Stephen Curtis, the deuteragonist or secondary protagonist, is Nora’s long-time classmate and best friend, though by fifth grade, he grows shy about their friendship in front of his guy friends. Since kindergarten, Stephen has inspired Nora with his hard work, patience, perseverance, fairness, and—above all—kindness. His easygoing demeanor changes in fourth grade when their class takes the CMT for the first time. Nora notices, “He got mad at himself if he messed up on assignments or tests. […] And the worst part was that he didn’t seem as happy” (25). Stephen becomes discouraged, thinking he isn’t smart, and school becomes a burden rather than a place of exploration. Nora chides him anytime he calls himself dumb, and the negative effect of grades and test scores on Stephen prompts Nora to try to change how everyone views grades.

Because Stephen doesn’t feel like a smart kid, he tries to establish his reputation through confidence and independence. This is one reason that he distances himself from Nora in public; he doesn’t want to appear dependent on her. Nora exacerbates this fear when she defends him from Merton Lake. He initially resents her help, but he soon admits, “Actually, I wish I could have said all that” (102), revealing that he inwardly falls short of his aspired bravery. When Nora invites him to join her plan, he jumps on the opportunity, later admitting that the sudden freedom from his insecurities fueled reckless bravery: “all of a sudden I felt like my grades didn’t have this huge power over me. And I guess I got carried away. Even so, I learned a lot. And I’m not going to be afraid of tests and grades anymore, not like I was” (165). Because he doesn’t fully understand Nora’s intentions, he overcompensates and encourages rebellion among his classmates. Despite his misguided actions, Stephen grows from feeling restricted by his grade insecurities to embracing what he loves about learning. Similarly, once he learns that Nora concocted her whole plan to help him, he overcomes his shyness about their friendship, quietly but deeply appreciative of her loyalty.

Mrs. Byrne is the school’s librarian and one of Nora’s favorite adults: “I had never seen her lose her temper, and she always seemed fair and open-minded. Which makes sense—why would a narrow-minded person be a librarian?” (70). Mrs. Byrne’s openness makes her quick to listen and slow to speak, so Nora knows that she will take her seriously. Mrs. Byrne never sugarcoats the truth, though she always uses a level tone even when she disagrees with someone. For example, she both listens to Nora when she reveals her secret and helps her recognize the oversights in her grand plan. Mrs. Byrne advocates for the agency and individuality of children in the novel: In the large meeting called by the superintendent, Mrs. Byrne defends Nora and Stephen’s noble intentions in a room full of her superiors.

With her intelligence, Nora can pursue any subject she wants, but Mrs. Byrne’s example persuades Nora to consider a career in library sciences. Nora wants to become a librarian because she admires what Mrs. Byrne represents: thoughtfulness in all her words, gentleness in her demeanor, and a heart for sharpening curious minds.

Mrs. Hackney is the school principal who must deal with Nora’s antics from an administrative perspective. Though she is firm, Nora never feels belittled under her discipline: “Because Mrs. Hackney wasn’t just a shouter, and she wasn’t just some lady with an office. She was mad, but she was still a teacher—the top teacher of the whole school” (120). As a principal, Mrs. Hackney both cares deeply for the students and must answer to her superiors. She must view the school as both a place where children develop and as a system that must flow smoothly and according to standard. When Nora and Stephen incite rebellion among the students, Mrs. Hackney puts her foot down: “A disobedient attitude has been set loose in our school. And we have got to stop it. Now” (149). She answers for all the grades students receive in the school, but she doesn’t make the rules: She works for the superintendent above her, who in turn works for the state. However, Mrs. Hackney is still a teacher, not as far removed from students as the superintendent is. She ultimately sympathizes with Nora’s viewpoint (after some convincing), though she helps Nora realize that she can’t dismiss the whole educational system in pursuit of reforming just one part.

Dr. Trindler is a guidance counselor and psychologist who takes a clinical interest in Nora. He decorates his office with plaques and certificates—the adult version of perfect grades and high test scores. Dr. Trindler serves as Nora’s thematic foil, representing the epitome of academic achievement, which is precisely what Nora fights against and explains why Nora never trusts him completely. She feels that Dr. Trindler studies her under a microscope like a test subject rather than a human being: “I knew what he wanted. He wanted to have a deep conversation with me. He wanted to work up a theory about me. And about my problem” (97). Unlike Mrs. Byrne, who sees Nora for who she is, Dr. Trindler wants to diagnose rather than understand Nora as an individual. Still, Nora doesn’t fault him for his enthusiasm. When she first visits his office, she notes, “He seemed a little too happy, but I didn’t mind. I was his big project for the afternoon, and I figured that the man must love his work” (76). Dr. Trindler, a static character, truly loves analyzing people and situations, though his skills don’t help Nora on a human level through her development.