How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
Then one time, during a test, Julie's in the middle of sniffing my hair when she notices that I've blown a spelling word. A lot of words. Suddenly the sniffing stops and the whispering starts. At first I couldn't believe it. Juli Baker cheating? But sure enough, she was spelling words for me, right in my ear.
Juli'd always been sly about sniffing, which really bugged me because no one ever noticed her doing it, but she was just as sly about giving me answers, which was okay by me. The bad thing about it was that I started counting on her spelling in my ear. I mean, why study when you don't have to, right? (1.65-66)
Bryce has found an easy way to get the answers for his tests: wait for Juli to give them to him. Looks like this guy doesn't want to try hard if he can help it. But even though Bryce likes not having to study, he still sees a downside to this whole cheating business—he knows it's a "bad thing" that he relies so much on someone else's help with his tests.
Quote #2
I was relieved, but I also felt like a weenie. When I'd seen where my kite was trapped, I was sure it was a goner. Not Juli. She scrambled up and got it down in no time. Man, it was embarrassing.
So I made a mental picture of how high she climbed, and the next day I set off to outdo her by at least two branches. I made it past the crook, up a few limbs, and then—just to see how I was doing—I looked down.
Mis-take! It felt like I was on top of the Empire State Building without a bungee. I tried looking up to where my kite had been, but it was hopeless. I was indeed a tree-climbing weenie. (3.16-18)
Juli climbs a tree like a champ. Sure the kite is super high in the tree, but that's not about to stop hard-working Juli from reaching it. What do you think about Bryce's reaction to the kite's height? Calling himself a "weenie" seems a little harsh to us. Do you think he just doesn't want to try hard enough to reach the kite? Or is he scared to climb up that high?
Quote #3
"Because that girl's got an iron backbone. Why don't you invite her over sometime?"
"An iron backbone? Granddad, you don't understand! That girl is a royal pain. She's a show-off, she's a know-it-all, and she is pushy beyond belief!" (3.54-55)
To Bryce Juli's persistence makes her a "know-it-all," but to Granddad it makes her a girl with an "iron backbone." This is a pretty cool metaphor, we think—it means Juli is so strong and tough that it's as if her spine is made of iron. And you can bet iron is going to keep its shape and stand up for itself. So we've one persistent gal, and two reactions to this perseverance. Which guy do you agree with? Is Bryce being too critical? Or is Granddad being too generous?