Reviews: (by author)

Lubar, David. Punished! Plain City , OH : Darby Creek , 2006. ISBN 1-58196-042-5. $15.95.

Smart alec Logan , raucous in the library, makes the mistake of literally running into an old fellow who expresses his displeasure by blowing some magic dust at him. So what--? The magic dust causes Logan to speak in puns; naturally, this causes waves of groaning among family and friends alike but Logan just can't stop. The puns are very good, by the way, but still.. The solution to Logan 's uncontrollable joke-making lies in the three tasks the old man assigns, and clever, literary tasks they are. As Logan sleuths his way to success, his readers will be entertained and educated to the extent that they'll likely turn word detective just like the reformed Logan . Lubar's book is highly imaginative, and, along with Logan , language is the book's hero.

A. Allison, March 2006

Lubar, David. Dunk. New York: Clarion Books, 2002. $15. ISBN 0-618-19455-X

Dunk is about a teenager with an unusual ambition: Chad, living near a New Jersey boardwalk, wants to be the inflammatory clown in the dunk tank. He sees it as a glorious job—to be able to use his wits to insult tourists and take their money. What really drives Chad, though, is a lack of self-identity and esteem. To gain this—and his coveted job—Chad must befriend and learn from the current master of the trade, who just happens to be the new tenant upstairs and an early offender of Chad's sense of justice. This experience, along with the development of a chronic illness in his seemingly perfect best friend, allows Chad to grow into a young adult.
The themes of this book are quite commonplace, but at least young Chad's desires are not. On the downside, Lubar sermonizes a little too much when Chad's friend becomes sick. Overall though, Dunk is an entertaining read about an occupation and milieu not often written about—at least from this perspective.

Frank H. Sweeney, February 2004

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