Tracy Grant talks to Louis Sachar today for the Washington Post about Small Steps, Sachar's sequel to Holes.
Small Steps is an excellent read (I'll post a review soon), snappy and well-written. The characters are compelling and the dialogue realistic. But, Armpit is older and Grant addresses this issue in her interview.
- TG: "Armpit is older and there are some more mature themes. Do you expect your audience is older, too?"
- LS: "I don't think too much about the audience when I'm writing....I'm aware that Holes was read by kids as young as 8, up to adults. I know a lot of those readers will want to read this book. I keep that in mind. But basically I'm writing a story that appeals to me."
Tracy Grant also asks about Keira, a young popstar and a main character in Small Steps. Sachar replies,
- "With Holes I was troubled that there weren't very many female characters. I tried to put them in where I could. But the setting didn't lend itself to girls. When I start a book, I usually don't know where I'm going. I just start with something that intrigues me. In this case it was Armpit, X-Ray and a ticket-scalping scheme. It wasn't until I was well into the first draft that Keira became a [major] character."
As a companion piece, KidsPost meets Louis Sachar. "Favorite pizza topping: Green peppers. Favorite ice cream flavor: Coffee. Favorite kids book that you didn't write: Charlotte's Web."
