88 pages • 2 hours read
Jordan SonnenblickDrums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2004A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Introduction
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:
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