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.
Symbols & Motifs
“Dangerous Pie”
“Dangerous pie” is what Jeffrey calls his mixture of “coffee grounds, raw eggs and their smashed shells, Coke, uncooked bacon, and three Matchbox racing cars” (7), which he stirs with his older brother’s “Special Sticks.” Although “dangerous pie” is only discussed in the first chapter, it becomes a symbol of Steven’s evolving relationship with his brother. At the beginning of his eighth-grade year, Steven sees “the Dangerous Pie incident” as an example of how annoying Jeffrey can be, since his brother’s childish games end up damaging his prized possession. After Jeffrey becomes ill, however, Steven realizes that he would rather eat Jeffrey’s disgusting “dangerous pie” than watch his little brother suffer. As suggested by its inclusion in the title, “dangerous pie” ultimately encapsulates the major lesson that Steven learns in the novel: However annoying his little brother can be, caring for Jeffrey will always come first in his life, even before playing drums or impressing girls.
Matt Medic
Jeffrey uses his Rescue Heroes action figure Matt Medic to help him stay strong during his chemo treatments, after Steven tells him that Matt Medic will watch over him. Steven initially brings Matt Medic to Jeffrey after he has been hospitalized with an ear infection and is about to be transported to the hospital in Philadelphia. When Jeffrey tells Steven that he is scared that the doctors will have to do another painful bone marrow test, Steven tells him that Matt Medic will stay with him to keep him brave and help him get better. From then on, Jeffrey brings the toy with him to all his treatments. He also sends the action figure to Steven when Steven is sick with the flu. When Steven and his dad have to take Jeffrey to Philadelphia while their mom is sick, Jeffrey panics because he forgets Matt Medic. Since it is too late to turn back, he asks Steven to take Matt Medic’s place by keeping him brave at the hospital. It becomes clear that for Jeffrey, Matt Medic is a substitute for having his older brother with him during the treatments, since he only sees Matt Medic as having the ability to keep him brave because Steven suggested it. At Steven’s final concert, Jeffrey begs Steven to come with him to the ER because he is scared and has left Matt Medic at home. In this moment, Steven realizes that he needs to go with Jeffrey to the hospital rather than staying to finish the concert. Matt Medic thus comes to represents the way in which Steven’s support gives Jeffrey strength during his battle with cancer.
Hair
One consequence of Jeffrey’s chemo treatments is that his angelic blond curls gradually fall out. One of the biggest ways that Steven demonstrates his love for Jeffrey is when he shaves off all his hair after learning that Jeffrey was teased at school for being bald. Since Jeffrey idolizes Steven, he feels much less self-conscious once he sees that his older brother is okay with being bald. The kids at school are very impressed by what Steven has done to support his little brother. The gesture makes such an impression on the school community, in fact, that at the benefit concert to raise money for Jeffrey and his family, all the boys shave their heads and all the girls–including Renee and Annette–get really short haircuts to show their support for Jeffrey in the same way that Steven as done.
Drumsticks
Drumsticks recur throughout the novel as a symbol of Steven’s passion for music. At school, he is known for always carrying a pair of sticks with him. His most treasured possession is his “Special Sticks,” drumsticks signed by drummer Carter Beauford, which Steven keeps on their own special shelf. Late in the novel, Steven gives Samantha his favorite practicing sticks as an early birthday present and promises to give her drumming lessons the next time he visits the hospital. Since she dies before he visits again, however, she leaves the sticks to him with a note thanking him for the loan and asking him to think of her sometimes when he uses them. Upon reading Samantha’s note, Steven realizes that now he has “two pairs of Special Sticks” (268). This second pair of “Special Sticks” serves as a reminder of the lesson he learns from his brief friendship with Sam and the story of her relationship with her sister. Steven comes to see family bonds as more important than playing the drums, because while there will always be another concert, there may be a day when it will too late to show a sibling that you love them.
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By Jordan Sonnenblick
