Published Jan. 19, 2006, in the Waukesha Freeman

Story by Matthew Webber

WAUKESHA – Sure, Louis Sachar's novel “Holes” is one of the most decorated young adult titles of the past 10 years, winning the Newbery Medal and the National Book Award and spawning a hit Disney movie.

But that's only one reason there's at least one middle school English teacher who assigns the 1998 book to her students every year. (Disclosure: It's the reporter's mom, who lives in St. Louis.)

Another reason is that almost all of her students, including those who resist many of the other readings, seem to love it. (Disclosure: So did this reporter.)

Despite the critical acclaim, and, perhaps more importantly, despite the praise from other teachers and young readers nationwide, Sachar told TimeOut last week he felt no pressure to write its sequel, “Small Steps,” which Random House released this month.

“I just do the best that I can,” he said, whether he's continuing the story of Camp Green Lake residents Armpit and X-Ray, introducing the new character of teen pop star Kaira DeLeon or tackling contemporary issues like racism, poverty and the cult of celebrity, all of which he does in “Small Steps.”

“With every book, I just try to write a book that I like, that is a work of art,” Sachar said.“It's about the art of creating a story.”

“Small Steps” differs in several key ways from “Holes.” The sequel features different main characters and settings, as well as a less “puzzling” structure, which Sachar said “would have been extraneous.”

But the two books are also similar in important ways. Like other books from Sachar’s career, these books teach their readers empathy, especially for the underdog characters like Armpit, but also for a fictional celebrity like Kaira DeLeon.

Underneath her pop star costumes and makeup, DeLeon feels lonely, Sachar said.

Surely, many young adults reading the book by themselves will be able to relate, just as millions of readers related to the characters in “Holes.”

When the reporter asked Sachar (as a favor to that middle school teacher), how he creates such realistic and appealing characters, Sachar said he tried to mirror the real teenagers he knows, complete with their real emotional issues. Also, he tries not to sensationalize.

“I've sort of been bothered by this media notion that all teenagers, or most teenagers, are sophisticated in sex and drugs and alcohol (and) that's all they think about,” he said. “That's just true. It may be true for some, obviously, but it's not true for all.”

Thanks to “Small Steps,” a certain middle school class might have something else – a book – to think about.