How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
Back in the third and fourth grades she used to clown around with her brothers in the branches or peel big chunks of bark off so they could slide down the crook in its trunk. It seemed like they were playing in it whenever my mom took us somewhere in the car. Juli'd be swinging from the branches, ready to fall and break every bone in her body, while we were waiting at the stoplight, and my mom would shake her head and say, "Don't you ever climb that tree like that, do you hear me, Bryce? I never want to see you doing that! You either, Lynetta. That is much too dangerous." (3.13)
Looks like the Baker family and the Loski family have different ideas of fun. For the Baker kids, they just love to climb on the huge sycamore tree. But did you notice how strong Mrs. Loski's reaction is when she sees this tree climbing in action? Yep—she thinks it's a big no-no for her kiddos. And based on Bryce's tone in this passage, we're thinking he agrees with his mom on this one.
Quote #2
"Really, Dad. I understand now about the whole being greater than the sum of the parts."
He stopped mixing. "You do? What happened? Tell me about it!"
So I told him about the sycamore tree. About the view and the sounds and the color and the wind, and how being up so high felt like flying. Felt like magic.
He didn't interrupt me once, and when my confession was through, I looked at him and whispered, "Would you climb up there with me?" (4.60-63)
Juli and her dad have a special bond. When he's painting, Juli likes to chat with her dad about philosophical topics. And now that she's had her own pretty magical experience in the sycamore tree, she can't wait to share it with him. Looks to us like Juli and her dad are two peas in a pod.
Quote #3
My dad was convinced I was a coward, and to get me over it, he decided that what I should do was take the carton of eggs back to the Bakers and tell them we didn't eat eggs, or that we were allergic to them, or something.
Then my mom butts in with, "What are you teaching him here, Rick? None of that is true. If he returns them, shouldn't he tell them the truth?"
"What, that you're afraid of salmonella poisoning?"
"Me? Aren't you a little concerned, too?"
"Patsy, that's not the point. The point is, I will not have a coward for a son!"
"But teaching him to lie?"
"Fine. Then just throw them away. But from now on I expect you to look that little tiger square in the eye, you hear me?" (5.176-182)
Bryce's mom and dad can't agree on what to do about Juli's eggs—just check out how many questions they ask each other here. And most of the time they don't give each other a straight answer either. We've got some serious communication breakdown happening here, and poor Bryce is stuck in the middle.