Lockie Leonard, Scumbuster (Teenage) [Paperback]

Tim Winton (Author)

Book Description

Series: Teenage | Publication Date: March 30, 2000

Can a thirteen year old surf rat have a headbanger for a best friend, stay in love with an eleven year old grommet and still save his town from pollution? Sure. As if! This hilarious sequel to "Lockie Leonard Human Torpedo" finds Lockie once again the lonliest kid in town after beind dumped by his girlfriend.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-9Readers in search of a sincere bit of fun should not miss this fast-paced, slightly whacked-out sequel to Lockie Leonard, Human Torpedo (Little, Brown, 1992). From the punning first chapter title, Lockie Leonard, Bloomin Stupido to the climactic Operation Constipation, this likable and enthusiastic Australian-surfer protagonist will entertain readers. Lockie, now 13, breaks his personal surfer code of ethics by developing a friendship with Geoff (aka Egg), a bogan, or metal head. Egg defends his appreciation of heavy metal music, suggesting that it is more voidage than drasticality which means that it is more about getting numb than it is about suicide. They embark on an ecological crusade to expose the corruption and industrial irresponsibility that are destroying the quality of the water and of life in their harbor town. Lockie also falls instantly and hilariously in love with Dot, an Elle McPherson look-alike surfer. In quick succession, she blows him out of the water with her technique; obliterates his self-respect when he finds out shes only 11-years-old; and, after a mind-blowing but chaste first kiss, dumps him. Vicki Streeton, Lockies love interest from the first book also makes a couple of strategic appearances. Short chapters and physical humor should appeal to reluctant but capable readers. Diverse adult characters add interest. Like Phyllis Reynolds Naylors Alice, Lockie has legs that can carry Winton through as many future episodes as he cares to detail. Heres hoping there will be plenty more.Joel Shoemaker, Southeast Jr. High School, Iowa City, IA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Grade 5-9-An adolescent surfer and his "Metal Head" friend set out to clean up their polluted Australian harbor. These unlikely friends and even more unlikely heroes will win readers over with their big-hearted actions and their hilarious repartee. (June)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 88 pages
• Publisher: Currency P.,Australia (March 30, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0868196088
• ISBN-13: 978-0868196084
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,866,736 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Love Lockie, but DO NOT BUY the American edition, July 26, 2008

By 

MT "huckfinn246" (Princeton, NJ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lockie Leonard, Scumbuster (Hardcover)

I was lucky enough to read the Australian edition of "Lockie Leonard, Human Torpedo" (the first book)...I started to read the second book, "Lockie Leonard, Scumbuster" and I knew something was wrong. After a few pages I looked to the front and found that the American edition "has been modified for American readers." All the Australian slang which gives the writing so much color and flavor (or colour and flavour) is gone and so it seems bland.

If you haven't read "Lockie Leonard, Human Torpedo"--you really should read it first. Winton's writing in that book is as good as in any of his writing for adults, but seek out a UK or Australian edition, because this is one American who thinks the American edition stinks.

4.0 out of 5 stars Green scum is the trouble!, May 25, 2008

By 

Raymond Mathiesen (Armidale, N.S.W., Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This book is the second in the series and starts off just exactly where the first book, Lockie Leonard, Human Torpedo, left off. It is the summer holidays, Lockie, a super-surfer, is thirteen, friendless and without a girl. Then one day on the beach he meets Egg (short for Eggleston). Egg is a bogan. Bogans dress in black, love heavy metal music, don't swim and traditionally are enemies of surfers. Lockie persuades Egg to go kayaking with him in the calm water of Angelus Harbour. To their horror the boys find that the harbour is covered in green scum and stinks to high heaven. The trouble seems to be coming from a large industrial pipe outlet. Right at this point Lockie and Egg get angry.

As you can tell from the above paragraph this story has a strong environmentalism theme. It is also about judging people and looking beyond outward appearances, labels and fashions. Family life and divorce also feature as secondary themes. Unlike the first novel, religion and morality only get a very minor mention.

This book is written by an Australian author and was first published back in 1993. Once again Winton has made the mistake of including lots of Australian cultural references, many of which have dated and are now obscure to even to Australian teenagers. This is a real pity as the story is excellent and certainly still relevant to twenty-first-century living. Winton writes in a witty, enthusiastic style that makes these books quite addictive. The author has included enough new angles to make this story original, but it does suffer slightly from the 'play-it-again syndrome' that many sequels are afflicted with. I therefore recommend that the reader not pick up this book immediately after reading the first one. If you wait the memory of the first book will not be quite so emblazoned on the mind and you will not bore.

This is basically a good book for young teens and the young at heart.

4.0 out of 5 stars Green scum is the trouble!, May 25, 2008

By 

Raymond Mathiesen (Armidale, N.S.W., Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This book is the second in the series and starts off just exactly where the first book, Lockie Leonard, Human Torpedo, left off. It is the summer holidays, Lockie, a super-surfer, is thirteen, friendless and without a girl. Then one day on the beach he meets Egg (short for Eggleston). Egg is a bogan. Bogans dress in black, love heavy metal music, don't swim and traditionally are enemies of surfers. Lockie persuades Egg to go kayaking with him in the calm water of Angelus Harbour. To their horror the boys find that the harbour is covered in green scum and stinks to high heaven. The trouble seems to be coming from a large industrial pipe outlet. Right at this point Lockie and Egg get angry.

As you can tell from the above paragraph this story has a strong environmentalism theme. It is also about judging people and looking beyond outward appearances, labels and fashions. Family life and divorce also feature as secondary themes. Unlike the first novel, religion and morality only get a very minor mention.

This book is written by an Australian author and was first published back in 1993. Once again Winton has made the mistake of including lots of Australian cultural references, many of which have dated and are now obscure to even to Australian teenagers. This is a real pity as the story is excellent and certainly still relevant to twenty-first-century living. Winton writes in a witty, enthusiastic style that makes these books quite addictive. The author has included enough new angles to make this story original, but it does suffer slightly from the 'play-it-again syndrome' that many sequels are afflicted with. I therefore recommend that the reader not pick up this book immediately after reading the first one. If you wait the memory of the first book will not be quite so emblazoned on the mind and you will not bore.

This is basically a good book for young teens and the young at heart.