36 pages • 1 hour read
Henry And Beezus
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BetaChapters 5-7Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 5 Summary: “Beezus Makes a Bid”
Henry is overwhelmed by the chaos of the auction room, which is filled with kids bidding on a huge variety of bikes. He sees poor-quality bikes sold for more money than he has, and he becomes worried about his chances of finding a good bike for only $4. He’s distracted by Ramona’s antics as she begs for more crackers and bothers Ribsy by patting and hugging him.
Henry sees a great bike for sale but can’t get the auctioneer’s attention. When Ramona begins crying and threatens to throw up, Beezus and Henry give up and leave the auction, disappointed. After Beezus scolds her sister, they decide to try again, but once they get into the auction room, Ramona goes missing.
Frightened, Beezus and Henry look everywhere for Ramona. They are relieved when the auctioneer holds her up in front of the crowd, and Beezus goes to retrieve her. Henry tells Beezus to stand at the front and bid on a bike for him if she sees one.
Finally, Henry is thrilled to hear that Beezus has successfully bought him a bike. However, his happiness is quickly replaced by horror when he realizes that it is a girl’s bicycle.
Chapter 6 Summary: “Henry’s Bargain Bike”
Henry is overcome with disappointment at Beezus’s purchase for him and thinks of how humiliating it would be to ride the bike in the Rose Festival Parade. He begins repairing the bike’s tires and spokes, thinking about how to change it into a boy’s bike. Beezus feels bad about her mistake and tries to help Henry with his plan.
When Scooter comes by, he notes all the things that Henry will need to do to fix up the bike, and Henry is overwhelmed. Scooter kindly suggests that they could attach Henry’s bike to his to create a tandem bike for the parade’s competition, but Henry does not want to collaborate with Scooter.
When Henry tries riding his bike, he cannot steer or pedal properly and promptly crashes, to the amusement of all the neighborhood kids watching. A dejected Henry rejects Scooter’s offer of help and thinks longingly of the red bike he saw in the bike shop.
Chapter 7 Summary: “The Boy Who Ate Dog Food”
Henry and Ribsy walk home from school, passing the Rose City Bike Shop, where Henry admires the same red bike in the window, which costs nearly $60. Henry passes by the Colossal Market and notices that a special opening event will happen that night.
In the evening, Henry returns with his parents and Beezus. Henry and Beezus visit the different booths, collecting free samples. When Henry asks for a sample of dog food for Ribsy, the store owner jokes that he can have a can for free if he tastes it. The neighborhood kids goad him on, urging him to eat it, and Henry is almost persuaded to when his thoughts are interrupted by an announcer telling him that he won a prize. Relieved to be free of his dog-food dilemma, Henry goes to the announcer, who tells the crowd that Henry has won $50 of beauty treatment coupons.
Henry is embarrassed by his prize, and things get worse when the neighborhood boys begin to mock him about it. Eager to change the topic, Henry impulsively goes back to the pet food stand and eats a spoonful of canned dog food.
His luck changes when Beezus and his mother offer to buy the beauty coupons off him and suggest that he sell the other coupons to his aunts and other ladies. By that Saturday, Henry has sold all his coupons, earning him the $50 in cash. Henry’s dad offers to give him $10 so that he will have enough to buy the new red bicycle.
Henry and his dad go to the bicycle shop and purchase the red bike. Henry is thrilled with his bike and its lights, horn, and leather seat. He leaves to ride his bike home by himself, making sure to ride slowly by Scooter’s house, where Scooter is rolling up newspapers for his newspaper route. Henry sounds his horn and says hello, feeling very pleased with himself.
Chapters 5-7 Analysis
In the book’s final chapters, Henry finally fulfills his dream of owning a new bike, giving the story a satisfying conclusion. However, as usual, Henry must overcome a variety of setbacks on the way. For example, he confronts the chaos of the police bike auction, where the auctioneer cannot even hear him bid: “Henry, Ribsy, and the two girls struggled into the mob on the driveway. Sometimes they moved ahead a foot, sometimes an inch, but most of the time they stood still. It seemed to Henry that a lot of awfully big people stepped on his toes” (65). In spite of it all, Henry remains determined to buy a bike, reflecting The Importance of Resourcefulness and Independence as he struggles against the bigger and more assertive kids to make his bids.
Beezus’s friendship with Henry adds depth to the story’s theme of The Dynamics of Friendship and Community. Loyal as ever, Beezus manages to buy Henry a used bike when he cannot bid himself. In a funny plot twist, the bike ends up being nearly useless and, even worse for Henry, a girl’s bike. Beezus’s apology for her bad purchase and Henry’s forgiveness toward her demonstrate that their friendship will survive this unfortunate mishap: “‘I’m sorry, Henry,’ said Beezus. ‘After some of the other bikes it looked pretty good, and I didn’t think about it being a girl’s bike.’ ‘Aw, that’s all right,’ muttered Henry. He supposed it wasn’t really her fault” (77).
While Beezus means well, she and her ever-present little sister, Ramona, are both a boon to Henry and an occasional thorn in his side. Ramona in particular is a major distraction, as her tantrums and escapades pull Henry away from the bidding at the bike auction. However, when Ramona runs away, it is Henry’s turn to reciprocate Beezus’s help. Henry’s inner thoughts reveal that he is more annoyed than concerned, but he still makes an effort to find Beezus’s naughty little sister. By helping Beezus find Ramona, Henry shows his caring and responsible nature, demonstrating his willingness to support his friends when needed.
Meanwhile, Henry’s rivalry with Scooter escalates when Henry is humiliated by the poor performance of his new bike. Although Scooter is kind and offers help, an embarrassed Henry lashes out at Scooter, saying, “I hope you’re satisfied, Scooter McCarthy” (86). Even when Scooter suggests that they collaborate for the parade, Henry turns him down: “‘Sure it’s a good idea,’ Henry had to admit. ‘I’m just going to do something else, is all’” (83). Henry’s rejection of Scooter’s thoughtful suggestion shows his commitment to maintaining their rivalry, which has become a major part of Henry’s motivation to get a bike. Without his neighborhood friends Beezus and Ramona and enemy Scooter, Henry’s life would be much less colorful.
The author’s light-hearted ending adds humor to the story, as Henry’s constant work is rewarded by a stroke of dumb luck when he wins a contest. Cleary’s description of Henry’s joyful first bike ride provides the reader with a tidy conclusion to the novel: “He had waited a long time for this moment. ‘Hi Scoot,’ he said casually, as he pedaled by with his spokes twinkling in the sunshine and his raccoon tail fluttering in the breeze” (101). Thanks to his perseverance, problem-solving skills, and loyal friends, Henry achieves his goal.
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