Dunk [Paperback]

David Lubar (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 7, 2004

Chad finds a whole new summer occupation—he wants to be the Bozo, the clown who sits inside the dunk tank and goads people into taking a shot. What could be better than using his razor-sharp wit against a random stranger? But Chad soon discovers he’s entered a strange and twisted world where humor packs a loaded punch.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The slightly tawdry world of boardwalk arcades along the New Jersey shore is just one of the attractions of Lubar's (Hidden Talents) engrossing novel. From the first moment soon-to-be-11th-grader Chad hears the boardwalk clown hurling insults ("His voice ripped the air like a chain saw," the novel begins), the teen is mesmerized. The "bozo," whose witty barbs lure passersby to try and drop him into a water tank, represents all that Chad is not: "Nobody ignored him. Nobody looked down on him or told him he was a loser." The boy adds working as a bozo to his list of goals-along with seeing a certain girl again-for what he hopes will be "the greatest summer of his life." But plans go awry when a rival beats him to the romance punch, his best friend is struck with a life-threatening illness, and Chad has run-ins not only with the police but also with the bozo himself, a troubled man who sublets a room in Chad's house. As Chad surmounts each challenge, he shakes off the shadow of his deadbeat absent father and learns the difference between "a laugh that can cut you up worse than a knife" and laughter that heals. Lubar ably charts a watershed summer between boyhood and manhood; the boardwalk bozo serves as a deft metaphor for the power and control for which adolescents hunger. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From School Library Journal

Grade 7-10-Dunk grips readers from the very first sentence and doesn't let go until the last. The summer crowd hasn't quite arrived on the boardwalk in a Jersey shore town when Chad becomes entranced by the Bozo-the clown in the dunk tank-whose voice and comments are as irritating as nails on a chalkboard. It occurs to him that if he can become a Bozo, then he can take out his anger on people who have made him miserable, such as his deadbeat dad and his teachers. As he learns the craft, he gains new respect for clever Bozos who quickly choose a "mark" from people passing on the boardwalk, hook them with a wisecrack that's prickly enough to make them want to dunk him, and then keep the sarcasm going. Although Chad thinks he'll instantly ace the technique, he grudgingly realizes that it is an art. When his best friend becomes seriously ill, he learns that the softer side of humor is as vitally important as the more vengeful barbs. Plot clearly delineates not only self-understanding, but also peer pressure, family conflict, and first romance through the mechanism of Chad's summer adventures. The story line shows the teen's quandary, but does not become stereotypical; few kids want a summer job as a boardwalk Bozo to resolve their conflicts. The author creates immediacy through the protagonist's very typical problems; he wants to find romance, to thwart a troublemaker, and to help his friend. Similar to heroes in stories by Chris Crutcher, Chad learns valuable life lessons in a thoroughly enjoyable and convincing way.
Susan Cooley, Tower Hill School, Wilmington, DE
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Graphia (June 7, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0618439099
• ISBN-13: 978-0618439096
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 5.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #670,660 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

David Lubar is a genuinely funny guy who spent several years programming computer games. He has published several novels for young readers, including Flip, Wizards of the Game and Hidden Talents. Born in New Jersey, David now lives in Pennsylvania with his wife, his daughter, and three cats.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome Book, August 29, 2004

By 

EWms (Georgia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dunk (Hardcover)

Dunk by David Lubar is a book that grasps your attention from the first chapter and sustains it to the very end. Due to the realistic experiences faced by all of the characters, this book should not be categorized as an adolescent book but a book for all ages. I could relate to each character due to the real life challenges they were faced with. Chad is a teenager so consumed by fear of being a failure like his father that he's not taking the time to enjoy the life of a teenager. He wants to be an adult before his time by being a father and son to his mother and having a job. Chad's mother is a typical single mother. She is trying her best to provide the best for her son by working as waitress and pursuing her education. Malcolm, the tenant and dunk master, becomes a father figure for Chad and teaches him life lessons. Due to this Chad finds hope for not only himself but for his mother and his best friend Jason. The life lessons Malcolm teaches Chad are lessons we should all learn: patience is a virtue, don't just learn the tricks of the trade but learn the trade, laughter eases pain, constant doubt will lead to disappointment, sometimes one has to fail to succeed, and to teach is to learn and to learn is to teach. If you are in search of a book that will make you laugh and at the same time help you realize that life is not always as bad as it may seem, read this book!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gavin's Reveiw, January 23, 2007

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Dunk (Paperback)

Ah, it is summer again, a time and place when the best things can happen to you. No school, no teachers and best of all, a time to do what you want. The best? Not for quiet, witty, and friendly Chad. His life seems like it is deep under water in David Lubar's Dunk. Do not be fooled by the name or the blurb of the story because once you get into Dunk, It will feel as if the book was almost super glued to the hands your reading with. Chad's sarcasm and plain old wit will make you laugh so hard you will start to have pains in your sides. Most humorous books do not have much of a true message. This book has a much better message than other thoughtful tales.

Chad's life is all washed up in the story when Malcolm, the man who has the job he wants, moves into his house. One of Chad's closest and only friends, Jason, has a terrible disease that is killing him. To top it off the love of his life, Gwen, who he finally had the guts to ask out is dating a drug dealer. Dunk is an emotional roller coaster you do not want to miss.

Dunk's sense of what life is about is what makes this book so incredible. It really tells the reader know how life is definitely not a walk in the park. There are similar qualities between Dunk and Be more chill. Both books explore the real thoughts of a teen and how the things that happen can get the best of us. If you thought Be more chill was amazing, then you will be drenched with on going thoughts while enjoying Dunk. Dunk's message is, no matter how cruddy or bad your life is, appreciate the things you have, and remember only you can change it. It's really all in your own hands.

With laughs, love and a meaning of life, Dunk will flood you with loving thoughts.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dunk, An Awesome Book, March 4, 2003

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Dunk (Hardcover)

I loved the book Dunk by David Lubar. It was an exciting story about a boy named Chad and what he did over his summer. It tells about how he wanted to be a Bozo at a dunk tank. When he asked about a job at the tank the owner said yes and Chad was happy. When he got there he found out that he wasn't getting to work as a Bozo but as a ball boy. This wasn't the end of his problems. His friend got very sick and the girl he liked started going out with someone else. But that isn't all. Read this book and see what happens to Chad and his friends.