King Dork

By Frank Portman

I really liked this book, even if the students in class were not thrilled about it. It is the story of a teenage who is obsessed with music (rock and roll), figuring out the mysterious death of his father and the secret to dealing with the oppposite sex. It is a novel about navigating the strange waters of high school, particularly the groups and sub-groups that make up the student body.

What I think is really interesting is that the main character is fighting against the cult of "Catcher in the Rye." Almost every adult in the story raves about it, especially the teachers, and he doesn't think it is so great. He also directly addresses the kind of things kids have to read in school (e.g., A Separate Peace, