Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie
- Genre: Fiction; Middle Grade; Realistic Fiction
- Originally Published: 2004
- Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 940L; grades 5-8
- Structure/Length: 23 chapters; approximately 304 pages; approximately 4 hours and 31 minutes on audiobook
- Protagonist/Central Conflict: Eighth-grader Steven Alper, a talented drummer who has a crush on the hottest girl in school, must navigate the challenges of middle school while coming to terms with his little brother's leukemia diagnosis.
- Potential Sensitivity Issues: Childhood cancer; hospital scenes; emotional distress; sibling conflict
Jordan Sonnenblick, Author
- Bio: Born 1969; American author of young adult fiction; former middle school English teacher; known for his realistic and often humorous portrayals of adolescence; addresses complex themes of family, illness, and personal growth in his work.
- Other Works: Notes from the Midnight Driver (2006); After Ever After (2010); Zen and the Art of Faking It (2007); The Secret Sheriff of Sixth Grade (2017)
- Awards: Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Award (2009); Grand Canyon Reader Award (2009); Rebecca Caudill Young Readers Book Award (2008); Maud Hart Lovelace Book Award (2008); Isinglass Teen Read Award (2008); Black-Eyed Susan Award (2007)
CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Unit:
- Resilience in the Face of Adversity
- The Importance of Family
- Coming of Age
STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Unit, students will: