47 pages • 1 hour read
Joan BauerStand Tall
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2005A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Chapters 15-23Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 15 Summary
When Tree’s friend Eli explains that his sister is allergic to his parrot, Fred, the Bentons take the bird in. Fred says, “Back off, Buster” (95), which frustrates Grandpa, who resolves to teach the bird some manners. Meanwhile, Tree contemplates the transformation of the white oak in the park into a skeleton without any leaves. He muses that winter seems to last forever, just like his grief over the divorce, which sneaks up on him both physically, with stomachaches, and emotionally, when he feels like a visitor in his mom’s house.
When Sophie says her iguana, Lassie, is slowing down, Tree notices that Bradley is getting older as well. The dog now naps often and sometimes cannot make it outside to go to the bathroom. When Tree’s dad suggests that Bradley is reaching the end of his life, Tree panics. Then, he shows Bradley a picture of dog poop outside. However, once outside, Bradley fails to chase a squirrel and only barks at Mrs. Clitter’s cat, his nemesis. Tree’s dad apologizes for scaring his son but gently advises that they consider the dog’s future.
Chapter 16 Summary
The Pit Bulls are down big in a basketball game, and other fathers insult Tree. Furious, his dad cheers louder. On the court, Tree thinks positively and gets a steal. Even though he does not make a layup, he feels better. After the game, Coach Glummer scolds the boys for not trying, and when Jeremy Liggins calls Tree a “joke,” Tree stands up for himself.
With February comes terrible rain, which delays the delivery of Grandpa’s prosthetic leg. Because Tree’s mom is traveling a lot, he spends more time with Grandpa and Bradley. He checks his mom’s website daily but feels like connecting through the computer is limiting. However, Sophie marvels at how much his mom does for him. Meanwhile, Grandpa unsuccessfully attempts to teach Fred to say, “You’re a genius” (104).
Chapter 17 Summary
When Grandpa finally gets his prosthetic leg, Tree helps him learn how to put it on, stand, and walk. While he practices, Grandpa talks about Vietnam and how it was confusing and hard to hear the government say that it “wasn’t our war” (107). Tree can relate because he feels stuck between his parents. Then, Grandpa explains how he protected himself in Vietnam: ducking, running for cover, and controlling the things he could.
The following week, despite the rain, Tree and the Trash King accompany Grandpa to the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial in Washington, DC. There, they place memorabilia by the names of their friends who were killed. As he limps along the wall, Grandpa shares stories about each friend and confesses that he keeps each one in his heart. He adds that each name is a person who had hopes and dreams, something statistics cannot measure.
Chapter 18 Summary
Tree cherishes a photo of his parents together at the beach. Meanwhile, rain and thunderstorms continue to pummel the town, causing authorities to sandbag the levee so it does not burst. At school, Sophie prepares to audition for a flute solo. One of the popular girls comes out of her audition and laughs at Sophie with her friends. Later, Sophie shares that she got the solo and promises to make brownies to celebrate.
Chapter 19 Summary
The next day at school, Sophie finds smelly trash bags affixed to her locker with a sign saying, “GARBAGE GIRL.” Irate, she snatches a can of tuna, barges into the bullies’ class, and slams the can on their desk. The girls feign innocence, but Tree speaks on Sophie’s behalf. The teacher escorts them to the principal’s office, insisting that they threatened a student. When Sophie and Tree meet with Dr. Terry, the principal, Tree tells her that the girls have been bullying Sophie for a while. Dr. Terry apologizes to Sophie and understands her anger, promising that it will not happen again. When her Aunt Peach arrives and scolds Sophie for her temper, the girl insists that she must speak out.
Chapter 20 Summary
At the next dancing lesson, the kids watch the instructors do the tango. Sophie grabs Tree’s hand and pulls him onto the dance floor. After an hour of practice, Tree is miserable because he is too tall to dance with Sophie. The bullies snicker and make comments, but when Tree stands at his full height and shouts for them to stop, they fall silent. Sophie dances with passion and encourages Tree to stand tall, instead of bending down, which makes things easier.
Chapter 21 Summary
The rain continues, which alleviates Eli’s sister’s allergies, so Fred can go home. Grandpa has mixed feelings because although he does not like the bird, he had hoped to teach it manners. Meanwhile, Tree eavesdrops on a tense phone call between his parents. They agree to talk in person at dinner the following week. Tree feels guilty, so he tells his mom he overheard. She confesses that it will be hard to see the house, Bradley, and Grandpa.
The following week, his mom comes a few days early to dinner. Surprised, Tree reminds his dad that Sophie is coming over, so, they order pizza. When Mom arrives, she notices the empty spaces and Tree’s pulley system. After awkward conversation, Sophie arrives with Lassie, so she and Tree go watch a lizard show, hoping that it will revive the lethargic iguana. Mrs. Clitter stops by with freshly baked bread, and then the Trash King joins them. Grandpa takes off his leg and sets it on the table. The Trash King says he could sell Grandpa’s leg; Mom suggests turning it into a lamp, and Dad proposes hanging it above the fireplace. When they all laugh together, Tree relishes the rare sound.
