"Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie" Chapter 1 to 16

Read the following excerpt from the novel’s first chapter.

Having a brother is horrible...having my particular brother, Jeffrey, is an unrelenting nightmare.

In what major way does Steven’s view of his brother change after the first few chapters?

• Steven begins to appreciate all of the things that are special about Jeffrey.

• Steven stops making jokes around Jeffrey because he feels Jeffrey is too fragile.

• Steven dislikes his brother even more once Jeffrey starts receiving more attention.

• Steven sees his brother’s illness as a way to get attention from peers and teachers.

Jeffrey’s fall off the kitchen stool is particularly startling because it—

• leads Steven and Jeffrey’s parents to argue

• causes Jeffrey to bleed an alarming amount of blood

• makes it seem like Steven pushed Jeffrey off the stool

• is not the first time Jeffrey has fallen off one of the stools

Mr. Watras, Steven’s band teacher, could best be described as—

• chatty and hyper

• strict and focused

• cool and laid-back

• bossy and overbearing

Tags

CCSS.RL.7.1

CCSS.RL.7.6

Steven feels oddly responsible for Jeffrey getting leukemia because Steven—

• believes Jeffrey falling off the stool contributed to his condition

• has always protected Jeffrey, but couldn’t protect him from cancer

• remembers Jeffrey complaining about pain over the past few months

• thinks his parents always paid too much attention to him and not enough to Jeffrey

Why does Steven begin constantly making promises to God?

• He tells himself that if he keeps these promises, Jeffrey will get better.

• He feels terrible about all of the mean things he has done to his brother.

• He hopes this will encourage God to help his parents through this difficult time.

• He thinks making promises will make it possible for him to trade places with Jeffrey.

Tags

CCSS.RL.7.1

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.7.3

CCSS.W.7.9A

Read the sentence from the novel.

The doctor in charge was barking orders like a Marine drill sergeant, with questions in between for my mom.

From the simile used above, the reader can tell that the doctor was speaking—

• loudly and firmly

• softly and gently

• rudely and annoyed

• hesitantly and unclearly

Tags

CCSS.L.7.4A

CCSS.L.7.5D

CCSS.RL.7.4

Steven’s increasing annoyance with Annette’s involvement in his life would be considered the ______________ of the story.

• Climax

• Falling action

• Exposition

• Rising Action

Why does Steven compare visiting his grandparents’ house to “starving in Siberia”?

• His grandparents refuse to cook anything, and their house is extremely cold.

• His grandparents don’t eat much, and they live in a completely different state.

• His grandparents feed him bland food, and Steven feels far away from his family.

• His grandparents don’t have much money for food or to pay the electric bill for heat.

Why does Steven tell Mrs. Galley about “the Dream” that involves Jeffrey sinking into the ground?

• Steven told Jeffrey about the dream, and now Jeffrey is scared.

• Steven is truly starting to trust Mrs. Galley based on his positive interactions with her.

• Steven feels he can’t tell his parents, and Mrs. Galley is the only other adult who will listen.

• Steven wants to tell Annette but is afraid she will think he is a terrible person for having the dream.

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.3

Read the sentences from the novel.

[Mom] stepped through the mounds of hair all over the bathroom tiles…. Then she pushed back from me, held me at arm’s length, and turned me around, like I was a side of beef and she was a chef sizing me up for a barbecue.

Steven feels like a “side of beef” in this scene because his mom is—

• trying to guess when his hair will grow back

• examining him closely so she can fix his haircut

• deciding whether Steven should cover up his hair with a cap

• wondering whether Steven should leave some of his hair unshaved