Small Steps #8

Choose three of the themes you wrote about today and write about them on your blog. Don't forget to provide evidence for your thinking.

ANGER: Theodore was very angry at X-Ray when he figured out that he had given him phony concert tickets, so when X-Ray visited him, Theodore backed him up against the wall and told him he was going to kill him. Luckily, though, his mom walked in. Kaira was mad at Theodore when she thought he was "just another hustler" and only wanted money out of her, not a serious relationship.

BETRAYAL: Jerome Paisley and Aileen betrayed both Kaira and her mom by taking millions of dollars out of Kaira's trust acccount. Aileen also betrayed Jerome because he thought that once the money was successfully stolen, Aileen and him would live together. But Aileen secretly refused to spend the rest of her life with him, so when she booked the plane ticket for Theodore to go to San Francisco, she also booked a flight for herself, betraying Jerome.

LOVE: Ginny loved her stuffed animals (or "lovies", as she called them) a lot because she could relate to them. They all had disabilities. Theodore and Kaira were in love for a while, before Theodore messed everything up and Kaira misunderstood him.

Small Steps #7

Enter your book review.

Small Steps
Louis Sachar

Reviewed by: Emily
Rating: * * * * * (out of 5)

Have you ever taken small steps to achieve a big goal? In the young adult fiction novel, by Louis Sachar, the main character Theodore (also known as Armpit) did too. Small Steps is about Theodore unwillingly getting pressured into becoming a ticket scalper for a Kaira DeLeon concert by his old Camp Green Lake buddy, X-Ray. Theodore didn't want to risk being a ticket scalper because his life seemed to be slowly falling into place and if he and X-Ray got caught, it could lead to jail for the both of them.
It is also about the teen pop sensation Kaira DeLeon (who's concert Theodore and X-Ray are using to make some money for themselves) and the obstacles she has to face to overcome the difficulties in her life. For example, her stepfather/manager named Jerome Paisley (but likes to be called "El Genius") seems like he's up to something; her backup singers hate her for taking all of the attention; when she tries to have a serious talk with her mom about her concerns, her mom doesn't want to listen to her; and she has no friends to talk to.

I really like this book because it is very realistic and easy to relate to. I feel like I can relate to Kaira the most because her parents and bodyguard are overprotective on occasion, and so are my parents. Kaira has an adventurous spirit, and I like to think that I do too. I can also relate to X-Ray, but not because he has the mind of a criminal. I can relate to him because he likes to have fun and entertain everyone around him. For example, when he was talking to Theodore about selling tickets and Ginny was with him, he made up a story about how he got a huge dent on the side of his car. "'Say, Ginny, did I ever tell you what happened to my car?' X-Ray asked, pointing to the big gash in driver-side door.
'No.'
'I'm driving along Mopac, and this dinosaur leaps out and takes a big bite out of my door! Scared me half to death.'
Ginny laughed.
'Look, do you see the teeth marks?'
Ginny pushed back her glasses on her nose. 'Yes.'
'I think it was a T. Rex! Can you believe it?'
'No.'
X-Ray laughed."
As this quote from the novel shows, X-Ray likes to entertain people when it's a good time, but when it comes down to business, he is very serious, like me. As I said, this novel kept me interested because I could totally relate to a lot of what was going on.

I would definately reccomend this novel to both girls and boys. I think people around the ages of 10 or 11 and up would understand this book thoroughly enough enjoy it to its full potential. If you like music, I think you would like this book as much as I did! But before you read Small Steps, be sure to read the original book, Holes! It is also amazing is practically impossible to put down. I think that even people who do not like fiction books should try reading this series. I don't think you'll be sorry!