39 pages • 1 hour read
Summary
Background
Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Character Analysis
Themes
Symbols & Motifs
Important Quotes
Essay Topics
Tools
Iggy Frangi is the protagonist and antihero of The Best of Iggy. He is a mischievous nine-year-old, illustrated with curly dark hair, freckles, and a striped shirt. The narrator establishes that Iggy is poorly behaved in Chapter 1, noting that “all the things [Iggy] does (in this book) are bad. Every last one of them” (9).
Iggy is often irreverent and a bit wild. In Chapter 4, he bursts into laughter when his mom mentions the Dutch Baby, spitting food everywhere. Later, he sings a song about pee and jumps off the roof with his skateboard. He contrasts sharply with Jeremy Greerson, who is well behaved and polite. Iggy is jealous of Jeremy and lies to seem cool in Jeremy’s eyes: “I do it all the time” (31), he claims about skateboarding off the shed roof. Despite his antics, Iggy has good intentions. He tries to prevent Jeremy from jumping off the roof himself, knowing it’s dangerous.
As a nine-year-old, Iggy grapples with The Challenges of Growing Up, which are often tied to Conflict in Friendship and Family Relationships. He wants to be free to do as he likes, and when his sister Maribel and her friend Haley are tasked with watching him, Iggy is upset: “Did it mean they were going to tell him what to do?” (41). Iggy doesn’t want to be supervised by his sister, especially as she is only two years older than him, and he doesn’t believe that gives her the “right” to be in charge. However, when Maribel and Haley ignore him and chat together, Iggy becomes upset at their lack of attention and retaliates by making a mess in the bathroom. As a young kid, Iggy is also influenced by his peers. During the third episode, he suggests to his friends, notorious troublemakers, that they have a desk race when Ms. Schulberger isn’t looking. Although Ms. Schulberger is his favorite teacher, he won’t admit it to his friends. He still lacks the maturity and self-confidence to make his own choices, which can have more or less serious consequences.
Over the course of the novel, Iggy learns from his mistakes, conveying the theme of The Importance of Learning From Mistakes. He is especially affected by the incident with Ms. Schulberger. After the incident, Iggy feels guilty: “He had never felt as terrible as he did then” (64). Unlike the previous episodes, which resulted in minor consequences, this time the repercussions are severe as Ms. Schulberger injures her knee and Iggy is suspended. For the first time, Iggy truly feels remorse for his actions, and shows his changed behavior by bringing Ms. Schulberger gifts and apologizing. These gifts symbolize the depth of Iggy’s regret and his growth. Through Iggy’s experience, the novel conveys the message that one must learn from one’s mistakes to grow.
Jeremy Greerson is a secondary character who plays a key role in the first episode of The Best of Iggy. Jeremy is Iggy’s antithesis and embodies the notion of unattainable perfection throughout the narrative. Introduced in Chapter 2 as the “wonderful boy,” Jeremy is the son of a friend of Iggy’s mom who comes to Iggy’s house for brunch. Jeremy plays the cello, is an avid reader, and has “the best manners ever” (18). This contrasts sharply with Iggy, who, as clarified by the narrator in Chapter 1, isn’t “polite and nice” and doesn’t “[play] the cello and [read] for at least half an hour before bedtime” (9). Reflecting on their differences, Iggy realizes that Jeremy would never do something as crude as singing a song about pee: “Oh no, not him” (27). He even imagines his parents wishing they had a son like Jeremy. In the closing chapter of the novel, the narrator humorously tells readers they will never be as good as Jeremy, reinforcing his image of perfection.
Jeremy’s apparent perfection is symbolized by his scarf, which gives him a mature and put-together appearance in contrast to Iggy’s simple striped shirt. The illustrations consistently depict Jeremy wearing this scarf. While Iggy finds the scarf ridiculous, his older sister Maribel compliments Jeremy on it, telling him he has style. Both Maribel and Molly really like Jeremy, which stirs jealousy in Iggy. Molly even asks Jeremy to read to her, even though reading is something “she [does] with Iggy, not other people” (20). This moment is captured in an illustration on Page 20, showing Jeremy and Molly reading peacefully on a couch while Iggy sulks in the corner with a puzzle.
The positive reactions to Jeremy from those around him fuel Iggy’s rivalry with him, exemplifying the theme of Conflict in Friendship and Family Relationships. In an effort to impress Jeremy, Iggy lies and claims he always skates off the roof of the shed, setting off a chain of events that lead to Jeremy attempting to jump off the roof himself. This incident reveals a different side of Jeremy’s personality. When Iggy tries to dissuade him, afraid he might injure himself, Jeremy insists, kicks him, and taunts him by calling him “Iggy the Piggy” (34). Later, when the parents intervene, Jeremy remains silent and does not defend Iggy, despite knowing the truth. Therefore, Jeremy is a complex character: While he seems well behaved on the surface, he has a mischievous and rebellious side. Through Jeremy’s complexity, the novel conveys the message that perfection is unattainable.
