Travis Character Analysis

Travis is Ally's big brother. He's in high school, though Ally never shares what grade. School has never been Travis's thing; the novel implies that, like Ally, Travis is dyslexic. He talks about words moving and not making any sense to him, though Mom insists that Travis stick with school at least through high school. Travis's true passions are coin collecting and cars. He often takes Ally with him when he goes to pawn shops to purchase coins, where he proves himself both an adept bargainer and a kind and supportive sibling (for example, he buys Ally special coins to remind her of their Grandpa and that she's loved). After school and on weekends, he works at an auto shop and fixes up old machines to sell. His dream is to one day open up his own shop. This seems within reach for Travis until his manager has to undergo back surgery. The interim manager makes Travis look up how to perform repairs in a manual before letting him do anything on cars in the shop—without taking into account that Travis has an innate sense of how to fix the cars and, because of his dyslexia, surely struggles to read the manual. He becomes angry and withdrawn about this as time goes on, though he expresses interest in Ally's tutoring with Mr. Daniels. Finally, near the end of the school year, Ally asks Mr. Daniels if she can bring Travis to their tutoring sessions so he can learn to read too. Both Mr. Daniels and Travis agree, and Ally recognizes that Travis is finally ready to ask for and accept help.