48 pages • 1 hour read
Gillian McDunnCaterpillar Summer
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2019A 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 1-9Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 1 Summary
It is the last day of fifth grade for Cat and the last day of first grade for Chicken. Cat looks forward to their upcoming trip to Atlanta to visit her friend Rishi. Cat’s classmate Poppy invites her to go with a group to Toy Boat, an ice cream shop, but Cat considers her brother and turns down the invitation.
When Chicken arrives, he explains that the chaos of the final day was stressful, but he was able to calm himself using breathing exercises. To celebrate his success in managing his emotions, he asks Cat if they might get sesame buns, and Cat agrees.
As they leave the bakery with their buns, they stop at a fish market so that Chicken can look at the fish. Cat becomes lost in thought about sixth grade, unsure how she will be able to care for Chicken when they are in separate buildings. Suddenly, she realizes Chicken is missing.
Cat searches the area, then runs to a nearby pizzeria Chicken likes. When he is not there, Cat runs to a bookstore next, knowing Chicken likes the statue outside the bargain books that resembles an elf. She spots Chicken under a bargain table, reading one of their mother’s books. Cat lectures Chicken on running away, but Chicken is unconcerned. Cat worries that their mother may no longer allow Cat to care for Chicken if she cannot keep him safe.
Chapter 2 Summary
Cat and Chicken arrive home to find Mom working. Cat tries to call Rishi, but he does not answer. Cat makes a dinner of eggs, with peanut butter toast for Chicken, then asks Mom if she is joining them. She is busy at work and explains that she is not at a good stopping place.
She and Cat talk briefly as Mom can tell that something is upsetting Cat. Cat does not want to keep Chicken’s running away that afternoon a secret but does not want to upset Mom. Regardless, her mother suspects that the reason Cat is upset is because she has been working so much, leaving Cat with greater responsibilities. She assures Cat that the intensity of her work is so that she can enjoy the time in Georgia during the summer.
Cat returns to her dinner, then supervises Chicken’s bedtime routine. She reads him one of his favorite books by their mother and thinks about the real-life incident that inspired it.
Chapter 3 Summary
Cat is awoken the next morning by Mom, who tells Cat they have overslept. They rush around, finishing their packing, and making certain Chicken gets ready. They are ready just in time for the airport shuttle, which arrives 10 minutes later. Mom rushes back to grab Chicken’s special plastic shark when Cat realizes it is missing.
On the ride to the airport, Chicken talks about sharks with a fellow passenger, a man wearing square-shaped glasses. Cat is grateful the man is not annoyed by Chicken. The first leg of the trip goes smoothly. As they wait in Chicago for the second plane that will take them to Atlanta, Mom says that Manjula, Rishi’s mother, called and left a voicemail. However, her battery is low, and she does not want to further lower it by listening to the message.
When they arrive in Atlanta, Chicken is unwilling to deplane, wanting instead to watch the men unload the luggage. In the airport, he becomes emotional, walking in circles and flapping his hands. Cat calms him by pulling out a family photo album that she knows will interest him.
At the baggage claim, they wait for Rishi and his parents; Chicken has calmed and looks at the pictures with Cat, then falls asleep. When Rishi does not arrive, Mom proposes that they must be stuck in traffic. However, after listening to the voicemail from Manjula, she informs Cat that their plans have changed: Manjula’s mother has suffered a stroke and is hospitalized, so Rishi and his parents have traveled to India to be with her.
Mom brainstorms what they might do as staying with Rishi’s family is no longer possible. She considers a summer camp might be possible for Chicken, but Cat knows he would not be able to handle something of that nature. Cat wants Mom to cancel her class so that they can just return home, but Mom is unwilling to do so. After some phone calls, Mom informs Cat that she and Chicken will spend the three weeks in North Carolina with their grandparents, whom neither of them has met. Cat is dubious but vows to take care of Chicken.
Chapter 4 Summary
Cat, Chicken, and Mom drive to Mom’s parents’ home after eating lunch. Chicken asks why a woman at the restaurant asked whether she was their mother, then immediately suggests it was because of their differing skin color from hers.
As they drive, Mom tells them a little about their grandparents, including that they live on an island called Gingerbread Island and that her father was a surgeon. Cat is surprised to learn that Mom has been in contact with her mom, Lily, though has not spoken to her father, Macon. They did not approve, Mom says, of the life she set out to have when she was young.
