Quote 1
"He is our father's father, and he didn't like our mother," said Henry. "So we don't think he would like us. We are afraid he would be mean to us." (1.21)
Here's a little mystery that never gets resolved. Did Mr. Alden really dislike the children's mother? Why did he never visit when the children's parents were alive?
Quote 2
"She asked me if I liked cookies. I said I did, and she gave me one."
"What did you do with it?" asked Benny hungrily.
"When she went back into the kitchen, I put it in my pocket," said Henry laughing. (6.15-6.17)
Instead of eating the cookie when he was alone, Henry pocketed it for later so he could share it with his family. Now, that's a caring big brother. For the record, Shmoop is not so kind to its siblings.
Quote 3
Then Henry began to think of winning the race. He knew how much the twenty-five-dollar prize would mean to Jessie and the rest of the children.
"I am going to win this race!" he said to himself. (10.32-10.33)
Personally, Henry doesn't care if he wins the race; he's just running for fun. But, when he starts to think about his family, he feels more motivated. Twenty-five bucks would make his siblings super happy.