How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
The only thing I could hear was my own breath. It was so loud that it sounded like there were six scared people locked up in the shed. (3.1)
The way Bud describes this scene—noise so loud it sounds like six people locked up in the shed with him—shows how scared he is of his surroundings. Bud likes to talk about scary situations this way: the bigger the description, the more scared you can bet he's feeling.
Quote #2
Up at the very top of the shed was the biggest vampire bat you'd ever see! He was hanging upside down asleep, but the smell of me rising up to him would probably wake him up any minute! (3.33)
Okay, we'd be totally freaked out if we had to sleep locked in a shed with a giant bat, but what really happens is even scarier. Because Bud is brave, he actually gets himself into a heap of trouble with hornets. Luckily, he also breaks free. Sometimes, bravery can get you into more trouble than you started with, but if you keep it up, you can get past that, too.
Quote #3
He slapped the strap on his hand and started walking toward me. I was wrong when I said being hungry for a day is about as bad as it can get, being hungry plus having a big knot on your head from a black leather strap would be even worse. I backed away but only got two steps… (6.13-15)
Bud is in survival mode, so although he is scared of going hungry for the day, he's even more afraid of being beaten. There is nothing he can do in this situation but run away, which he would have done if he hadn't been stopped by the nice man who lied for him.