Small Steps by Louis Sachar

I have just started the book Small Steps by Louis Sachar. The main character, Armpit, is an African American ex-convict who has been released from Camp Green Lake a few months ago. Camp Green Lake is a facility where young boys, who have broken the law, are forced to dig holes in the dry heat on baron land. Armpit has now found a job for Raincreek Irrigation and Landscaping where he still digs holes, except he gets paid for it. X-Ray, a friend to whom Armpit has met at Camp Green Lake, comes to visit Armpit while he is working. X-Ray convinces Armpit to give in 600 dollars to buy tickets for a Kaira DeLeon concert. Kaira is quite a famous young African American singer who is currently going on tour through Austin, Texas, where Armpit happens to live. X-Ray's plan is to but the tickets and sell them at an expensive price. In the meantime, Armpit shares a house with another family; a young girl named Ginny and her mother live in the other half of the house. Ginny has cerebral palsy so her disabilities greatly affect how she acts and speaks. Armpit and Ginny "hit it off from the beginning. She didn't fear him and he didn't pity her" (21). Armpit is forced to live a complex life balancing out his time between his job, his friends, and his family all at once.
I find it interesting that Ginny's disabilties and Armpit's looks balance out to create a great friendship. I also wonder if X Ray's plan will work. I predict that it will not because Armpit didn't really think X Ray was a person who you can trust. I have seen the movie HOLES so I do know some background information about the characters which help me visualize what the characters look like. Armpit is an interesting person whose decisions affect everything aspect of his life.