49 pages • 1 hour read
Gordon KormanSupergifted
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2018A 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 21-24Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 21 Summary: “Supersupportive, Hash Taggart”
Hashtag’s deep secret is that his arm is actually fine; he’s simply afraid of rejoining the team and ruining their winning streak. Rather than face backlash and criticism if his reentry coincided with a loss, he sits on the sidelines and gives players encouragement and advice. This makes him appreciate the cheerleaders, though he also credits Noah with his changed attitude toward cheerleading: He is impressed that Noah has managed to become an adequate member of the squad.
Megan disagrees that Noah even meets the criteria for “fine,” but Hashtag stands up for Noah. He tells her that although he also used to make fun of Noah and hide his pants in gym class, he has now started to like the local hero. Megan points out that Hashtag has started slouching like Noah, and Hashtag realizes that many students have started copying Noah; he has become “a fashion statement.” Hashtag is untroubled, however, and looks forward to the governor awarding Noah a medal in a few days.
Chapter 22 Summary: “Superrevealing, Megan Mercury”
The whole school is preparing for the big award assembly: There has been no homework for days, teachers are busy making posters, and there are huge streamers with Noah’s face on them festooning the hallways. Megan finds this obsession annoying, but when her own squad stands up to her for Noah, she begins to question whether Noah is actually a better cheerleader than she thought. Seeking “impartial” opinion, she thinks of Katie Patterson. When she visits Katie’s home, she learns about Noah’s training with Katie’s husband; Katie credits this, rather than her own attempts at coaching, with Noah’s improvement. Megan decides the whole squad would benefit from this boot camp. Just then, Katie calls out to Kandahar, and Megan recognizes the puppy’s name. She connects the dots and realizes that she owes her “home and family to Donovan the Doofus” (148). She hurries away from the Curtis house, assuring Katie that she will be at the award ceremony, eager to see Noah receive his dues.
Chapter 23 Summary: “Superfriend, Noah Youkilis”
On the day of the assembly, Noah’s father is fixing his son’s tie when Noah’s phone rings. It’s Chloe, asking Noah to come to the robotics lab to help fix Heavy Metal; the robot is supposed to greet the governor with a tote bag. Noah hangs up, as he has to be at school for the award ceremony. Donovan calls him while he’s in the car, but Noah still refuses to help. Despairingly, Donovan wishes him “good luck” at the ceremony, and Noah, touched by the sentiment, returns it.
Trussman confronts Noah on his way into the school and tells him he knows Noah isn’t the superkid. He offers to help Noah out of this situation in exchange for an interview, but Noah, recognizing that Donovan was right about Trussman all along, does not give up or confess anything: This, he thinks, is what Donovan himself would do.
Chapter 24 Summary: “Superkid, Donovan Curtis”
The team has failed to find the problem with Heavy Metal. Noah, who could identify the issue easily, is not interested in helping. The team is upset as the bus arrives to take them and Heavy Metal to Hardcastle. The school is fully packed, and vehicles are clogging the main drive. In the cafeteria, where the ceremony will take place, Donovan notices his parents, Katie, and Brad in the audience. Megan taps his shoulder, hands him Kandy’s missing toy, thanks him for saving her house, and leaves.
Oz calls Donovan to the front of the room; it is time for the presentation. Donovan operates the joystick, and Heavy Metal successfully presents the governor with the gift. Just when the team sighs with relief, there is a clunk. Heavy Metal is dropping golf balls. Donovan signals the governor to leave the stage as the scene descends into chaos and the robot’s drone “dive-bomb[s]” members of the audience. Donovan flings himself at Heavy Metal with all his strength, reaches his arm down for the kill switch, and shuts the robot down. Brad is the first to approach and ask if he is okay. The truck driver shouts, “That’s him” (160); he has finally recognized the superkid. Megan steps forward and confirms that this is true.
Everyone looks at Noah, who “righteously” tells them that he took the credit for friendship and to protect Donovan and Beatrice. Donovan cannot let the whole town hate Noah, so he steps forward and tells everyone that he asked Noah to cover for him. Mr. Taggart is greatly impressed and promises to leave Beatrice alone. As soon as the governor leaves, the cafeteria empties out. Chloe apologizes for not believing Donovan earlier. His mother tells him she’s proud of him but warns him never to do something like that again. His father still can’t believe it.
Chapters 21-24 Analysis
Hashtag’s fear of returning to the lacrosse team reveals new layers of his character, showcasing vulnerability and a lack of self-confidence beneath his tough exterior. His fear stems from the pressure of being the team captain combined with the Hornets’ winning streak. He worries that if he returns and the team starts losing, he will be blamed and viewed negatively by others. He doesn’t want his reputation to be tarnished, and he fears that people may question his skill. While this lends complexity to a character who might seem like a stereotypical jock, Hashtag’s anxiety highlights the perils of relying on public perception for one’s self-esteem, developing the theme of Dynamics of Identity, Growth, and Self-Acceptance.
In fact, part of what Hashtag has come to appreciate about Noah is that he seems unconcerned with being anyone but himself. Hashtag has begun to understand the value of Embracing Differences, but in context, the remark is also deeply ironic. For one, as Hashtag himself realizes, he and others have begun to imitate the physical appearance of Noah and follow “the Youki-look” (141). Noah’s idiosyncrasies have become a form of showing admiration and conformity. Meanwhile, Noah himself no longer exhibits the Youki-look as prominently as before, thanks to his training with Brad. This physical transformation parallels an internal one; though Noah retains many of his quirks, fame has changed him in some ways, making him less “himself.”
Noah’s behavior in the run-up to the ceremony is an example. As Noah acknowledges, he left the Academy because he wanted to experience being “average”—to get mediocre grades and, above all, to have friends. Now, however, he has decided he likes being exceptional; he delights in the fame and popularity that comes with being the superkid. Noah still wants human connection, and he still feels affection for Donovan, as both their phone call and Noah’s conversation with Trussman make clear. However, celebrity has to some extent become an end in and of itself, leading him to reject his teammates’ pleas to help with Heavy Metal. This refusal proves to be Noah’s undoing, as the robot’s behavior during the ceremony sets off the chain of events that leads the truck driver to recognize Donovan as the superkid. Donovan, however, still feels Friendship and Loyalty for Noah; knowing that people will mistake Noah’s misguided attempt to protect Donovan for a selfish desire for glory, Donovan tells his own lie to shield Noah from public backlash.
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