68 pages • 2 hours read
John David AndersonPosted
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2018A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Chapters 3-5Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 3 Summary: “The Variable”
Eric received the nickname “Frost” before he met Bench, Deedee, and Wolf. In fifth grade, Eric’s father gave him a book of Robert Frost’s poetry. Eric’s parents divorced soon after, and Eric’s father moved out. Following the move, Eric read the book and wrote a poem based on one of Frost’s poems for a contest at school. He won the contest, and his teacher said, “[W]e now have our very own Robert Frost” (43), which made the nickname stick.
During the first week post-cell phone ban, a new student named Rose Holland arrives in a ratty sweatshirt and scuffed combat boots. Eric reflects on whether or not Rose caused the problems to come or if said problems just happened to start when she arrived. Either way, he senses something different about her.
Chapter 4 Summary: “The Promise”
At lunch, the boys chat about Deedee’s sticky notes. Deedee notes how stickies are required for school but never get used, so he might as well “put them to good use” (57). When the others challenge Deedee’s definition of “good use,” he flicks a crumpled sticky into Eric’s applesauce. Eric dares him to make the same shot again—but this time, he hits Rose, who’s standing behind Eric.
Wolf invites Rose to sit with them. She agrees, and things at the table grow quiet. After a few minutes, Rose promises not to make the boys uncomfortable, which only makes them more uncomfortable. Rose asks the boys about what they enjoy. Deedee half-heartedly admits he likes Lord of the Rings, Bench says he’s an athlete, and Eric announces that Wolf is a musician. Wolf calls Eric a poet, but Eric argues he only wrote one poem. The rest of lunch consists of stilted conversation and bad jokes.
Chapter 5 Summary: “The Nudge”
In art class, Eric and Deedee have a sticky note conversation about lunch with Rose. Neither of the boys knows what to make of her, and both are certain she won’t sit with them again. After class, one of the group’s bullies “nudges” Deedee, which causes him to drop his backpack, spilling books and papers. Eric and Deedee shrug off the incident because “nudging is a fact of middle school life” (77), even if it is a form of bullying. Eric goes to his locker, where he finds a sticky note from Rose. He tears it off and shoves it into his pocket, hoping no one else saw it.
Chapters 3-5 Analysis
These chapters introduce Rose, the fifth protagonist. Anderson refers to Rose as a variable, something that interrupts the projected order of things. Eric’s debate about whether or not Rose caused the sticky note war shows how events can’t always be traced to a single cause—as well as the uncertainty between changes and results. At first glance, Rose’s arrival appears unrelated to the sticky notes, but her arrival also correlates with the resulting war.
Chapter 4 comprises Rose and the boys’ first meeting, one that foreshadows future changes to the group dynamic. Bench’s negative reaction to Rose appears to be dislike but is later revealed to be preexisting frustration. Whether or not Rose is any type of catalyst for the sticky note war, she has a direct effect on Eric’s group of friends. The boys’ interactions also demonstrate gender politics in middle school. Eric and his friends don’t know what to think of Rose as they have little experience with girls. As the story progresses, and Rose integrates herself seamlessly into the group, Anderson shows young readers that gender is not an indicator of personality. Whether male, female, or nonbinary, people (children or adults) have more similarities than differences, introducing the theme of Similarities and Differences Are Illusions.
Chapter 5’s “nudge” is an example of bullying in a middle school setting and its larger implications. While Eric shrugs off the incident as a fact of life, the nudge is a form of bullying, and his nonchalance shows how such behavior is allowed to run rampant in schools. Bullies operate by making their victims (and potential allies) afraid. Children become fearful of attracting unwanted attention and do nothing to intervene. This is represented through calling the bully’s actions a “nudge” instead of a “push” or a “shove,” language that minimizes the action. The resulting cycle of behavior results in bullies not being called out for their actions. Even if that cycle is broken, bullies are often not dealt with seriously enough to deter future incidents.
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By John David Anderson
