Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie by Jordan SonnenblickAR Reading Level: 5.9
On the library stacks: YA Fiction
Awards: YALSA Top Ten; Booklist Editors' Choice
Series: Book 1 of 2
Recommended for: Grades 6+
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Steven is an 8th grader. He wants to be cool but he's kind of a geek. He has a crush on the hottest girl in school and he plays drums for the All-Star Jazz Band. He has a 5-year old brother named Jeffrey, who he has always found kind of annoying. But when Jeffrey is diagnosed with leukemia, Steven's whole life changes.
This book is everything I think a YA book should be. Steven is not perfect--far from it in fact. But we get to watch him grow through an extreme life challenge. He has his ups and downs. He's selfish and funny and genuine. I laughed and cried right along with him as he tried to keep his family together through an extraordinarily difficult time while also navigating the murky waters of his adolescence.
I think that this book will resonate well with many teens, regardless of their own personal challenges. Steven gains perspective on what really matters in life, and he does so in a way that is honest and full of heart. I will definitely be reading more by this author. Highly recommended.
Also reviewed by: Ticket to Anywhere ~ In the Pages... ~ Becky's Book Reviews ~ Ms. Yingling Reads ~ my thoughts exactly ~ So Many Books, So Little Time ~ Your link here?
Book 98 of 100 for the 100+ Reading Challenge, Book 43 of 50 for the YA Reading Challenge
Source: Library
3 comments:
I will definitely look out for this one. This sounds good for me too :)
This does sound like a winner. No one is perfect, so characters shouldn't be, but it's nice to see a young character rise to the occasion.
I love your conclusion that this one is everything that a YA book should be!
I posted a very brief review last week here.
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