Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie

Characters:
Steven Alper
Jeffrey (Steven's brother)
Mom & Dad
Mr. Watras
Mrs. Galley (counselor)
Mrs. Palma (Steven's teacher)
Renee Albert (hottest girl in school)
Annette Watson (math whiz)
Sam (cancer patient)

Exposition: Jeffrey is Steven's little brother. He is the blond haired, blue-eyed, adorable little angel that mother and father dote on, while Steven is in the awkward stage of adolescence. Steven loves his brother, Jeffrey, but is often annoyed by him. Steven is most passionate about playing the drums.

Setting: Near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Plot: As Steven begins his 8th grade year, Jeffrey, is diagnosed with Leukemia. Throughout the book, Steven's life is turned upside down, as a result of Jeffrey's illness. You will find both humor and sadness in each chapter.

In the end, Steven learns that although brothers can be a big pain, he really loves his brother. He also learns not to worry about the things you cannot change, but rather, to focus on the things that you can change. These are two important themes that author, Jordan Sonnenblick, develops in this heart-warming novel.

Point of View: The story is told from the first person point of view because Steven Alper tells us the story as he sees it through the eyes of a typical 8th grade American male. He places himself in the action and uses words like "I," "me," "we," and "us," so it is first person point of view.