Other Views

To see other views of this book you can go to the Central Hubb (Mr Talner's Blog)

Themes of the Book

1. Change-
Theodore and Ginny are both trying to change the bad things in themselves to make themselves better so that they will be accepted by the people around them. X-Ray refuses to change his dishonest ways untill he is offered a job by Jack Dunlevy, then he begins to change.

2. Betrayal-
Kaira is betrayed by El Genius when he tried to kill her and even though she had said she would she hadn't even planned to kill him. She also feels that Theodore betrayed her when he asked her if he could sell the letter because she thought he had been a fake and just pretended to like her for the money.

3. Friendship-
The theme of friendship is shown in how Ginny and Theodore are friends even though they are very different (Armpit being big and black with a record, Ginny being a small white with a disease). Also Theodore's friendship with X-Ray is questioned when he fails to sell the concert tickets and keeps taking Theodore's money in order to pay the fees that he needs, manipulating him.

Small Steps

By Louis Sacher

Reviewed by: Brianne
Rating: (out of 5, they dig fast)

Armpits life didn't start out so well, he had been sent to Camp Green Lake detention facility. Now Armpit's back and he's trying to turn his life around. He is trying to take some small steps together with his neighbor Ginny who has cerebral palsy. But his "best friend" X-Ray keeps getting in the way and getting them both into trouble. Suddenly Armpit's dating a famous pop star of his own and being called a victim in a ticket scalping case. Kaira is a pop star with a problem. She is all sparkles and fame when she's in public but when you get her in private her life is a wreck. The people that control her life are not honest. But then she meets Armpit at one of her concerts and they work together to become better. Everything is turning out well except Kaira is on tour and she travels a lot, so Armpit may need to travel and leave some of his commitments at home in Austin, Texas. He has to choose what path his small steps will travel down.

I thought this book was great. It was filled with mixed emotions that the author expressed in a way that you were filled with the same emotions. You are sad when the characters are sad and you're happy when they are happy. It connects you to the book. I normally don't read realistic fiction but this was realistic fiction mixed with mystery and action. Every choice a character made effected the overall plot of the story. It was serious but there were fun bits of humor so that it wasn't depressing. I really liked the way the characters were developed. They were so realistic in their reactions and beliefs. I also enjoyed how the author told the two different stories of the different characters before they merged their lives together. I couldn't put the book down.

I would recommend this book to both boys and girls since the main character is a boy. And there is Kaira who is on a side story and she is a pop star. As long as they are 10 or above, because it has some things younger kids may not understand. But this book is a great tale to tell if you've been in a situation like it or just want to hear a good story. Especially if you like music, because there’re lyrics throughout the book that relate to the plot.

Small Steps: Would you want to be a pop star?

I wouldn't want to be a pop star because of all the things you don't get to do.You would get swamped by fans and never get to go out by yourself. Plus I'm really nervous about being in front of people and I have stage fright. Over all, there are camera's and people treat you like your glass. Plus if you ever make one tiny mistake your on the news and you become "washed out". I might have wanted to if it was only for a day, but I wouldn't be able to handle a whole life of it.

Small Steps: Kaira's Lyrics

Kaira DeLeon is a famous pop star here are some of her lyrics:

A sad circus clown who has hopes to inspire
The love of the long-haired, blue spangled trapeze highflyer,
Kicks off his floppy shoes and changes attire,
Just like Clark Klent, or Tobey Maguire,
And goes up the circus ladder, higher and higher,
'Cause a clown is someone she could never admire,
But there ain't no net beneath the high wire.
Nearing the top, he starts to perspire.
He's climbing out of the frying pan...
and into the fire!

I think when the author came up with those lyrics she was hinting at the relation ship between Theodore and Kaira. Theodore is the clown who's trying to impress Kaira (The "long-haired blue spangled trapeze highflyer") And to do that he's changing things about himself. He was called Armpit, a clown and no one took him seriously as smart. so he's taking control of his life and refusing to be a clown anymore. But there ain't no net beneath the high wire stands for the fact that by Theodore choosing this he may get hurt, since he is missing his economics test and his first job as a manager. Nearing the top, he starts to perspire points out that he this is a big choice and he is hesitant and unsure of what he should do. but in the end he's done with being safe and he's going for what he wants (into the fire).

Small Steps: Questions to Theodore/Armpit

1) Are you mad at X-Ray for causing the trouble with Detective Newburg or happy that he's the reason you met Kaira?

2) Are there any other steps you would want to take other than the 5 you have?

3) How are you going to make Detective Newberg beleive your story?

4) Will you sell Felix the letter or let him rat you out?

5)Why did Ginny and you become friends?

Small Steps: My Favorite Character

In the poll I voted my favorite character as Kaira. She is my favorite because even though she is a kid she has power. Plus she has attitude. I feel bad that she doesn't really control her life and the people who do control her life are not totally honest with her. But I think she made a good choice when she said that she would fire El Genius and Doofus/Fred(her bodyguard) first when she became of age. My favorite thing about her is that she is a Famous Pop Star and she still acts like a normal kid.

Small Steps: Kaira's Letter

After Theodore met Kaira at the resteraunt she had to leave. Of course, because she was on a tour. So for days after Theodore waited for her to call him. It never happened instead he got a letter. I don't think that Kaira meant to send the letter that she wrote to Theodore. She had written that she had written many other letters before the one she had sent and not sent any of them. The writing was talking to herself as well as Theodore. In the end she sent one saying that she wished that Theodore had kissed him before Fred came the day at the resteraunt. She also added that she felt good when she touched his armpit. She wrote that so that she would be too embarrassed to send the letter. But it didn't work.

Small Steps

This is a companion to the book Holes. But about a diffrent character. Armpit has just gotten out of Camp Green Lake and he wants to turn his life around by taking very small steps. But there are things getting in the way. X-Ray his scamming friend has gotten him into ticket scalping. There good forces acting agaist X-Ray are Theodore's neighbor Ginny, she has cerebral palsy. They are best friends because both of them are outcasts. So since neither of them have many friends they became each other's friend. The other good force is the al meeting of famous pop star Kaira DeLeon, she is also unhappy with her life we don't know how their relationship will turn out.

The major turning point of this book is the Kaira DeLeon concert. Both Theodoore and X-Ray are scalping tickets for the concert. Plus Theodore asked Tatianna to the concert and ended up going to the concert with Ginny. Where he meets the Mayor and for the first time Kaira DeLeon. So the concert is where everyone meets and the story begins to change. It seems that Theodore is finally beginning to be able to make the 5 small steps that will change his life.

Here's a cool music video from the movie Holes: http://youtube.com/watch?v=7apFhfAi0HE