How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
"Sometimes we had to throw out some who would not live by our rules. I still wanted to be the kind of man, Jacob, the baker, was, and we called it the Baker's Band." (5.67)
See what we mean? While most of the homeless kids in Moscow are getting into serious trouble (trouble that could land them in jail or worse), Peter manages to keep his crew on the straight-and-narrow. That's a big deal. Once again, it's pretty easy to see how important Peter's leadership is to the group.
Quote #8
He was temporarily protected from the loneliness of the dark gray-walled streets in the city by these filthy, ignorant, diseased boys who made him welcome. (6.37)
Community is all about the feels. It's about feelings of togetherness; it's about feelings of safety; and most importantly, it's about feelings of friendship. Alex has found all of these things (and then some) in the least likely suspects, and boy is he glad that it happened.
Quote #9
Strange how the dank and odorous place radiated welcome when compared with the heavy skies and emptiness of the city streets. (7.31)
Once again, we see how much Alex has grown by being a part of these boys' community. It doesn't matter that they're a bit rough around the edges or that they come from the wrong side of the tracks. All that matters is that they're there for Alex when he really needs them.