Jeanie is Georgie’s antagonist throughout most of the novel. Initially framed as a flat character defined by a single trait—being a bully—the narrative soon reveals the complexities of her character; this makes her a round character and much more than an antagonist to Georgie, as she helps Georgie grow his perspective on people by proving to him that she’s more than just her “thing.” The first mention of Jeanie takes place in Chapter 1 when Georgie observes, “The thing about Jeanette Wallace, Georgie thought, was that she was mean. That’s why everyone called her Jeanie the Meanie” (2). Georgie recalls memories as early as kindergarten in which Jeanie has been mean to him, following him around and mocking him.

Georgie’s perspective on Jeanie begins to shift when he’s assigned as her partner for a project on Abraham Lincoln. On their first day doing research in the library, Georgie discovers that Jeanie has checked out the book Little in a Big World, the library’s book on people with dwarfism and how they adapt. This contrast between Jeanie’s pursuit of understanding and her treatment of Georgie hints at the depth of Jeanie’s character beyond just being mean.

This contrast becomes more explainable when Georgie gets a glimpse into Jeanie’s home life in Chapter 14. Her mother died when she was young, leaving her the only girl in a family with two older brothers who bully her constantly. The way Jeanie speaks to others is a direct reflection of the way she’s spoken to at home. When Jeanie’s brothers accuse her of having no friends, putting Georgie on the spot, Georgie remains silent, and Jeanie’s furious reaction to Georgie’s silence shows that she believes she and Georgie are friends to an extent. She clarifies this to Georgie’s mother in Chapter 19, explaining that she’s tried to be Georgie’s friend for years. Jeanie’s interpretation of her dynamic with Georgie suggests that Jeanie is someone who cares about the people in her life but doesn’t know how to express it properly. To Georgie, she’s extended friendship the only way she knows how thanks to her brothers.

In the final chapters, Georgie allows Jeanie to help him regarding Going Outside One’s Comfort Zone with his part as Lincoln—a part that she signed him up for, genuinely believing that he loved Lincoln. Jeanie’s costume helps Georgie’s performance go off successfully and earns the kind of laughs that Georgie wants to earn, instead of laughs about his height. Jeanie also defends Georgie against a seventh grader who calls him a slur and mocks his height. Jeanie proves that she is a nicer person than many others by helping Georgie, empathizing with him, and showing him her depths beyond her mean persona. The final chapter reveals that Jeanie is the unnamed narrator, whose role in the novel has been to make the reader more aware and empathetic of Georgie and promote his unique talents. This revelation reframes Jeanie as an unspoken ally to Georgie throughout the novel, even before her character arc begins.

Andy is a fourth-grade boy of Italian heritage and Georgie’s best friend. Andy likes video games and soccer, two things with which Georgie has a hard time. However, the boys have many other shared hobbies together, like making up songs, playing Lava Wars, and walking dogs. Georgie and Andy became friends in kindergarten when Georgie stood up for Andy against Jeanie. Georgie’s experience Prevailing Through the Hardships of Friendship with Andy is one of the central conflicts of the novel.

The conflict with Andy begins when Georgie learns that Andy has been hanging out with the new kid, Russ. When Andy asks if Russ can join their dog-walking business, Georgie refuses. The thought of Andy and Russ being close makes Georgie jealous, and the conflict about their dog-walking business escalates to the end of their friendship in Chapter 9. Meanwhile, Andy is preoccupied with the loss of his space and privacy since he must begin sharing his bedroom with his grandmother Nonna Rosa. This leads to Andy’s family’s decision to move at the end of the school year.

Throughout much of the novel, Georgie feels sad because he’s lost Andy as a best friend, and he feels hopeless about mending the friendship because he knows that Andy will move away eventually. However, in Chapter 20, Andy and Georgie apologize to each other, and Andy reveals that his family will not be moving after all; instead, they will build a new room to add to the house for Nonna Rosa. Then, in Chapter 21, Andy reveals that he will be getting the new room and invites Georgie and Russ to collaborate on the room’s design with him. All three boys become close friends and enjoy the fruits of their labor in Andy’s room in the final chapter.