Dunk (novel)

Dunk is a novel written by David Lubar, written in 2003, about a boy, whose dreams are about becoming a bozo in a Dunk Tank. Full Cast Audio later made an audio version of the book, read by Matt Goldmen, an full cast.

Plot

Chad Turner, is a 15 year old boy, who lives on the Jersey Shore. He is now on summer vacation, and will soon start 11th grade. While on the boardwalk,he sees a bozo in a dunk tank, who makes fun of people like an animal, and taunts them when they fail to hit the target. This inspires Chad to realize his dream job: to become a Bozo.

Chad lives in a two story house, but the 2nd floor is rented part of the house. Chad's mother had rented out the 2nd floor to make money, and buy more houses, but then failed. Chad's father had left, and Chad hates to talk about him, because of his problems, and the fact that he didn't want Chad. Because Chad's mother had worked since the age of 13, and "wasted her life", she doesn't want Chad to work. But Chad thinks he needs a part time job to make some money.

As Chad makes his second trip down the boardwalk, he runs into Anthony, a local bad boy, who has appeared to have stolen sunglasses from a local souvenir store on the boardwalk. Anthony is caught by the store owner, but escapes, leaving the owner to think Chad is the thief. As Chad is encountered by two cops, Costas and Mannetti, he realizes that there is a witness, a man in black on a bench. But the man does not say anything about Chad's innocence, and, despite the fact that the cops let Chad go, he gets mad at the man. On the way home, Chad sees the man from the bench following him, but when he gets home, he realizes that the man on the bench, is his new tenant.

During Chad's beginning of his summer tradition: walking down the boardwalk with his best friend Jason, and spend money on the way home, Chad and Jason see the Bozo's performance, when suddenly Chad realizes that the Bozo, was the man on the bench. The next morning, Chad is introduced to his new tenant, the Bozo, Malcolm Vale, who will be teaching at a college. Chad yells at Malcolm for not helping him out in his police encounter, but Malcolm just mimics him, and does some impressions. When Jason arrives, Malcolm offers them a job to help him move his stuff into his apartment, for $10 each, and before Chad can reject, Jason agrees to help.

Later, at the boardwalk, Chad asks Bob, the barker, the one who runs the dunk tank, for a job, and gets one, but Bob does not tell chad what job he just gave him, as Chad believes he just got a Bozo job. Chad also realizes he broke his promise to his mom about not working. Chad goes back to the house with Jason to help Malcolm. While carrying boxes, Chad realizes that Jason, is heating up, and while on the stairs, Jason collapses, and nearly falls. Chad finishes the job, and Jason goes home to rest. Later, Chad goes back to the tank to get to work. But Chad gets more than he bargains for when he finds that his "Bozo job", is actually picking up balls that the players throw. Chad gets banged, bruised, embarrassed, and his back gets a cramp from bending over too much. Chad works for hours, but at quitting time, gets his paycheck, and finds that he had been paid $30.

Despite the fact that the payment might be good,he does not know if he would go back to work at the tank, but the next day, at the beach, he sees Stinger Dalton, a baseball pro, who had graduated, and is on a scholarship, visiting his friends. Chad, who is good friends with him, asks him to come to the dunk tank, and it seems that Stinger might come. This makes Chad want to go to the dunk tank to work. What Chad has really done is set Malcolm up. Stinger and his friends go to the tank in bright colored clothing while Chad tells Malcolm to get them as marks. Stinger and his Friends, who are pro pitchers, dunk Malcolm constantly for 2 hours straight. After closing time, Chad walks home and is confronted by an angry Malcolm. Malcolm tells Chad to stay away from him and the Bozo job and then goes up to the second floor of Chad's house.

The next day Chad goes down to the boardwalk with Jason. While passing by a game he sees the girl whom he met last summer and has been thinking about her all year. The girl's name is Gwen O'Sullivan. While they are chatting Jason is acting strangely and soon enough the police come by to arrest Chad and Jason, thinking they're on drugs. While Jason is taken to the hospital after collapsing again, Chad is taken to a station cell where he meets an old robber named Saul. They have a slight conversation until Chad is released. Malcolm, who the police think is Chad's father, has come to the station to pick up Chad.

Chad found out that Jason had been in intensive Care and goes to visit him. While he is there he tries to make Jason laugh but his parents interrupt trying to ask Chad what drugs they were on. Chad, not knowing what to say, ran out of the hospital.

Chad visits Jason again still trying to make him laugh. Jason's parents seem to be blaming Jason's illness on Chad. Jason's dad is stressed out with his work and is hesitant when Chad offers to help. Reluctantly, he gives in and Chad asked his friends, Mike, Corey, and Ellie, to help out too.

After sometime, Chad works up the nerve to go and talk to Gwen again. He thought that she wouldn't talk to him anymore after the police incident but he proved himself wrong. Once again Chad goes to visit Jason, but this time Jason's mother tells Chad that he is a bad influence to Jason. He leaves again but promises to visit again when his mother cools off.

