Drummer Girl

Gr 7–10—Sid dresses a little butch, loves woodworking class, and plays awesome heavy metal music on her drum set. The popular guys at school accuse her of being gay and not admitting it. Someone sends a lesbian to ask her out on a date. The truth is, though, that Sid isn't gay. Bass doesn't tell readers definitively that the teen is straight for a significant part of the novel. Sid is desperate to join the really hot band that the popular guys formed, and they need a drummer. She tries out, as does her main tormentor, a jock. The bullying increases to a serious level. Sid tries to be more "girly" as per the band's request but that leads to problems with her best friend; he is angry with her for bowing to the suggestion. Although the narrative is often a bit heavy-handed, the characters are interesting and the story moves quickly. This is an unusual take on gender roles and peer pressure.—B. Allison Gray, Goleta Public Library, CA