Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick

Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick -- 273 pages

This is certainly being added to my list of recommendations for children! It is a realistic and moving look at a teenage boy who's life didn't go as planned. Steven is a drummer, Steven is a thirteen-year old with a crush on the hottest girl in school, and Steven has a brother.

Steven's school paper about the most annoying thing in his life was all about his five-year-old brother, Jeffrey, but when Jeffrey comes down with Leukemia, Steven's world is turned upside down. The worst part is everyone is so concerned for Jeffrey, that during this terrifying time, no one is paying attention to Steven who's stopped turning in school projects and is growing ever more depressed.
It's hard, but step by step Steven becomes the brother Jeffrey needs.

It's a pretty touching story. A few times I felt like the way Steven thinks about girls was very stereotypical. And Dangerous Pie was only barely mentioned at the beginning of the book! Why is it in the title, except for the reason that it sounds interesting?

I listened to the audiobook. The narration was great.