Gigglebox to Tissue Box

Jordan Sonnenblick's duo of books following a pair of brothers through their eighth grade years are simply delightful.  My most recent reads, I was constantly in stitches or tears throughout the book Drums, Girls, And Dangerous Pie and its sequel After Ever After.

The series starts by following big brother Steven who has all the normal 13-year-old boy hangups...including being a band nerd in love with the hottest girl in school.  Sonnenblick's honesty is refreshing.  I enjoyed what, I believe, is a true look into an adolescent boy's mind.  When Stephen's little brother, Jeffrey, is found to have Leukemia, his journey through cancer treatments is told without over seriousness.  Stephen copes by making mistakes, carrying burdens by himself, and always leaning on his best friend Annette.  He learns that his life is not always about him.

Book two follows Jeffrey as an eighth grade cancer survivor.  His relationship with his best friend Tad, fellow cancer survivor, is both hilarious and heartwarming.  Sonnenblick's use of "your mom" jokes shows the constant competition of teenage boys.  When inquiring about the new girl in science class, Tad asks Jeffrey, "Wow, Jeff, who's the babe?" Jeffrey, like every other red-blooded American male couldn't resist saying, "Your mom."  Their softer sides are not ignored, however, and the two share a relationship of self-sacrifice and vulnerability that few others understand. 

Jeffrey's primary hangup in the novel is his struggle to be a successful math student.  Certain parts of his math journey are just "blocked" in his mind due to an aggressive form of chemotherapy he endured to beat his leukemia.  It helped me to understand the struggle some kids must endure when looking at a page of words that swim away in the very moments when they feel within reach.

One of my favorite features:  Sonnenblick teaches his readers about becoming an author.  He gives a mini writing lesson at the end of Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie.  His willingness to share the secrets of his craft will inspire young authors to overcome their fears to embrace the writers they could be.

As my dad has been recently hospitalized, I identified strongly with the respectfully morbid humor in the books.  Nobody enduring a medical crisis wants to be constantly reminded of the looming possibilities.  It is healthier to make fun of life...lemonade, so to speak.  Some of my best memories of recent months are of crowding in a hospital room with my siblings and mom, joking about what exactly was going to happen to the portion of my dad's skull that had been temporarily removed.  Of course these memories pale in comparison to the absolute joy of seeing him walk into the room last weekend using only his walker and his own two legs.  Sonnenblick's got that sentimentality covered as well, capturing the bond between brothers and dear friends.  His characters share in one another's victories as well as heartbreaks, making an emotional roller coaster that I'll be happy to ride again and again.