After Ever After by Jordan Sonnenblick
Author Biography:
Jordan Sonnenblick attended amazing schools in New York City. Then he went to an incredible Ivy League university and studied very, very hard there. However, due to his careful and well-planned course selection strategies, he emerged in 1991 with a fancy-looking diploma and a breathtaking lack of real-world skills or employability. Mr. Sonnenblick always wanted to be a writer, too, so one day in 2003 he started in on the book that became Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie. Mr. Sonnenblick lives in Bethlehem, PA with the most supportive wife and lovable children he could ever imagine. Plus a lot of drums and guitars in the basement. Information retrieved from Amazon.com
Published by: Scholastic Press
ISBN: 0439837081
Genre: Fiction
Reading Level: Ages 11 and Up
Reader’s Annotation:
Jeffrey Alper, who had cancer in Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie is now in remission and in eighth grade. His encounter has had several consequences; He is known as the boy who had cancer at school, the boy that has had several benefit dinners to assist with his medical bills, and the chemotherapy he received has had a serious effect on his motor and mental abilities. Jeffrey is just trying to live life as normally as possible with his friend Tad – also a cancer survivor – but events beyond his control make this unlikely.
Plot Summary:
Jeffrey Alper is no longer the innocent, fun-loving child he was when he was younger. A cancer survivor in eighth grade, Jeffrey has been through the wringer with various chemotherapy treatments, benefit dinners, and unwanted fame. Though he is relatively healthy, the treatment has left him with a distinctive limp and a difficulty to concentrate on his academics. To make matters complicated as Jeffery’s mother is highly sympathetic to his struggles in school but his father is just the opposite, believing it’s just a matter of him buckling down and applying himself. The result is Jeffery constantly gets caught in the crossfire of fights between his parents who each have their own ways of assisting him.
In the past, Jeffery could rely upon his brother Steven, but this is no longer the case. Overburdened by his family’s reliance upon him during Jeffery’s treatment and feeling like everything he does in life is dictated by someone else, Steven snapped and ran off to Africa to study music, leaving his family and girlfriend behind. This leaves Jeffery adrift and, though he emails him on occasion, Steven can rarely respond because of the poor internet connections available.
In the meantime Jeffery spends time with his friend Tad, a boy whose cancer is also in remission and whose chemotherapy has left him in a wheelchair. Together the pair form a witty, sarcastic pair who are able to lean on each other when times get tough.
As Jeffery enters 8th grade, he quickly becomes enamored with a girl in one of his classes who, to his amazement, also seems interested in him. Though this causes some strain in Tad and Jeffery’s friendship, they eventually form a pact to help each other. Tad is excellent in mathematics and agrees to teach Jeffery if they work together to help him walk. Though the plan goes off with only a few hitches, Jeffery learns Tad has relapsed and his cancer is worse than ever.
Critical Evaluation:
After Ever After does a fantastic job exploring what happens to cancer patients after they go into remission. Though Sonnenblick could have easily given readers the impression that Jeffery lived happily ever after with only a few problems, he decided to explore the difficulties survivors face and how they overcome them. The book goes into detail on how Jeffery has problems studying, leading the reader to believe he genuinely is struggling to focus, while it also does a fine job detailing his frustration with dating girls and wanting to succeed in school. The dialogue in the book is fast-paced, and Sonnenblick keeps his descriptions of people, places, and events short and to the point, making the book a quick read. The character’s interactions with each other is also interesting, as Jeffery and Tad frequently joke with each other like best friends and fight like old married couples. Readers of Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie likely are already invested in Jeffery’s character, especially since they will be familiar with the pain he struggled through as a child. As a teenager, then, followers of the series will likely cheer Jeffery on as he fights to succeed in his endeavors and feel devastated for his losses. After Ever After, then, is a fantastic follow up and should not be missed by those who loved the previous entry. Those who haven’t are encouraged to read Drums before this one, however, as it will have a much greater impact.
Curriculum Ties:
None.
Defensive Maneuvers:
n/a
Book Talk Ideas:
Do you know someone who survived cancer? Did you know that, even though they may have survived the major battle, there are still several others waiting even after remission?
Why This Book?
After Ever After is an important follow-up to Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie, and will likely be enjoyed by those who enjoyed the first entry. After can be read as a standalone, and explores important topics such as cancer, its effects, and the challenges survivors face following remission.
