Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie

What motivated me to read this at first was the fact that this book's sequel, Ever After, won a Lonestar Award this year.  Come to find out, this book won a Lonestar, too.
Imagine if one day,  you're taking care of your little brother, helping with his breakfast like you usually do, when he falls.  His nose starts bleeding, and you can't get it to stop.  What follows is a trip to the emergency room and an awful diagnosis...leukemia.  Your mom has to quit her job to take your brother to all of his treatment appointments, and your dad doesn't know how to deal with it all.  Your family goes over $20,000 in debt, and things are looking bleak.  Also in there, you're getting behind on your work, and you can't figure out the mysterious ways of the girls in your life.  Follow the adventures of figuring out life, the importance of friendship and family, and the very sarcastic, quick-witted narrative of the main character in Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie.  I laughed, I cried, and I loved the book!