Sol's voice is wonderfully entertaining, also, despite his gruffness.

While Brad was still struggling with my daunting use of a three-syllable word, Laurie asked 'The hospital? Why? What's going on?' (page 195) I stopped and waited for that to sink in. She's like the daughter my Mom never had, but would have liked very much if God hadn't given her a dorky, uncoordinated nerdball of a son instead.

She still looks like a pixie - but she looks like a terrifying Goth pixie. The number one thing, for me, is Alex's voice: wryly humorous and self-deprecating, and completely believable. There is so much to like about this book. But as the book evolves, the 'notes' take on another connotation, too, as Sol and Alex form a bond through their shared love of music. The 'notes' of the title refer, in part, to Alex's regular letters of complaint to the judge assigned to his case. He starts out feeling sorry for himself, and whining about how difficult Sol is to deal with. Because he's accustomed to being a 'good kid', Alex has trouble taking responsibility for his actions. The drunk driving incident (a one-time mis-step from an otherwise not-very-rebellious kid) is a catalyst for a story of personal growth and cross-generational friendship.Īs a first time offender, Alex is sentenced to 100 hours of community service at a nursing home, assigned to visit a cranky old man named Sol Lewis. It's necessary for this book to be classified for young adults, because the opening scene involves the main character, 16-year-old Alex, being arrested for drunk driving (and the attendant decapitation of a helpless lawn gnome). Notes from the Midnight Driver is aimed at slightly older kids, though truth to tell, the voice feels similar in age. I wanted to read Notes from the Midnight Driver even before it was nominated for the Cybils award, because I loved Jordan Sonnenblick's previous book, Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie.

Drums girls and dangerous pie message