书名：Small Steps追梦少年

难度：Lexile蓝思阅读指数690L
作者：Louis Sachar
出版社名称：Bloomsbury Publishing
出版时间：2007
语种：英文
ISBN：9780747583455
商品尺寸：19.7 x 1.7 x 12.9 cm
包装：平装
页数：272

★纽伯瑞儿童文学奖金奖、美国国家图书奖得主路易斯·萨奇尔作品；

★纽约公共图书馆青少年经典书籍，美国国际阅读协会儿童喜爱童书；
★美国图书馆协会施耐德图书奖，美国银行街教育学院年度童书，美国童书协会青少年普及读本；
★走一步，再走一步，你的梦想终将实现！

Small Steps《追梦少年》是美国著名儿童文学作家路易斯·萨奇尔的经典作品，一出版就引起了广泛的关注。这是一部非常具有启发意义的青少年成长小说，当孩子们慢慢长大、开始学着独立做选择时，这本书很有用，它告诉孩子们如何在人生道路上向正确的方向迈出步伐。

媒体评论：
“路易斯·萨奇尔对严苛的评论圈——孩子们、图书管理员、儿童书商、教师——来说具有一种魔力。”——《今日美国》

“萨奇尔拥有一种天赋，擅长描述两个不太可能的朋友间的紧密关系，书中的角色和表达的主题生动而鲜明。”——《旧金山时报》

“本书行文清晰而随意，有种低调而敏锐的趣味。”——《纽约时报》

“《追梦少年》讲述的故事非常吸引人，真实可信，书中的角色有一种不安全感，而他们都不吝于表现出来。”——《书评》杂志

“《追梦少年》是一个关于实现梦想、做正确的选择，以及人文精神凯旋的故事，它很幽默，对社会现实的处理非常出色，书中塑造了让人难以忘怀的角色。”——《学校图书馆杂志》

Armpit and X-Ray are living in Austin, Texas. It is three years since they left the confines of Camp Green Lake Detention Centre and Armpit is taking small steps to turn his life around. He is working for a landscape gardener because he is good at digging holes, he is going to school and he is enjoying his first proper romance, but is he going to be able to stay out of trouble when there is so much building up against him? In this exciting novel, Armpit is joined by many vibrant new characters, and is learning what it takes to stay on course, and that doing the right thing is never the wrong choice.

Review
'Has Sachar's familar ease, intelligence, humour, suspense and humanity.'--Sunday Times

'Readers of the first novel will not be disappointed as the story is as compelling as the first... sure to entrance readers.'--Bookseller Children's Buyers Guide

'A pacy adventure, which leaves you cheering Armpit all the way to the finish line.'--Good Book Guide

'Has a lot to recommend it - funny dialogue, a fast-moving story, some emotive scenes, an interesting central character.'--Guardian

中断学业十四个月后，少年西奥多努力想让自己的生活走向正轨，他一边打工，一边参加暑期学校补习功课，慢慢地向着目标迈出小小的步伐。不料朋友X光的出现，让他的生活大变样。在X光的鼓动下，他倒卖起了当红小歌星的演唱会门票，跟危险的人打交道，追星……他的每一个决定都让自己离原先制定的目标越来越远……

路易斯·萨奇尔（Louis Sachar)，美国著名儿童文学作家。曾获纽伯瑞儿童文学金奖，美国国家图书奖青少年文学奖，《纽约时报》童书奖等五十多个儿童文学奖项，被英国《星期日独立报》誉为“美国作家中少有的大师”。其代表包括《洞》、《全班都变成了苹果》、《我们学校要倒了》、《三只耳朵的代课老师》、《追梦少年》等。

Louis Sachar is the author of many books for children including the Marvin Redpost and Wayside School series and the bestselling prize-winner Holes. Louis lives in Austin, Texas.

Once again Armpit was holding a shovel, only now he was getting paid for it, seven dollars and sixty-five cents an hour. He worked for Raincreek Irrigation and Landscaping. He was in the process of digging a trench along the side yard of a house that belonged to the mayor of Austin, a woman with the unusual name of Cherry Lane. As his shovel knifed through the dirt, he carefully kept the Sod intact so that it could he replaced later. His shovel was short and had a rectangular blade, unlike the five—foot shovels with pointed blades he had used when he was at Camp Green Lake Juvenile Correctional Facility.

Beads of perspiration rolled out from under his red RAINCREEK cap. His shirt was drenched in sweat. Yet none of this had anything to do with how he got his name.
During his first week at Camp Green Lake, close to three years before, a scorpion had stung him on the arm, and the pain had traveled upward and settled in his armpit. It had felt like there was a hot needle twisting around inside him. He’d made the mistake of complaining about how much his armpit hurt. The pain eventuallywent away, but the name stuck.
“Theodore!” called his boss, Jack Dunlevy, a white man in his late thirties. “There’s someone who would like to meet you.”
Armpit stopped digging as his boss and a woman approached. The woman wore blue jeans and a loose — fitting white shirt. Her long silver hair was pulled hack in a ponytail. Austin had a reputation for being a little weird, and the mayor fit right in.
“This is Theodore Johnson,” said his boss.
Cherry Lane extended her hand. “How yadoin’, Theodore?”
Armpit stood a head taller than the mayor. He had broad shoulders and thickmuscular arms. At one time in his life he had been a little overweight, hut all his digging and swearing had long since burned away any excess fat.
“Just tine,” he said as he wiped his dirty hand on his shorts. “Sorry, I’m kind of sweaty.”
“That’s all right,” the mayor said, and shook his hand.
Afraid of his own strength, Armpit tried not to grip the elderly womans hand too hard, and was a little taken aback by the firmness of her handshake.