"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.

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CCSS.RL.5.3

CCSS.RL.6.3

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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

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CCSS.RL.5.4

CCSS.RL.6.4

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

• chatty and hyper

• strict and focused

• cool and laid-back

• bossy and overbearing

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CCSS.RL.5.3

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CCSS.RL.7.3

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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

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CCSS.RL.5.3

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CCSS.RL.6.6

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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.

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CCSS.RL.4.3

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CCSS.RL.8.3

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

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CCSS.RI.6.1

CCSS.RI.8.1

CCSS.RL.6.1

CCSS.RL.6.2

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

• Climax

• Falling action

• Exposition

• Rising Action

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CCSS.RL.5.5

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.7.3

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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.

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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.

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CCSS.RL.5.3

CCSS.RL.6.3

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CCSS.RL.9-10.3

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

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.3

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.6.6

CCSS.RL.7.6

CCSS.RL.8.6