44 pages ⢠1 hour read â˘
Andrew ClementsA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
âStephen is my best friend, but Iâm not sure he would have admitted it. If any of his buddies had been on the bus, he wouldnât have been sitting anywhere near me. In fifth grade a guyâs best friend isnât supposed to be a girlâwhich is one of the most immature ideas in the universe. Your best friend is the person you care about the most and who cares back just as much. And thatâs the way it was with me and Stephen. It wasnât a girl-boy thing. It was just a fact.â
This introduction to Stephen both demonstrates their peersâ developmental levelâold enough to recognize gendered social dynamics, but young enough that those dynamics are uncomfortableâand establishes opportunity for Stephenâs future character development. The quote also introduces Noraâs values; she cares more for Stephenâs quality of character than how others perceive them.
ââRats!â And I kicked the seat in front of us. âI knew it! A lousy Câhow could I be so stupid!â Stephen was wishing he hadnât begged to see my grades, and his face showed it. He gulped and said, âUm ⌠Nora? I hate to tell you, but all your other grades are âŚâ I cut him off. âI know what they are.â Stephen was completely confused. He said, âBut ⌠but if you know what the others are, then why are you mad about the C in spelling? Because all the others are ⌠Ds! You got a D in everything! All Dsâexcept for that one C.â âRats!â I said again. âSpelling!ââ
The dialogue both introduces the two primary characters and showcases Clementsâs humor. The characterization portrays Noraâs peculiar ways of reasoning, and, the miscommunication lends to the sceneâs humor as Noraâs response subverts Stephen and the readerâs expectations.
âMy room was âa mess.â I was supposed to âget it all straightened upâ before dinner. âOr else.â Momâs orders.â
The way Nora quotes her mother is humorous for two reasons. First, it demonstrates how Nora doesnât connect personally with this rule; Nora simply internalizes her momâs repeated phrases without processing it through her own voice. Second, these quotes sound like words from many mothersâ mouths, connecting young readers to Nora through a shared experience.
By Andrew Clements