Dogs Don’t Tell Jokes

Twelve-year-old jokester Gary Boone knows he was born to be a comedian, it’s the kids in his class who think he’s just a goon. Winning the school talent show would be Gary’s dream come true, but on the big night his dream nearly backfires–with hilarious results. An IRA/CBC Children’s Choice. From Publishers Weekly PW praised the “strong, realistic characterization” in this “gracefully told story” of a compulsive comic, the scourge of his seventh-grade class. Ages 8-12. Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. From School Library Journal Grade 5-8– Gary Boone (who calls himself “Goon”) is the self-proclaimed clown of his seventh-grade class. He never stops joking, despite the fact that nobody laughs much, and he has no real friends at school. Entering a talent contest as a stand-up comedian forces him to look more closely at the effect his humor has on others and on himself. Sachar balances the fun with moments of insight and feeling. Gary, who appeared as a fifth grader in Someday Angeline (McKay, 1990), is not very funny as the book begins. He has moments of true wit, but they are overshadowed as he reels off one-liners culled from books. As he begins to notice how his family and classmates react to his jokes, he gradually becomes funnier. He also stops falling back on the self-deprecating humor that has helped to make him unpopular . His hilarious performance at the talent show is a fitting climax, full of real surprises. Hurwitz’s Class Clown (Morrow, 1987) deals with a similar theme but is for a younger audience. Dogs Don’t Tell Jokes is an excellent choice for junior high readers, and Sachar’s younger fans will enjoy it too. –Steven Engelfried, Pleasanton Library, CA Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. –This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.