They arrive and Chicken recognizes Lily and Macon’s house as one depicted in one of Mom’s books. Lily greets them warmly, but Macon does not engage very much. Cat is shown to Mom’s old bedroom, and Chicken announces that he too will sleep there instead of in the guest room.
Cat has a few minutes to herself in the bedroom and changes out the cotton pillowcase on the pillow to a silk one she has brought. Lily sees this and is confused and Cat explains that cotton dries out her hair.
Lily accompanies Cat and Chicken down the pier to the water, while Mom cautions Lily to watch Chicken carefully. Cat steps into the water, is surprised by its warmth, and Mom finds a shark tooth in the sand that she later gives to Chicken.
Back inside, Mom drinks a glass of iced tea with Lily before saying goodbye to Cat and Chicken, promising to visit on the weekend and reminding Chicken to stay away from the ocean.
Chapter 5 Summary
The next morning, Chicken and Cat eat biscuits for breakfast. After, Cat offers to help Lily wash the dishes, but Lily suggests she explore the house. Cat discovers a series of fishing trophies, surprised to discover they were won by her mom.
Lily offers to show Cat and Chicken photos of Mom, and they look at the photos that show her as a small child catching fish to a high school student attending a debutante ball. Via the photos, Cat realizes that Mom and Macon used to be close. She vows to discover what caused the rift in their relationship.
Chapter 6 Summary
Macon returns from the beach where he has picked up trash and searched for signs of sea turtle nests. While Lily prepares to go to the beach, Chicken and Cat draw. Macon joins them with a ship in a bottle. He explains, after the children’s questions, that he does indeed make them himself. But he quickly makes up an excuse to leave, just as their conversation is getting underway.
On the beach, Lily, Cat, and Chicken walk along the water’s edge, searching for shells and shark teeth. Cat is uncomfortable with how quickly and easily Chicken has warmed to Lily—quite unusual for Chicken. She is upset at having missed the trip to visit Rishi that she looked forward to. She wishes, for once, that she had someone to care for her the way Cat takes care of Chicken.
Chapter 7 Summary
That afternoon, Cat is reading in her bedroom when she hears a scream. Fearful something terrible may be happening to Chicken, she rushes out to the beach. There, he and Lily exclaim over a crab, half-eaten and “super gross,” (75) according to Chicken.
Cat plays in the sand with Lily and Chicken, who pretends Lily’s laundry basket is his boat. Lily comments on how impressively Cat cares for Chicken, acknowledging that the work of the one who holds the family together, as Cat does, often goes unappreciated. Then Lily points out some boys playing on the nearby dune, explaining that climbing the dune is not permitted as it damages the grasses.
Lily and Chicken head back inside and Cat watches the boys roughhouse on the dune. They challenge one another to acrobatics competitions, and Cat grows alarmed after one of the boys lands hard on the sand and does not get up. She shouts to them, asking the boy on the ground if he is alright. He pops up and the boys begin to taunt Cat, mocking her for her concern, then teasing her about the laundry basket. Cat retorts back, but her comments do not deter them. One of the boys grabs the basket, still filled with Cat’s treasures, and tosses it on to the dune. The boys leave, and Cat must retrieve the basket on her own.
Inside, Chicken is relieved to see the basket and Cat is rather upset that she receives no thanks for her efforts. They call Mom for a video chat and tell her of the photos they have seen of her childhood. Mom tries to downplay them, but Cat asks if Mom might teach them to fish when she visits on the weekend. Mom concedes reluctantly. Cat is determined to discover why Mom is unwilling to share her past.
Chapter 8 Summary
Cat wakes as the sun rises the next morning. She finds Macon in the kitchen pouring coffee and asks to accompany him on his walk. He agrees but walks quickly and Cat must hurry to keep up with his long strides. She asks him about the turtles, but Macon is adamant that it will be a few more months until they begin to hatch.
Cat asks Macon about his hobbies, trying to get him to talk about fishing, but Macon is unwilling. She asks him to accompany her and her mom on their fishing trip on the weekend, but Macon refuses, insisting he would only be in the way. When Cat presses him further, Macon declares the walk on the beach over and turns around. Cat follows but does not try to keep up this time.
Chapter 9 Summary
In the afternoon, Macon and Chicken fly a kite. Cat notes that Macon appears to like Chicken. She and Lily walk along the beach, searching for sea glass. Cat keeps Chicken in her sight. At one point, he steps into the water, exclaiming about how warm it is. Suddenly Chicken is pulled underwater by a wave.
