Author: Louis Sachar
ISBN: 0-385-73314-3

The following review was contributed by: Lily Azerad-Goldman: CLICK TO VIEW Lily Azerad-Goldman's Reviews
Digging holes for a lost treasure in a juvenile detention facility was the premise for Louis Sachar’s first novel, HOLES (winner of 13 awards). He continues the saga with two of the lesser developed protagonists in HOLES, Armpit and X-ray enjoying their new found freedom.
Jerome aka Armpit is still digging holes, this time earning his keep. We find him at a time where he has managed to save around $700 and is going to night school . X-ray, who was the ring leader in HOLES, finds him and has great ideas to increase Armpit’s wealth. His scheme is to buy tickets for trendy Kaira de Leon’s pop star concert and resell them at double or triple their initial price.
Armpit, an African-American, is friends with a 10 year old little white girl, Ginny, the girl next door who has cerebral palsy. Armpit decides to treat her to the concert. Unfortunately, he is caught with counterfeit tickets. A racist scuffle ensues but Armpit and Ginny are saved by Kaira de Leon, who delights them with the best seats in the house.
Lonely Kaira de Leon falls in love with Armpit but her manager, Jerome Paisley has other plans for her. Are Kaira de Leon and Armpit going to have a happy ever after affair or will he be wise and take life with SMALL STEPS? Will Armpit and X-ray profit from their scheme?
Louis Sachar’s characters are true to life. The dialogue and the pace of the story is fast and quirky. A page turner, SMALL STEPS could be read in one sitting.
SMALL STEPS surpasses HOLES in action, sensibility and suspense, if that is possible. Louis Sachar has a propensity for the underprivileged. He makes you cry, he makes you laugh and cheer out loud.
SMALL STEPS does not have to be read after HOLES. It’s beauty is that it stands proudly by itself. Let the awards rain on SMALL STEPS…. Children 7 and up will lap it up.