Interview with Louis Sachar

This interview was done in 2006 by the editors of TeenReads.

Louis Sachar's SMALL STEPS chronicles life after Camp Green Lake for Theodore "Armpit" Johnson, one of the former occupants of Tent D from the Newbery Award-winning book HOLES. In this interview, Sachar explains why he chose to focus his highly anticipated novel on this particular character over all the others. He also describes his rather slow writing process and reveals how his life has (or hasn't) changed as a result of the success of HOLES.

Question: Of all the characters from HOLES, why did you choose to revisit Armpit in SMALL STEPS?

Louis Sachar: I tend to write about underdogs. It seemed to me that life would be tough for an African-American teenager from a low-income family with a criminal record. Especially someone stuck with the name, "Armpit."

Q: Although this new book is about a character from HOLES, the two books are very different. How would you explain to a fan of HOLES what to expect from SMALL STEPS?

LS: I can't. I'm no good at describing my books. HOLES has been out now for seven years, and I still can't come up with a good answer when asked what that book is about.

Q: Could you imagine future novels about any of the other boys? Do you think about what Stanley is up to now?

LS: I don't think too much about Stanley or Zero. I left them in a good place. Although money doesn't bring happiness, or give meaning to someone's life, the problems Stanley and Zero face now (and I'm sure they do face many problems) are less interesting than those faced by someone like Armpit.

Q: Plenty of teenagers fantasize about what it would be like to be a young rock star. You portray it as lonely. Tell us about that decision.

LS: The media tends to portray the teenage world as one where drinking and sex is taken for granted. In fact, I think most teenagers don't drink, are unsure of themselves, and feel awkward around members of the opposite sex. I thought it was important to show Kaira, a rock star no less, as such a person. Her situation, in many ways, is made more difficult as she has no social contact with anyone her age. She is trapped in a world of agents, record producers, and hanger-ons.

Q: I'm imagining that of all the books you've written, HOLES is the one that has changed your life the most. Not only did it win the Newbery Medal, it's also simply a popular sensation. Is this assessment accurate? What is this novel's continuing impact on your life? Would you consider it the book that you are proudest of?

LS: Not counting SMALL STEPS, I think HOLES is my best book, in terms of plot, and setting, and the way the story revealed itself. It hasn't changed my life, other than that I have more money than I did before I wrote it. I'm still too close to SMALL STEPS to compare it to HOLES.

Q: Why do you typically write only two hours each day?

LS: Small steps. Every time I start a new novel it seems like an impossible undertaking. If I tried to do too much too quickly, I would get lost and feel overwhelmed. I have to go slow, and give things a chance to take form and grow.

SMALL STEPS: Recording the Music for the Play

So, Small Steps (the

sequel to Holes), has been made into
a play (Oregon Children's Theatre,
playing April 24 to May 16, 2010).

Check it out!

Harry is the WInner!

Harry Potter was the overwhelming winner in the poll on our blog.

Any other questions we should poll about? Post your comments here and I'll add a new one.

Feeling Sorry for Celia

I found this Reader's Guide to our book and thought you guys might be interested in it.

Hope you're enjoying the book.

See you next week!

Life is pretty complicated for Elizabeth Clarry. Her best friend Celia keeps disappearing, her absent father has reappeared, and her dialogue with her mother consists entirely of wacky notes left on the fridge. On top of everything else, her English teacher wants to rekindle the "Joy of the Envelope," and now a Complete and Utter Stranger knows more about Elizabeth than anyone else. A #1 bestseller in Australia, this fabulous debut is a funny, touching, revealing story written entirely in the form of letters, postcards, and missives from imaginary organizations like "The Cold Hard Truth Association."

1. Who grows and changes more over the course of the novel, Celia or Elizabeth? How and why?

2. How does the structure of Feeling Sorry for Celia with letters, postcards, and messages from societies such as "The Cold Hard Truth Association" affect the reading experience? How does this structure reflect the experience of being a teenager?

3. What is the significance of Elizabeth's letters from "The Association of Teenagers" throughout the story?

4. Compare the development of Elizabeth's friendship with Celia to that of her friendship with Christina. Do you think that Elizabeth would have become friends with Christina if they had met in person?

5. Some readers feel sorry for Elizabeth. Does she feel that way about herself? What about the characters around her?

6. After Celia begins dating Saxon, she writes Elizabeth a letter: "I feel as if I have lost you. You are a different person. It's like you've disappeared.... You weren't happy for me. You never asked me a single question about Saxon or about how I felt. Maybe you thought you had to be cruel to me so I'd learn how to survive on my own. But maybe you were being too cruel, Lizzy? Maybe you just weren't being fair?" Is this true?

7. Describe why most teenagers and adults, who remember what it was like to be a teenager, would identify with some of the experiences that Elizabeth and Christina share with each other?

8. Why do you think Celia is always running away from home?

9. What does the outcome of Elizabeth's relationships with Celia and Christina tell us about the nature of friendship?

"Dare to steal a glance into Elizabeth's teen years….it feels a little like snooping into someone's personal drawers-but after a while, you'll relish the sneak peeks….Sassy Celia is no sorry sister. "

—Seventeen

"I absolutely loved Feeling Sorry for Celia and wish I had written it myself. It's so funny and so gripping -it describes perfectly the confusion and bittersweet hope of being a teenager. Written with exquisite deftness, immense warmth and humanity, it is the best 'feel-good' book I've read in a long time. "

—Marian Keyes, author of Last Chance Saloon and Rachel's Holiday

"Elizabeth is feisty and charming, and she and the novel are a delight…this tells of relationships and especially friendships in a humorous but insightful fashion. "

—Kliatt

"Highs and lows alternate as dizzily as adolescent hormone levels in this engaging Australian debut….Adolescence, zits and all, described with wit and empathy. "

—Kirkus Reviews

"Edgy and irreverent…a sharp, witty take on friendship, family, and the roller-coaster ride of adolescence. [Elizabeth is] to-fall-in-love-with. "

—Gotham magazine

Meeting Tuesday?

Hail, book lovers! How is everybody? I hope your vacations, camps etc. are going swimmingly.

Just wondering if anyone is ready to meet this Tuesday. We still have Escape from Witch Mountain (which I loved!) to discuss, but we can always do it later in the month if that's better for everyone.

Just let me know what works for you.