- Hardcover: 352 pages
- Publisher: Doubleday Canada (May 11 2010)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0385670192
- ISBN-13: 978-0385670197
- Product Dimensions: 21.3 x 14.5 x 3.3 cm
- Shipping Weight: 476 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #28,322 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
Review
Praise for Small Steps:
"Louis Sachar is magic to the toughest circle of critics: librarians, children's booksellers, teachers -- and, most of all, kids."
— USA Today
"Part of what makes Small Steps so believable and appealing is that its characters do have insecurities, and they aren't ashamed to let them show."
— BookPage
"Sachar is a master storyteller who creates memorable characters."
— School Library Journal
"Cleverly wrought...heartwarming, witty and suspenseful."
— Time Out New York Kids
"Louis Sachar is magic to the toughest circle of critics: librarians, children's booksellers, teachers -- and, most of all, kids."
— USA Today
"Part of what makes Small Steps so believable and appealing is that its characters do have insecurities, and they aren't ashamed to let them show."
— BookPage
"Sachar is a master storyteller who creates memorable characters."
— School Library Journal
"Cleverly wrought...heartwarming, witty and suspenseful."
— Time Out New York Kids
Book Description
The summer after junior year of high school looks bleak for Alton Richards. His girlfriend has dumped him to hook up with his best friend. He has no money and no job. His parents insist that he drive his great-uncle Lester to his bridge club four times a week and be his cardturner -- whatever that means. Alton's uncle is old, blind, very sick, and very rich. But Alton's parents aren't the only ones trying to worm their way into Lester Trapp's good graces. They're in competition with his longtime housekeeper, his alluring young nurse, and the crazy Castaneda family, who seem to have a mysterious influence over him.
Alton soon finds himself intrigued by his uncle, by the game of bridge, and especially by the pretty and shy Toni Castaneda. As the summer goes on, he struggles to figure out what it all means, and ultimately to figure out the meaning of his own life. Through Alton's wry observations, Louis Sachar explores the disparity between what you know and what you think you know. With his incomparable flair and inventiveness, he examines the elusive differences between perception and reality -- and inspires readers to think and think again.
Alton soon finds himself intrigued by his uncle, by the game of bridge, and especially by the pretty and shy Toni Castaneda. As the summer goes on, he struggles to figure out what it all means, and ultimately to figure out the meaning of his own life. Through Alton's wry observations, Louis Sachar explores the disparity between what you know and what you think you know. With his incomparable flair and inventiveness, he examines the elusive differences between perception and reality -- and inspires readers to think and think again.
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Most helpful customer reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
More Bookish Thoughts...,
By
This review is from: The Cardturner (Hardcover)
Really? A novel for teens about the intricacies and strategies of bridge? The story of a boy who turns cards for his uncle sounds like a recipe for sheer boredom yet Louis Sachar's The Cardturner is comic, engaging and wise beyond expectation.Narrator and protagonist Alton Richards, his quirky uncle Lester, his level-headed sister Leslie and a host of other characters are all dealt (pun intended!) tragedy and joy, sorrow and laughter, resulting in a philosophical and complex cast. Furthermore, issues of sexism, domestic violence, romance and religion weave into an intriguing plot filled with family secrets. The Cardturner draws the reader into a passionate world of excitement and intelligence, one in which the conventionally tedious becomes a clever depiction of strategy, relationship and maybe even the meaning of life.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Courtesy of Teens Read Too,
By TeensReadToo "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Cardturner (Hardcover)
"Talk About Wow" is the title of one of the chapters in THE CARDTURNER by Louis Sachar. It is also the perfect way to describe this book. I was hooked on the very first page and read the thing in a single day. My recommendation is - Don't Miss It!With that said, many readers could be scared away by THE CARDTURNER. The story revolves around the card game of bridge. The book is filled with in-depth information and detailed descriptions of the game. But don't let that frighten you off. There is soooo much more to enjoy. Alton Richards isn't really looking forward to the summer between his junior and senior year. He knows he should look for a job but can't seem to get motivated. There won't be any swimming in the backyard pool because it's still just a hole in the ground awaiting the final outcome of some lawsuit between his parents and the pool company. Alton's dad has also just broken the news that the insulation company he works for is downsizing, which means he's out of a job. And don't forget, Alton's girlfriend just dumped him. Great way to kick off summer vacation. Just when Alton thinks things can't get anymore dismal, he learns that his "favorite" uncle, Lester Trapp, has requested his presence. Alton has been to his uncle's hilltop home only once before. It was the elderly Trapp's birthday, and Alton was just five years old at the time. Since Alton knows his parents are hoping for a huge inheritance when the old guy's time comes, he knows he must answer the call and find out what the old man wants. A cardturner? What is that? Lester Trapp, who is now blind due to complications