Skinnybones

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of bullying.

Alex is a sixth-grade Little League player and the protagonist of the novel. Because he is smaller than the others in his age group, many of his internal and external conflicts are related to his self-consciousness about his size and lack of athletic prowess. Rather than displaying natural athletic talent, Alex knows that his greatest skill is his knack for comedy, and he utilizes this skill to compensate for his insecurities and attempt to get out of trouble.

Alex is notorious for being the class clown, and he traces the origin of this pattern to his kindergarten experience with show and tell. After articulating a funny idea and getting his entire kindergarten class to laugh, Alex realized that “making people laugh was a lot more fun than sitting quietly at [his] desk” (12), and the moment marked the beginning of his humorous antics in class. However, Alex’s comedy is not always well timed or well received, as evidenced by the hostility of his nemesis, star baseball player T.J. Stoner. Although Alex’s humor can get him out of trouble or charm those around him, his humor is also responsible for creating more conflicts.