Iggy’s parents are secondary characters in The Best of Iggy. His mom, Laurel, and his dad, whose name is never given, are portrayed as strict figures who enforce rules and discipline. For example, they have a firm stance on limiting screen time; Iggy is only permitted to play computer games for one hour a day. They don’t tolerate Iggy’s irreverence, either. When, during brunch, Iggy laughs at the Dutch Baby pancake and spits out his food, his dad sends him away with a stern “you’re done, kid” (24).
Iggy’s parents believe in The Importance of Learning From Mistakes, and consequently they impose punishments when Iggy misbehaves. After the incident with Jeremy, Iggy is confined to his room until dinnertime, denied dessert for a week, loses his allowance for a month, and must write an apology letter. An illustration on Page 39 depicts Iggy’s parents like judges, looking sternly at him from a bench while Iggy stands before them. Following the bathroom incident, Iggy’s mom insists he buys her a new lipstick with his own money. Lastly, after the incident with Ms. Schulberger, it takes his parents a long time to come to terms with what Iggy did. Chapter 17, titled “What Happened to Iggy Once He Got Home,” consists only of two sentences: “I don’t want to talk about it. All I’m going to say is this: it took a year” (66). This brief chapter underscores the severity of his parents’ reaction and their disappointment.
Iggy has two sisters: Maribel, who is 11 years old, and Molly, who is three years old. They both play small roles in the novel. Molly is portrayed as a cheerful, chubby, and wide-eyed child: “Everything about Molly was round: her face, her eyeballs, her curls, and her stomach” (19). In the illustrations, she is depicted with two pigtails and a big smile. Iggy is fond of Molly, and she often makes him laugh. He becomes jealous when Molly seems to prefer Jeremy, asking him to read to her. Iggy reflects that reading together is something Molly only does with him, not with other people. His jealousy is part of what leads him to misbehave and skateboard off the roof.
Maribel, Iggy’s older sister, appears in both the first and second episodes. Like Molly, Maribel likes Jeremy and compliments him on his scarf. Iggy notes that she has been making comments about clothes since she turned 11. Maribel is tasked with looking after Iggy in Chapter 9, an arrangement that Iggy immediately dislikes. He resents that Maribel, being only two years older, has authority over him: “What gave her the right to watch him? Nothing!” (41). This scenario highlights Conflict in Friendship and Family Relationships. However, Maribel isn’t bossy like Iggy fears. Instead, she allows him to play video games longer than usual while she chats with her friend Haley. As a preteen, Maribel is more interested in having fun with her friend than in supervising her brother. When Iggy eavesdrops, she threatens him: “Go away, or I’ll tell Mom you bugged us” (43). This interaction makes Iggy feel neglected, which causes him to act out and make a mess in the bathroom. The author conveys that relationships between siblings can be challenging as they grow up. Despite this, Maribel cares for Iggy and worries he might be hurt when he locks himself in the bathroom.
Ms. Schulberger, nicknamed Puttzi, is Iggy’s favorite teacher. She is a flat character who plays a crucial role in the third incident recounted in The Best of Iggy, underscoring the theme of The Importance of Learning From Mistakes as Iggy comes to understand the impact of his actions. Described as “young and pretty and nice” (50), Ms. Schulberger stands out with her funky necklaces and efforts to make learning enjoyable. For example, in Global Studies, she has students spin a globe to randomly choose a country, then learn three words in its language, imagining they might live there when they grow up. She also allows the class to have three pets and never gets mad, unlike any other teacher Iggy has had. Ms. Schulberger genuinely likes Iggy, greeting him with enthusiasm every day. She has earned the nickname “Puttzi” because she has a small “putt-putt” car.
Ms. Schulberger is sensitive and caring. After the desk-racing incident where she gets injured, she cries. Later, she is confused about why Iggy would hurt her, saying, “I thought we got along” (69). Despite her initial hurt, though, Ms. Schulberger’s kind and understanding nature shines. When Iggy presents her with gifts and a heartfelt apology, she forgives him and laughs with him. She understands that Iggy didn’t mean to harm her, demonstrating her compassionate and patient personality.
At school, Iggy is part of a friend group with Arch, Skyler, Diego, and Owen. The friends are collectively portrayed on Page 60. Arch, Skyler, Diego, and Owen are introduced as troublemakers, “famous for getting in trouble” rather than “for playing the cello or reading” (59). Skyler stands out as particularly mischievous, with Iggy speculating that he might end up in jail someday. Besides being troublemakers, Arch is famous for a memorable camping incident, Owen for being good at drawing, and Diego for being good at soccer and building go-karts with his dad. Diego is Iggy’s closest friend in the group, but he’s in a different class.
Iggy’s friends have a negative influence on him, often leading him into trouble. Despite liking Ms. Schulberger, Iggy feels pressured to impress his friends and suggests having a desk race when she’s not looking. The group enthusiastically agrees, with Skyler suggesting Ms. Schulberger can be the finish line. Only Arch hesitates, warning, “We’ll get moved to Red” (60). This scenario highlights both Conflict in Friendship and Family Relationships and The Challenges of Growing Up: Childhood friendships can lead to poor decisions due to immaturity and susceptibility to peer influence. When they are sent to the principal, Arch and Owen cry, showing some remorse, while Skyler remains unfazed, already proving to be a troublemaker not easily affected by consequences of his actions.
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By Annie Barrows