Different Drummers

by Don Caron and Lyle Hatcher

Book Overview

Different Drummers is a deeply inspirational and transcendent family film - based on a true story - about the unusual spiritual journey and unlikely friendship of two boys growing up in Spokane, Washington in the mid 1960s. Eleven-year-old DAVID, wheelchair-bound by muscular dystrophy, is growing progressively weaker, while his friend, LYLE (10), has a problem with an increasingly high energy level. David informs Lyle that their teacher is about to...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 149273327X
• ISBN13: 9781492733270
• Release Date: September 2010
• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
• Length: 322 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 0.7" x 6.0"

Customer Reviews

Wonderful and inspiring

This is one of the books sent to me by its author (Don Caron) and I can wholeheartedly recommend it as a wonderful, inspiring book. It's the touching, engaging true story of two very different boys who formed a wonderful friendship for one special year. Lyle is hyperactive (long before ADHD was recognized as the well-known disorder of today) and David is crippled by Muscular Dystrophy. Lyle is determined that somehow, he will find a way to make David walk again - and more importantly, run. He spends every minute working to make David's life as exciting (and occasionally somewhat dangerous) as Lyle's own. Constantly in trouble because of his uncontrollable impulsivity, Lyle is a good, kind, caring boy at heart. While I found Lyle's energy and enthusiasm quite believable (I have a slightly over-active 8-year-old boy myself), I had a much more difficult time with David's quiet acceptance of his deteriorating body. And of course, the ending inevitably comes - and forty-five years later, there is still no cure for MD.

Heartwarming!

After meeting the authors when they reviewed the book to our Valley Senior Writers Group, I was so swept up in their enthusiasm that I purchased three copies! ... one for myself and two for gifts. I was not disappointed. Wanting to read the book quickly, but stretching it out into three sittings in order to savor it, I was drawn into the world of Lyle and David as their friendship and reliance upon one another grew. I recall the era when hyperactive children such as Lyle were given drugs to slow them down (which I always thought was an appalling choice) and I cheered for Lyle's parents when they defied educational authority and refused to anesthetize their son's creativity and spontaneity toward life. David's parents and siblings were admirable in their efforts to allow him to be a normal boy as much as possible, even though it wasn't always the most comfortable path to take. The character of the janitor was wonderfully drawn out through his actions, and shows that many times an ordinary observer will have more common sense of how to deal with a child's problem than the "professionals." This book should interest middle school age through adulthood and would make a great movie. It has humor, sadness and poignancy and left me feeling I was still in Lyle's world at the end. The references to people and places in Spokane were fun since I live nearby and have sons of Lyle's approximate age. I'll be looking forward to the next book from these two authors. Sally Holt

touching

I really enjoyed this book. It was very vivid, and it moved quickly. I could feel the relationship between the boys grow. I loved that it was a true story. Lyle was a gift to David as well as David was a gift to Lyle.

Great book!!

I loved this book. It was very insightful in portraying not only the point of view of the child affected by hyperactivity but also that of the parents as well. The relationship between Lyle and David was, indeed, very special and it's plain so see that they both gained from it. In my opinion, any book that can make me laugh AND cry is a good book....and this is a good book. An additional bonus is that I live in the Spokane area so many of the places mentioned were familiar. I highly recommend this book.

Wow! I recommend this book!

I really enjoyed this book. It gave the feelings and thoughts of the hyperactive child and how he felt others treated him. He explained why he did the things he did and how innocent it seemed to him (even though it got him into trouble). It is a story of a true friendship between two boys with totally different personalities and how their differences helped each other to grow. This would be a great book for teachers. It was a fast read and hard to put down. The authors attended our Book Club and we really enjoyed their input. Our book club had a great discussion about the contents of the book. I would recommend the book.