Macon scoops him up, but Chicken screams and flails. Lily and Macon worry that he is hurt, but Cat tries to explain that Chicken does not like to be held in such a manner. She finally convinces them to let her hold Chicken, and he calms down as Cat carries him into the house.
Chicken requests Cat read him one of Mom’s books. In the story, Chicken’s cookie breaks so Cat gives him half of hers. As she reads, Cat grows upset, recalling the actual incident. She tries to discuss the sacrifices she has made for Chicken and the symbolism of the cookie, but Chicken refuses to see her point.
Lily invites them to have some lemonade, but Cat prefers to be alone in the bedroom. She sends Rishi an email, telling him a bit about her stay with her grandparents. That night, Chicken falls asleep quickly, but Cat hears Lily and Macon discussing Chicken. Macon is fearful Chicken could have been hurt because of Macon’s negligence at the beach.
Chapters 1-9 Analysis
Chicken’s disability, though not specifically labeled, is clear from the start. As his older sister, Cat is protective of Chicken and entrusted with keeping watch over him. She worries about him when they are apart, anticipating the kinds of things— such as the chaos of a last day or school—that will be difficult for Chicken to cope with and wanting to be present to assist him. The bond between the two siblings is strong, evident when Cat turns down an invitation to have ice cream with her peers. Cat stresses the importance of her role, underscoring that her job is to hold the family together. In this way, she not only cares for Chicken, but she carries out household tasks, such a meal preparation, so that Mom may devote herself to her work. Likewise, Cat seeks to save Mom from unnecessary stress and worry: She recognizes that the hospital bills from her father’s illness have created a financial burden. For this reason, Cat respects the boundary Mom has established, allowing Mom to work undisturbed. Cat goes so far as to keep from Mom the details of Chicken’s penchant for running off. Cat does not wish to upset Mom and is confident that she can care for Chicken effectively on her own, emphasizing her own belief in the importance of the novel’s theme of Responsibility and Commitment.
Cat cares for Chicken so well—understanding what will upset him and what can be done to keep him calm—that she is hesitant to allow Lily and Macon to assist with Chicken’s needs. Cat is certain that she is irreplaceable and frequently puts Chicken’s needs first. At times, however, she resents Chicken’s dependence on her, finding it void of appreciation. She feels taken for granted and this frustrates her.
That relationships are important to Cat is also apparent. She has looked forward to the visit to Atlanta to be reunited with Rishi and thus is disappointed when they must cancel their visit. That Cat does not protest staying with her grandparents—despite never having met them—is further indication of her willingness to put Mom’s work and Mom’s preferences first. Cat’s lack of protest highlights how her sense of self is minimized, illustrating the story’s theme of Autonomy and Agency.
The past and the cause for the rift between Cat’s mom and Lily and Macon is unknown to Cat. She is curious, wanting to learn more about these details that are unknown to her, but Mom does not wish to confide in Cat about them. Indeed, that Cat is surprised to learn that Mom has been in contact with Lily demonstrates just how little of her parents Mom has revealed to her children. That Cat desires to know more about her Mom’s past shows how important her bond with her mother is to Cat. While Lily is warm and welcoming to Cat and Chicken, the tension surrounding Macon is palpable. He avoids them and interacts as little as possible. While not outwardly rude or cruel, he strikes Cat as reserved, standoffish, and uncomfortable.
Mom’s books—an important symbol—are introduced in this section. The characters, a chicken and a caterpillar, use Cat and Chicken’s nicknames and the plots of the books are borrowed from real-life incidents that have taken place. The theme of the books consistently argues for the sacrifices the Caterpillar character makes for the Chicken character. As Cat revisits these plots, she grows increasingly bothered by the way in which Chicken does not acknowledge the real-life sacrifices she has made for him.
Finally, Cat’s encounter with John Harvey and his brothers foreshadows the conflict that will play out in the rest of the novel. That she views their breaking the rules by playing on the dune with disdain indicates that Cat respects authority and understands that rules exist for valid reasons. Yet, she shows that she is fierce and unwilling to back down or give in when she responds to the boys’ retorts with those of her own. Importantly, her reason for approaching the boys was to ensure that John Harvey was not hurt and to assist him if help was needed. This is in keeping with Cat’s character and role as a protector and nurturer.