from diabetes, wants Alton to help him play bridge. Trapp wants his young nephew to accompany him to his bridge club to read off the cards in his hand and play for him during the games. Alton knows nothing about bridge, but he is about to learn. He is also about to learn some of his family's darkest secrets. Using first-person narrative, author Louis Sachar takes readers into the world of bridge. Alton is an incredibly likeable main character with a wonderful sense of humor even when thrown into the most challenging circumstances. As he explains his eccentric uncle and other crazy members of the cast, he also teaches the basics of bridge. Scattered throughout the story are informational sections about the game. I agree with a previous review of THE CARDTURNER, posted at Guys Lit Wire, that these sections can be skipped if readers desire, but I found that even though I was confused, I wanted to read them to gain knowledge of this mysterious game. I'm not going to run out and start playing bridge, but thanks to Sachar, I can now appreciate the dedication and seriousness true players have for the game. Whatever you might feel about the game of bridge, THE CARDTURNER is a heartwarming and attention-grabbing novel. Even though this is billed as YA fiction, I'm passing it on to a bridge-playing friend of my mother's, and I know she's going to love it. Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
4.3 out of 5 stars (42 customer reviews) 33 of 33 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Playing Bridge, Building Bridges,
By The Children's Book Reporter - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Cardturner (Hardcover)
Alton Richards (not Richard Alton like some of his teachers call him) has always known that wealthy Lester Trapp is his favorite uncle. He loves him. At least, that's what his mother tells him to say every time Trapp and Alton talk on the phone. But when Trapp's health problems lead to his blindness and Alton is roped into being the old man's "cardturner" at his bridge club...Alton has to decide his feelings for himself--along with his feelings for Toni Castaneda, Trapp's niece by marriage and former cardturner according to most, contender for the fortune according to Alton's mom. But he soon learns that Toni might not be as crazy as his mom says, that bridge may not be as boring as he thought, and that not all coincidences are mere coincidences.Ok, this time I'm skipping all the educated, literary-sounding praise. Getting straight to the point: I loved The Cardturner. Like Sachar's previous masterpiece, Holes, The Cardturner hides layer upon layer of meaning with the utmost subtlety...yet is so straightforward about it all that you will trust the narrator implicitly. I know my summary is slightly convoluted; a more simple way to put it is that this book is all about bridges. Yeah, the game bridge of course, which you will find delightfully, surprisingly exciting, but so much more... The bridges we build from one person to another...one idea to another... to friends, strangers, God, our own subconscious minds. Ok, and if anyone suddenly has a strong desire to start up a bridge club after reading this (it wouldn't surprise me), I so want to be in on it. 12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
it won me over, even the bridge parts,
By datura2002 "datura2002" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Cardturner (Hardcover)
This is one of the most enjoyable books I've read this year. I was initially skeptical about a book with so much bridge in it. I've never played bridge, a mathematical, complex card game that seems to only be played by British characters in books. But I'm a fan of Louis Sacher, writer of _Sideways Stories from Wayside School_ and the Newbery-winning _Holes_, so I picked it up. I found myself interested in bridge as a game, and riveted by the underlying story about a rich uncle, an inheritance, and a woman who went mad under mysterious circumstances in the past.Sacher's skills as a storyteller and polish as a writer only continue to grow. His treatment of Alton's feelings about his friendships and his family is gentle and skillful (and about his family, Alton's parents are hilariously awful and his sister is great). Sacher has kept the sense of humor and his imagination that distinguished his earlier books, but added to it a psychological subtlety that made it an exceptionally pleasing reading experience. 10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Original and Perceptive,
By Whatcha Reading Now? - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Cardturner (Hardcover)
It's hard not to feel sorry for seventeen-year-old Alton Richards when his parents rope him into driving his cranky, blind, great-Uncle Lester to his bridge club four times a week - during summer vacation, no less. Even worse: Alton must be Uncle Lester's eyes during this old-fashioned game; his cardturner.As the summer wears on, Alton, in turn, learns the game of bridge requires players to look beyond the surface, which extends to the way he perceives his uncle. Despite his blindness, Uncle Lester is quite insightful. The Cardturner by Louis Sachar is a wholly original story that breaks so many rules of what should be an interesting book for teens. It's about bridge - a game for old people and not even parent old, more like grandparent old. I can assure you, the author manages to make the subject not only a good read, but you may even consider playing bridge because the book provides some "how to" tips as a bonus. In his Newbery Award winning Holes, Mr. Sachar broke a few rules, too. And I, for one, hope that he continues to be his wonderful non-conformist self , writing about whatever subject or story moves him. -- Reviewed by Michelle Delisle |
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