Jake Drake, Know-It-All

That evening, Jake tells his parents about the science fair. His father, Jim, briefly glances at the booklet that Jake offers them, signs the permission form, and starts enthusing about how Jake can build a rocket as his project. Jake’s mother reads the booklet carefully. She asks whether her husband noticed the prize being offered. It is clear that he did not notice; he continues talking about rockets. Jake’s mother asks Jake to explain to his father why a rocket will not work as a project. Jake explains that projects cannot use anything that explodes, smokes, or burns. Then, Jim starts talking about water-propelled rockets. Jake’s mother teases him about being a “K-I-A/D-I-A,” which Jake’s little sister, Abby, explains means a “Know-It-All/Do-It-All” (33). Jake knows that this describes his father well: Jim has a history of causing problems by refusing to take others’ directions and plowing ahead with incomplete information. When Jake’s mother hands the science fair booklet back to her husband, he reads it more carefully. Jake excitedly tells his father what the prize is for winning. Jim is similarly excited, and he tells Jake, “Well, I guess we had better get right to work on this” (35). His father’s use of the word “we” bothers Jake.