How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
Finally I break free and do the only manly thing available when you're seven years old—I dive behind my mother. (1.22)
From the get-go, Bryce is thinking about gender. What do you think of this idea that a seven-year-old boy can be "manly"? We know Bryce is joking around with us here, but this joke also lets us know that some actions are considered manlier than others.
Quote #2
I used to knock-down-drag-out with her, but it's just not worth it. Girls don't fight fair. They pull your hair and gouge you and pinch you; then they run off gasping to mommy when you try to defend yourself with a fist. Then you get locked into time-out, and for what? (1.33)
Bryce Loski definitely has some ideas about girls. And his theory goes something like this: girls have two fighting techniques, gouging and pouting. Even though Bryce is only using the behavior of one girl—his big sis—to come up with this theory, that doesn't stop him from generalizing. Did you notice how he lumps all ladies into the same category?
Quote #3
Then it dawned on me—he needed my help. Absolutely, that's what it had to be! Shelly Stalls was too delicate to shake off, too swirly to be pushed away. She'd unravel and start sniffling and oh, how embarrassing that would be for him! No, this wasn't a job a boy could do gracefully. This was a job for a girl.
I didn't even bother checking around for other candidates—I had her off of him in two seconds flat. Bryce ran away the minute he was free, but not Shelly. Oh, no-no-no! She came at me, scratching and pulling and twisting anything she could get her hands on, telling me that Bryce was hers and there was no way she was letting him go.
How delicate. (2.36-38)
Juli has spent tons of time complaining about frail Shelly Stalls. It is important that Juli uses the word "delicate" here since for centuries there's been a stereotype that women are "delicate" (a.k.a. weak). We sure know that Juli isn't weak—and we know that Shelly doesn't act super delicate either (though she claims to be in gym class). Looks like both these girls are quite the opposite of that little stereotype.