Character Spotlight: Dr. Warren Jakes

by Kayla Aldrich, Read to Them Staff

Hello, friends! Welcome to week two of reading Sally Warner's EllRay Jakes Is A Rock Star! with Read to Them. While last week was spent getting to know EllRay, we thought it pretty important that you take a moment to meet someone else who plays a big role in the reacquisition of the six crystals. Introducing, with all the esteem that is deserved…

Dr. Warren Jakes

Illustration by Jamie Harper.

Name: Dr. Warren Jakes

Occupation: He is a geology teacher at a college in San Diego. Dr. Jakes goes to a number of conferences to present his research, which usually takes shape in the form of a paper. His work in the geology field has taken him all over the world, from Pakistan to Brazil to Nevada.

Family: Dr. Jakes is married to Louise, and he is the father of two children, EllRay and Alfie Jakes.

Personality: Before he’s even made an appearance in Rock Star, Dr. Jakes is described as a very practical man. He may not understand why EllRay would want to buy an ATV to paint flames on the side, but he’s happy to offer an alternate solution that still makes his son happy and suits his need for safe spray painting practices. Dr. Jakes is also very organized and orderly with a notable attention to detail, as seen with his rock collection.

Hobbies: Dr. Jakes’ loves his work, so it’s no surprise when geology overlaps with his hobbies. He collects a number of rocks and crystals from his travels across the globe, and he’s got stories for each one. He also likes to go hiking in his free time, often taking his buddies along.

Dislikes: Given the time and effort that he’s put into curating such an extensive collection, Dr. Jakes doesn’t let anyone handle his rocks or crystals. Major disturbances in the organization of his rocks will irritate him, but when EllRay helps himself to some of Dr. Jakes’ crystals? Stealing is something that Dr. Jakes doesn’t tolerate, and it doesn’t help that EllRay claims he was only borrowing the crystals.

Notable Quote: “Some of my crystal specimens are gone. It’s not that they’re so valuable, mind, but they’re valuable to me. I collected each and every one of them.”

We hope that you enjoy this last week with EllRay! He’s got miles to go before he can recollect all of Dr. Jakes’ crystals, but rest assured— it’ll be an unforgettable adventure. Be on the lookout for a really cool piece about geology that will be up on our blog Wednesday, as well as a bonus Q&A from Sally Warner.

Stay well, stay safe, and happy reading, all!