43 pages • 1 hour read
Dan GutmanHonus and Me
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 1997A 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 6-11Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 6 Summary: “Floating on Air”
Joe decides to learn more about Honus Wagner and rides his bike to the Ekstrom Library at the University of Louisville. Although he doesn’t find any books specifically about Wagner, nearly every baseball book mentions him. Joe already knew Wagner was a Hall of Famer, but he is amazed to learn just how great he was. Wagner hit over .300 for 17 straight seasons, and won the National League batting championship eight times (including four consecutive years). He was incredibly fast despite his stocky build. He also had huge hands, which helped him on the field. Every book agrees: “Wagner was undisputably the greatest shortstop ever” (26). Interestingly, many of the books mention that Wagner was funny-looking. Joe reflects: “He reminded me of me a little bit. I wondered if kids made fun of him when he was growing up” (26).
Next, Joe looks up the value of the T-206 Honus Wagner card. He learns that one was sold in 1991 for $451,000. He is thrilled. Alongside the short article he found is a picture of card—it’s the exact same card in his backpack. Dreaming about what he would do with the money, Joe imagines buying his mom a house in a nice neighborhood and a new car. He hopes that with no financial worries, his mom and dad might even fall back in love and that they can be a family again. He feels like the luckiest kid in the world, but he also has a strange sensation.
Chapter 7 Summary: “One Last Peek”
Joe can’t wait to tell his mom about the card but worries she might insist he return it to Miss Young. Before going to bed, he takes the card out for one last look. The tingling sensation he feels is stronger than ever. As he drifts off to sleep, he wishes he could meet Honus Wagner. In the middle of the night, Joe is startled awake by movement in his room. Sitting in a chair at his desk is a man in a baseball uniform, calmly watching him. Joe, shocked, asks who he is. The man responds by asking the same question. Joe studies him: “He was a big man. Not tall, but solid. About 200 pounds. He must have been in his mid-thirties, sort of weird-looking, with big ears and a big nose” (29). The man’s legs are bowed like his, but even worse. He introduces himself as Honus Wagner, or Hans, as his friends call him.
Joe is stunned. Honus explains that he was at the ballpark when suddenly he found himself here. Joe realizes Honus must have traveled through time. At first he doubts him, suspecting this might be a trick to steal the card. Honus laughs, saying a baseball card is worthless. Joe soon realizes it really is Honus Wagner. Joe reflects on the magical feeling he always gets from baseball cards and suddenly understands it: “I always had a special feeling about baseball cards, and now I understood what that feeling was. A baseball card, for me, could be like a time machine. With a 1909 Honus Wagner card in my hand, I wished I could meet Honus, and he traveled through time to fulfill my wish” (33). Joe wonders who else he might summon with other cards.
Honus and Joe talk about baseball. Joe admits he’s no good at it and that kids often make fun of him for the way he looks. Honus shares that he was teased as a kid too, especially because of his legs. He tells Joe they’re alike and encourages him to believe in himself. Honus says the secret to becoming a good player is to trick yourself into believing you already are one. Joe eventually drifts back to sleep.
Chapter 8 Summary: “Daydreaming”
Joe wakes up to find Honus gone and assumes it was just a vivid dream. He puts the Wagner card in his backpack, determined not to let it out of his sight. At school, he struggles to focus, distracted by thoughts of Honus and the card. Should he sell it, keep it, or give it back to Miss Young?
Later, during a baseball game against the Galante Giants, Joe’s team is losing. He’s on the bench until a teammate has to leave for a dentist appointment. Joe is called in, much to his team’s disappointment: “Everybody knew I couldn’t hit. Putting me up there in this situation was like throwing the game away” (37). Remembering Honus’s advice to believe he’s already a great player, Joe closes his eyes and imagines hitting a home run. He hits the ball but it’s caught by the catcher, ending the game. His team loses, but Joe feels a small victory: at least he didn’t whiff.
As Joe is packing up to leave, he hears someone call his name. It’s Honus, sitting on the steps. Joe is shocked—it wasn’t a dream. Honus explains he climbed out the window during the night and walked the streets. He’s wearing new clothes he found in a trash pile. The two play some ball, and Honus offers advice to improve Joe’s technique.
Later, Honus shares that he started playing baseball while working in the mines. His brother Albert, nicknamed Butts, who played professionally until an injury, helped him break into the big leagues. When Joe asks what it’s like to play in the majors, Honus says: “Like bein’ on the highest mountain […] . It’s all I ever dreamed of. I’d rather be shortstop for the Pittsburgh Pirates than President of the United States” (41). Honus tells Joe he has to return to 1909 for tomorrow’s game and suggests Joe come with him. They agree to try traveling together that night.
Chapter 9 Summary: “The Argument”
At home, Joe’s mom tells him Birdie Farrell called, wanting to talk to him. Joe decides to show her the card, but doesn’t tell her about meeting Honus. She is shocked at the card’s value but insists it must be returned to Miss Young: “Joe, it’s the right thing to do, and you know it” (47). Upset, Joe locks himself in his room. That evening, his dad comes over, but Joe refuses to come out. He overhears his parents arguing—his mom believes keeping the card is wrong, while his dad thinks they’ll regret giving it back.
At 10 o’clock, Honus climbs through Joe’s window. They sit on the bed, and Honus asks Joe to think of 1909 while holding the card. Joe concentrates, and wishes he were grown up and could make his own decisions about the card. He begins to tingle.