Chad goes to the boardwalk again to talk to Gwen. He finds out she has a break at 5 o'clock and is about to ask her out when Anthony appears. He and Gwen already have plans for the night, dashing Chad's hope. Chad returns home in a state near depression. His friends come and tell him to get up but he refuses to listen.

Finally, Malcolm comes and asks Chad if he wants a turn to be a Bozo. Chad refuses and tells him to get out while still laying on the couch. Malcolm, enraged at Chad's reaction, flips the couch over with Chad still in it saying that Chad makes him sick. A fight breaks out between them. After pinning Chad to the floor, Malcolm tells him, "I had a wife. I had a son. They're dead. Dead. Gone. So don't tell me about your troubles." He helps Chad up and asks Chad if he wants a turn at being a Bozo again. Chad is annoyed that Malcolm 'barges in, slaps me around, wrecks the place, and wants to know if we can be pals.' However mad Chad is, he realizes that Malcolm has brought him back to reality. Malcolm lends Chad a lot of books and videos from which he formed his Bozo jokes. Chad brings some of the movies Malcolm lent him to the hospital to visit Jason.

As they are watching one, Jason begins to laugh hard which turns into a fit of coughing. His mother comes rushing in yelling at Chad to get out. Chad returns home and returns some of the books Malcolm gave him. Chad also apologizes for kneeing Malcolm, while Malcolm apologizes for slapping Chad. Malcolm tells Chad to try being the Bozo from their porch and the people passing by a the marks. Chad refuses at first saying that he doesn't want to make enemies but Malcolm says to talk quietly. Chad loses all his "marks" and says that he sucks. Malcolm says he doesn't suck but that he still has much to learn.

Chad visits Jason again bringing one of the books. Chad reads out the lines that are funny to Jason. They watched 2 movies and Chad left the 3rd one there in case Jason wanted to watch it. He leaves before noon to escape Jason's mother. Chad goes to the dunk tank again for his job. Malcolm tells him to watch carefully and try to imagine what he would say if he were the Bozo. Afterwards Chad and Malcolm are walking to Salvatore's, the pizza place when Chad asks about Malcolm's past. Malcolm answer after a few moments saying he was in a car crash. They both drop the subject.

Chad goes once again to visit his best friend in the hospital. He brings more movies with him but this time forgets to watch the clock. Jason is in the middle of a coughing fit when his mother bursts in and screams a Chad to get out. When Chad goes to work the next night, Malcolm and his friend Doc are driving him to see a Bozo named Jordy Ketchum. He is even better than Malcolm, hooking three marks at a time.

Malcolm and Chad once again practice by making Bozo remarks at passing people quietly. They head back to the house and Malcolm gives Chad a book and a video. Both are about how laughter can heal an illness. The next time he goes to the hospital, he makes Jason promise he will read the book Malcolm just gave him. Chad heads down to the boardwalk to talk to Gwen, who he hasn't seen for a while. She tells him that Anthony is taking her to a party tonight on Abbot Drive. Chad begins to panic and tries to tell Anthony not to take her there. Chad and Malcolm worked their shifts at the tank. Malcolm as a Bozo, Chad as the ball fetcher. They finally knocked off at eleven o'clock. Malcolm makes a phone call before walking home with Chad. On their way, Malcolm tells chad about his deceased wife and son.

Finding police at his house, Chad runs inside thinking that his mom is in trouble. Instead, he is being framed for supplying the party Anthony is at with beer. Chad denies it and proves his innocence and Malcolm backs him up this time. The truth of Chad working spills out when the cops find his money and his mother talks with him after they leave.

Chad asks Malcolm to come with him to visit Jason. He refuses at first but gives in when Chad asks again. They go there and make Jason laugh a couple times. They came back another day but Jason's mom caught them. Malcolm talked her into letting them cheer up Jason telling her about the healing powers of laughter. Gradually she became less angry at Chad.

Malcolm gives Chad some water-proof greasepaint and tells him that he has a tryout tomorrow.Chad goes and find Corey, in shorts and extra nerdy glasses, Mike, in his goofy Hawaiian shirt, and Ellie, with a T-shirt saying 'I Love to Polka'. Chad does well until he sees Gwen pass by. He calls her red head first and she doesn't turn. Then he calls her by her real name and she realizes its Chad. Chad asked her about the party while he was still in the tank and she tells him she never went. Malcolm comes over and tells Chad to let him take over. Chad does so telling Gwen to wait while he takes off his makeup.

Jason heals from his sickness over the summer. Gwen and Chad begin to go out. Malcolm asks to try out his teaching techniques on Chad before he leaves to teach. Chad agrees. The book closes with Chad telling the reader that anything is possible, and states he might become a teacher of "Dunkology", and that "Stranger Things have Happen".

References

External links