Steven reminisces about his school year during his 8th grade graduation. He first remembers a journal entry from back in September when he had to write about "the most annoying thing in the world" (pg. 1). He chose to write about his brother Jeffrey who is younger than him by 8 years. This all changes when Jeffrey is diagnosed with leukemia. Steven's world is turned upside down. His mom takes a leave of absence from her job to care for Jeffrey and his dad withdraws as he tries to deal with the fact that his son has leukemia. Steven tries to take care of things on his own, but eventually everything crumples around him.
The plot is very believable because so often when a child gets diagnosed with a serious illness they become the center of their parent's universe as they try to find the right treatment. From the first person point of view we understand that Steven felt abandoned by his family while they were getting his brother treated. Sonneblick really shows the emotions that go along with having a serious illness in the family. One thing Steven seemed to feel was helplessness. He didn't feel like he could do anything to help anyone. His school counselor gave him some advice that is good for all young adults to hear, “Instead of agonizing about the things you can't change, why don't you try working on the things you can change” (page 184). The characters are also authentic and well developed.
DRUMS, GIRLS & DANGEROUS PIE has a universal theme of overcoming adversity. Steven finally brings all of his grades up after letting them fall only to get the flu and get further behind. He realizes that there will always be problems and it is up to him to overcome them.
This book appeals to a wide variety of young adults, because most people have either had someone in their family or they know someone who has been diagnosed with a serious illness. "A story that could have morphed into melodrama is saved by reality, rawness, and the wit Sonnenblick infuses into Steven's first-person voice...Most important for a middle-grade audience, Sonneblick shows that even in the midst of tragedy, life goes on, love can flower, and the one thing you can always change is yourself." (Cooper 2005).
Reference List:
Cooper, Ilene. "Review of Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie." Booklist 15, no. 2 (2005): 12. http://ezproxy.twu.edu:2056/ehost/detail?vid=7&hid=113&sid=bf241bbb-0fb5-4254-84cb-0c636be40609%40sessionmgr114&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=lih&AN=18824975 (accessed September 30, 2011).
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