What are the motifs in Philip Hall Likes Me, I Reckon Maybe by Bette Greene?

Facing adversity is a recurring idea. Beth Lambert, the eleven-year-old main character in Bette Greene's Philip Hall Likes Me, I Reckon Maybe, faces many challenges in the account of a year in her life. First, she must decide if her idol, Philip Hall, likes her for herself or because she so willingly does all his chores. She also questions herself. Does she allow Philip to be number one in all the classes at school while she settles for number two? Do her feelings hold her back from achieving her rightful position so that he can have the limelight? Beth wrestles with the confusion of these internal emotions.