If you went to middle school anytime in the last twenty years, you probably had a dog-eared copy of Holes shoved in your backpack. It was the ultimate "school book" that actually rocked. But then there’s the sequel. Or, well, the "companion novel." Small Steps Louis Sachar released in 2006, and it wasn't exactly what anyone expected.
Instead of a desert mystery with buried treasure and yellow-spotted lizards, we got a gritty, realistic story about a kid named Theodore “Armpit” Johnson just trying to survive Austin, Texas. Honestly, it’s a bit of a tonal whiplash. But that’s exactly why it matters.
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The Weird Transition from Camp Green Lake to Real Life
Most sequels try to outdo the original. They want bigger stakes, more magic, more of the same. Sachar didn't do that. He took two side characters—Armpit and X-Ray—and dropped them into the "upstream river" of real life.
Theodore isn't digging for treasure anymore. He’s digging trenches for a landscaping company called Raincreek Irrigation. It’s hard, sweaty, honest work. He’s got five goals, which he calls his "small steps":
- Graduate from high school.
- Get a job.
- Save his money.
- Avoid situations that might turn violent.
- Lose the name Armpit.
It’s a simple list. But for a Black teenager with a criminal record in a world that’s waiting for him to fail, these steps are like mountain climbing. Sachar writes this with a kind of low-key, observant humor that makes the heavy stuff go down easier. You've got the classic X-Ray, who is still a hustler, trying to convince Theodore to blow his $700 savings on a ticket-scalping scheme for a pop star named Kaira DeLeon.
It’s a mess. You know it’s a mess. But you still root for them because, man, being a kid with a "record" is a special kind of trap.
Race, Reality, and the "Upstream River"
One of the most intense parts of Small Steps Louis Sachar is how it handles racism. It’s not a "very special episode" kind of vibe. It’s just... there. It’s the way people look at Theodore. It’s the way the police react when they see him at a concert with Ginny, his ten-year-old neighbor who has cerebral palsy.
There’s a scene where Ginny has a seizure at a Kaira DeLeon concert. Instead of helping, the security guards immediately jump to the worst conclusion about Theodore. They see a large Black teen and a disabled white girl and they assume the worst. It’s brutal to read.
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The "small steps" philosophy comes from a counselor Theodore had. He told him that life is like walking upstream in a rushing river. If you take too big of a step, the current sweeps you away. You have to be careful. You have to be deliberate.
Why Kaira DeLeon is More Than a Plot Device
Then there’s Kaira. She’s the biggest pop star in the world, basically the Beyoncé of the Sachar-verse. You’d think her life is perfect, but she’s trapped in a different way. Her stepfather, "El Genius," is a total creep who’s stealing her money and literally trying to kill her for the insurance.
The friendship between Theodore and Kaira is weirdly sweet. It’s not your typical YA romance. It’s two people who are both being used by the world finding a second of peace. Does it get a bit "thriller" near the end? Yeah. There’s a baseball bat involved and a trip to San Francisco that goes sideways. But it keeps the pages turning.
Is It Better Than Holes?
Probably not. Most critics and fans agree that Holes is a perfect machine. Every piece of that plot fits together like a Swiss watch.
Small Steps Louis Sachar is messier. It’s "young adult problem literature," which is a fancy way of saying it’s about growing up and realizing the world is kind of unfair. But it won the Schneider Family Book Award for its portrayal of disability (thanks to the character of Ginny), and it’s stayed on school reading lists for a reason.
It doesn't give you the big, happy ending where everyone gets rich and the curse is broken. Theodore is still just a guy in Austin at the end. He’s still taking steps. But maybe that’s the point.
Actionable Insights for Readers and Writers
If you're looking back at this book or thinking about reading it for the first time, here is what you should actually take away from it:
- Don't expect Holes 2.0: If you go in looking for Stanley Yelnats and ancient curses, you’ll be disappointed. Treat it as its own contemporary drama.
- Watch the character growth: Notice how Theodore’s relationship with his nickname "Armpit" changes. It’s a metaphor for how he views himself.
- Analyze the social commentary: Sachar was writing about systemic bias and the "recidivism" trap back in 2006. It’s still incredibly relevant.
- Observe the pacing: Sachar is a master of the "short chapter." If you’re a writer, study how he keeps a slow-burn story moving by switching perspectives between Theodore and Kaira.
The book ends on a quiet note. There’s no parade. There’s just a guy who survived a really bad week and is ready to go back to work on Monday. Sometimes, just staying on your feet is the biggest win you can get.
To really get the most out of Small Steps Louis Sachar, you should compare the way the "law" works in this book versus the first one. In Holes, the law is a fable-like injustice. In Small Steps, it's a bureaucratic weight. That shift in perspective is what makes Sachar such a versatile writer for the YA genre.