Chapter 10 Summary: “Growing Up Fast”
Joe wakes up in a strange room filled with antiques and flowery wallpaper. Looking out the window, he sees a ballpark. A door opens, and Honus walks in wearing his Pirates uniform. He appears shocked, and looks Joe up and down. Joe looks in the mirror; he realizes he’s no longer a boy but a grown man: “A man who was a bit under six feet tall, with large ears and bowed legs. The face looked pretty much like mine, but the body was that of a grown-up” (53). He realizes that he went to sleep wishing he was a grownup, and he became one. He and Honus look very much alike. Honus explains they’re in a hotel in Detroit, and it’s the day of the World Series game against the Tigers.
As they walk to the game, people greet Honus, wish him luck, and ask for autographs. They mistake Joe for Honus’s brother Butts, asking how he is and for his autograph. At Bennett Park, Honus gives Joe a ticket. Honus tells Joe that if during the game he pats his right shoulder with his left hand, Joe should come down and meet him.
Chapter 11 Summary: “The Great Cobb”
Once seated, Joe takes in the differences around him. The park is much smaller and made of wood, unlike the stadiums he knows. He spots Ty Cobb on the field and gets excited. Women nearby mistake Joe for Honus’s brother and snicker that he’s just as ugly as Honus. Joe reads a newspaper and learns more about the World Series matchup: neither the Pirates nor the Tigers have ever won a World Series. The series is being hyped as a showdown between the two best players: Ty Cobb and Honus Wagner. The paper calls it “The Antelope versus the Buffalo” (59), with Honus being the Buffalo. When the game begins, Joe watches, caught up in the excitement of being part of such a historic event.
Chapters 6-11 Analysis
These chapters introduce the magical element of the story: time travel. Honus Wagner’s sudden appearance in Joe’s room is a turning point for Joe, transforming the baseball card from a simple collectible into a powerful tool capable of transcending time.
In Chapter 6, the book establishes a connection between Joe and Honus Wagner, even before they meet. Joe’s research into Wagner reveals many parallels between the two. Despite being one of the greatest baseball players of all time, Wagner is described as awkward and funny-looking: “He was sort of ugly and awkward. He didn’t look like a typical ballplayer” (26). Joe sees himself in these descriptions, wondering if Wagner was teased as a child. He expresses a desire to meet him, a wish that is magically fulfilled in Chapter 7. When Wagner appears in Joe’s room, the similarities between the two become even more apparent. Again, Joe focuses on Wagner’s physical quirks, with big ears, a big nose, and bowed legs: “I could see his legs were bowed like mine, but even worse. His chest seemed to be as big as a barrel” (29). Wagner acknowledges the resemblance, telling Joe he reminds him of his younger self. Through Wagner, the novel suggests that appearances are insignificant. Wagner, though awkward-looking, became a famous baseball player. In this way, the novel also suggests that Joe should not feel limited by his appearance and what others say about him.
These chapters also explore the importance of positive role models. Wagner quickly becomes a mentor for Joe, offering Joe invaluable advice about self-belief: “The secret to bein’ a great ballplayer […] is to trick yourself into thinkin’ you already are one” (34). In Chapter 8, during a baseball game, Joe recalls Wagner’s words and imagines himself as a star player: “I closed my eyes and tried to imagine I had hit a home run in my last at-bat, and I was the league’s Most Valuable Player” (37). Although Joe’s team ultimately loses the game, this moment represents a significant step in his growth, as he begins to gain confidence and embrace improvement. Wagner’s interactions with Joe also reveal his down-to-earth personality and philosophy. He shares stories of his struggles, such as losing his mother at a young age and working in a mine. Through these stories, Joe learns that even legends like Wagner faced hardships but overcame them through resilience and hard work.
At this point in the book, Joe is excited by the possibility of making money by selling the card, and has a childish and optimistic view of his potential future: “Without any money problems, Mom and Dad would probably fall back in love and we’d be a family again. We’d hire some servants to do the shopping and cooking and cleaning and all the other stuff Mom hates to do” (27). This fantasy highlights Joe’s desire for stability. As he begins to grasp the magical potential of the card, the story introduces the ethical dilemmas of using time travel. Reflecting on the card’s power, Joe’s thoughts spiral into the possibilities of meeting other legends, like Ty Cobb, The Georgia Peach, or Jackie Robinson. The card’s time-travel potential tempts Joe with possibilities for personal gain.
Joe’s internal conflict about whether to keep or return the Honus Wagner card is a central focus in these chapters. His mother acts as a moral anchor, insisting that the card must be returned to Miss Young, its rightful owner. In contrast, Joe’s father represents the materialistic view, suggesting that they will regret giving up such a valuable item. Joe would like to make the decision himself, but his mother reminds him: “When you’re a grown-up, you can make important decisions yourself. But for now, we do that for you” (48). This highlights Joe’s frustration with his lack of autonomy. His yearning for independence is literalized in Chapter 10, where he wakes up in 1909 as an adult. This transformation allows him to experience a world where he can make decisions and explore his potential.
As Joe travels back to 1909 with Wagner, Gutman recreates the historical atmosphere of early 20th-century baseball, conveying The Value of History and Tradition. The simplistic setting of the wooden ballpark contrasts with more elaborate modern sports venues. By going back to this time, Joe begins to connect with his integral sense of good.
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