Chapter 22 Summary
On Tuesday morning, Bradley does not get up. Tree screams for his father, who calls the veterinarian. They pick up Mom and go together with Grandpa. After the doctor examines Bradley, he confirms that the dog is old. Crying, the family opts to put the dog down. The doctor gives them a few minutes, but when he returns to administer the shot, a cat saunters in too, causing Bradley to rise and bark, surprising everyone. The vet declares Bradley well enough to go home. Overjoyed, Tree is grateful for the extra time with his dog.
Chapter 23 Summary
As the basketball team accumulates more losses, Coach Glummer gets increasingly frustrated. Although the team and Tree have improved, it is not enough to secure victory. When the coach yells that no one cares, Tree steps forward to respectfully disagree. He points out that they care, and they have improved. His courage bolsters his teammates, who murmur in agreement. Even though Coach Glummer stomps away, Tree knows he is right and basks in the compliments from his teammates.
Days later, Tree is helping Grandpa shower when an urgent evacuation announcement booms from a loudspeaker outside. The levee broke and floodwaters are rushing toward the town. Calmly, Grandpa directs Tree, who is panicked, with step-by-step instructions. When Tree calls his dad, there is no answer. He dials 911, but the lines are busy.
Chapters 15-23 Analysis
In these chapters, Tree matures and begins to believe in himself. After the basketball game when he gets a steal, Jeremy Liggins insults him, but Tree does not take it. After speaking up for himself, “he squared his shoulders and looked down at Liggins, who looked away first” (103). Instead of just absorbing the insult as he would in the past, Tree voices his dissent and physically asserts himself. By confidently drawing up to his full height, he overshadows Jeremy, who eventually backs down. Tree also speaks out when bullies leave garbage on Sophie’s locker, accompanying her to confront the mean girls. When they pretend innocence, Tree declares, “No [...] She’s telling the truth about what you did. Now everybody knows” (118). Unlike when the girls insulted Sophie earlier in the year and Tree was frozen, now he stands up for his friend without hesitation, confronting the bullies by her side. Tree shows this increasing courage and strength to speak out for what is right when he refutes his coach after the man claims the team neither pays attention nor cares: “Tree stepped forward. ‘I don’t think that’s right, Coach. I care. I was paying attention. I know Petey was trying, and Ryan, and all the guys’” (139). The physical act of stepping out from the group demonstrates Tree’s growing confidence to be himself and speak out when necessary. Although it is hard to confront an adult, Tree speaks respectfully and tells Coach Glummer that even though they are not winning, they are trying. This is something he has not done in the past, and his teammates appreciate it when they support and congratulate him later.
The theme of The Power of Community is evident in both the team’s response to Tree standing up to the coach and in Sophie’s observations of his mom. When Tree defends his team’s effort, he gets support and recognition from the other boys when they huddle around him and say, “Way to go, man,” something “no team had ever told Tree [...] before” (140). Tree relishes the gratitude and encouragement from his teammates. Because he has always felt like an outsider, he is happy that this is the first time a team has congratulated him. Although he is not the most athletic kid, the boys appreciate that Tree has their back. Getting this support from his basketball community gives Tree a sense of belonging and makes him feel valued. Moreover, Sophie demonstrates the strength of community when she prompts Tree to have a new perspective. Learning about his mom’s website, she tells him, “Your mother does all this for you? You don’t know how good you’ve got it” (103). Although Tree wishes for his mother’s physical presence and face-to-face communication, Sophie’s words underscore how much the woman is doing to connect with her kids. Despite being gone so frequently for work and despite the split time due to divorce, she is finding every way possible to reach out to her sons. Tree does not grasp this until Sophie points out “all this.” Sophie is also honest with him, saying that he is ignorant of his mother’s love and that he is lucky. Without Sophie, Tree may not have recognized this, highlighting another power of having others by one’s side: They provide a new perspective, which can lead to gratitude.
Another theme that continues to develop, specifically through the characterization of Grandpa, is Resilience in the Face of Adversity. While walking on his new prosthetic leg, Grandpa talks about how he tried to survive in Vietnam. He says, “I ran for cover a lot, too, And I tried to remember the things I had control over so I wouldn’t feel like a grunt” (108). Although the man is speaking specifically about survival tactics in Vietnam, he is providing a means for coping with any challenge: focus on the controllable. Life often presents difficulties that are outside a person’s control, but Grandpa notes that to survive, a person needs to take charge of the things they can command. Immediately after saying this, he notes that he needs to be able to walk a few blocks in a week to visit the Vietnam War Memorial. This comment is a reminder of what is in Grandpa’s control—his ability to practice walking on his new leg. He models his idea that to surmount challenges, he must take one step at a time, something he can control.
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