, and environments to build compassion, critical thinking and background knowledge. Worksheets are made in 8.5” x 11” Standard Letter Size. This resource is helpful in students’ assessment, Independent Studies, group activities, practice and homework. This product is available in PDF format and ready to print as well.

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