Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie

Sonnenblick, Jordan. 2005. Drums, Girls, & Dangerous Pie.

Jordan Sonnenblick is one my new favorite authors. I read NOTES FROM A MIDNIGHT DRIVER a few weeks ago--although I haven't written the review yet--and absolutely loved it. This past week I read DRUMS, GIRLS, AND DANGEROUS PIE. I loved it too. Steven is a young teen--an eighth grader--who is about to face the toughest year of his life. In October, his younger brother (5 or 6???) is diagnosed with a serious life-threatening illness: leukemia. Suddenly, Steven's life is out of control. He's expected to behave much like before: go to school, do his homework, take his weekly drum lessons, practice for his All-Star Jazz Band...but he has even more responsibilities to shoulder. Now he has to tend for himself while his mom and brother are out of town a good percentage of the time. He has to deal with the fact that his father is emotionally shutting down and isolating himself from his family. He has to deal with the knowledge that his annoying little brother may not live very long. His brother's requests for games and attention can't be swept away and filed under "bothersome" any more. After facing days and weeks of horrible medical procedures, how can Steven be cruel and refuse to play a couple of games a night? And how can he beat his brother? Shouldn't his brother be allowed to win something at the end of the day. Yes, life is full of changes for Steven. Drums, Girls, & Dangerous Pie is the story of how he copes with those changes and becomes a stronger, more compassionate young man because of it.

http://www.jordansonnenblick.com/
Author Interview Jordan Sonnenblick at Cynsations
Another Interview with Jordan Sonnenblick
PW interview with Jordan Sonnenblick