Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the bulleted outlines below. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. Although Jeffrey’s illness is a shocking and troublesome event, the characters are forced to stay resilient for his sake.

• How is resilience incorporated throughout the novel? (topic sentence)
• Select one character and analyze the way in which this person remains resilient despite the challenges of Jeffrey’s diagnosis.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, consider how this character’s actions fit within the overall theme of Resilience in the Face of Adversity.

2. Sacrifice is the act of giving up something that you want for the sake of someone else, usually in relation to something of higher priority. Discuss the idea of sacrifice in the novel.

• What kinds of sacrifices do characters make, and for what reasons? (topic sentence)
• Select one character and identify the sacrifice this person makes, as well as the impact of that sacrifice on their own well-being.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, discuss how the concept of sacrifice links to the novel’s broader theme of The Importance of Family.

3. This coming-of age novel centers around a protagonist who begins to transition from childhood to adulthood throughout the story.

• How does Steven demonstrate increasing maturity and perspective over the course of his difficult 8th-grade year? (topic sentence)
• Select one moment in the text where Steven demonstrates a growing maturity and discuss how this action reveals personal growth and development.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, examine the ways in which Steven’s evolving maturity links to the theme of Coming of Age.

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by text details, and a conclusion.

1. Connect Steven’s journey in the novel with his growing popularity at school. Why does he become popular? To what extent does this change his personality, decisions, and actions? What does this say about the nature of his friendships?

2. Discuss the character of Samantha. How do Samantha and Steven meet, and how do their interactions shape Steven’s mindset regarding Jeffrey’s diagnosis and his relationship with his brother? What does she teach Steven, and what is her overall significance in the novel?

3. In addition to his parents, Steven receives support from many adults. What roles do Steven’s teachers–namely, Miss Palma, Mrs. Galley, Mr. Stoll, and/or Mr. W–play in supporting Steven while Jeffrey has cancer? Choose at least two teachers and discuss their impact on Steven’s character growth.