Notes From The Midnight Driver: Week of 2-27-14

Book: Notes From The Midnight Driver
Author: Jordan Sonnenblick
Pages Read: 0-87
Prompt: Describe the setting – when and where what you are reading takes place.

        The story is currently taking place in a foster home. It is in modern time. So the story starts off with this kid named Alex who crashes his Moms car after he gets drunk and attempts to drive to his Dad's house. He is grounded until his court hearing. This happens in the world today so it tells me that it is in modern time. When they go to court they sentence him to a certain amount of service hours at this nursing home. So he goes over there. He gets stuck with a man named Sol. This is an old sort of cranky man who is always criticizing Alex.
        So as you can imagine Alex does not like this man. In fact he sends a letter to the judge pleading to let him take on another task. His best friend decides to go to the funeral home with him one day. Her name is Laurie. Alex thinks its going to be horrible. Then they hit it off. "What!?!" Alex is thinking. They keep on talking and Laurie loves helping the man. So then when Alex comes back next time without Laurie, Sol's automatic reaction was "Where's that lovely girl Laurie?" Now Alex is even less happy to go work with Sol because he always talks about Laurie coming back.
        At this point Alex sends another letter to the judge asking to reconsider. This is a very realistic setting because teenagers woud not want to do this, then have to put up with some crazy old guy. Again the answer is no. But one day Alex finds something they both enjoy. The guitar, Alex loves to play it and Sol loves listening to him play. In fact Alex learns new songs and spends extra time practicing and getting better just to impress Sol. The last part I read ends with Alex playing a song in front of a bunch of people at the funeral home. And Sol likes the song and for once compliments him.