Jordan Sonnenblick attended amazing schools in New York City. Then he went to an incredible Ivy League university and studied very, very hard there. However, due to his careful and well-planned course selection strategies, he emerged in 1991 with a fancy-looking diploma and a breathtaking lack of real-world skills or employability. Mr. Sonnenblick always wanted to be a writer, too, so one day in 2003 he started in on the book that became Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie. Mr. Sonnenblick lives in Bethlehem, PA with the most supportive wife and lovable children he could ever imagine. Plus a lot of drums and guitars in the basement. Information retrieved from Amazon.com
Published by: Scholastic Press
ISBN: 0439837081
Genre: Fiction
Reading Level: Ages 11 and Up
Reader’s Annotation:
Jeffrey Alper, who had cancer in Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie is now in remission and in eighth grade. His encounter has had several consequences; He is known as the boy who had cancer at school, the boy that has had several benefit dinners to assist with his medical bills, and the chemotherapy he received has had a serious effect on his motor and mental abilities. Jeffrey is just trying to live life as normally as possible with his friend Tad – also a cancer survivor – but events beyond his control make this unlikely.
Plot Summary:
Jeffrey Alper is no longer the innocent, fun-loving child he was when he was younger. A cancer survivor in eighth grade, Jeffrey has been through the wringer with various chemotherapy treatments, benefit dinners, and unwanted fame. Though he is relatively healthy, the treatment has left him with a distinctive limp and a difficulty to concentrate on his academics. To make matters complicated as Jeffery’s mother is highly sympathetic to his struggles in school but his father is just the opposite, believing it’s just a matter of him buckling down and applying himself. The result is Jeffery constantly gets caught in the crossfire of fights between his parents who each have their own ways of assisting him.
In the past, Jeffery could rely upon his brother Steven, but this is no longer the case. Overburdened by his family’s reliance upon him during Jeffery’s treatment and feeling like everything he does in life is dictated by someone else, Steven snapped and ran off to Africa to study music, leaving his family and girlfriend behind. This leaves Jeffery adrift and, though he emails him on occasion, Steven can rarely respond because of the poor internet connections available.
In the meantime Jeffery spends time with his friend Tad, a boy whose cancer is also in remission and whose chemotherapy has left him in a wheelchair. Together the pair form a witty, sarcastic pair who are able to lean on each other when times get tough.
As Jeffery enters 8th grade, he quickly becomes enamored with a girl in one of his classes who, to his amazement, also seems interested in him. Though this causes some strain in Tad and Jeffery’s friendship, they eventually form a pact to help each other. Tad is excellent in mathematics and agrees to teach Jeffery if they work together to help him walk. Though the plan goes off with only a few hitches, Jeffery learns Tad has relapsed and his cancer is worse than ever.
Critical Evaluation:
After Ever After does a fantastic job exploring what happens to cancer patients after they go into remission. Though Sonnenblick could have easily given readers the impression that Jeffery lived happily ever after with only a few problems, he decided to explore the difficulties survivors face and how they overcome them. The book goes into detail on how Jeffery has problems studying, leading the reader to believe he genuinely is struggling to focus, while it also does a fine job detailing his frustration with dating girls and wanting to succeed in school. The dialogue in the book is fast-paced, and Sonnenblick keeps his descriptions of people, places, and events short and to the point, making the book a quick read. The character’s interactions with each other is also interesting, as Jeffery and Tad frequently joke with each other like best friends and fight like old married couples. Readers of Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie likely are already invested in Jeffery’s character, especially since they will be familiar with the pain he struggled through as a child. As a teenager, then, followers of the series will likely cheer Jeffery on as he fights to succeed in his endeavors and feel devastated for his losses. After Ever After, then, is a fantastic follow up and should not be missed by those who loved the previous entry. Those who haven’t are encouraged to read Drums before this one, however, as it will have a much greater impact.
Curriculum Ties:
- Cancer
- Coping with loss
None.
Defensive Maneuvers:
n/a
Book Talk Ideas:
Do you know someone who survived cancer? Did you know that, even though they may have survived the major battle, there are still several others waiting even after remission?
Why This Book?
After Ever After is an important follow-up to Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie, and will likely be enjoyed by those who enjoyed the first entry. After can be read as a standalone, and explores important topics such as cancer, its effects, and the challenges survivors face following remission.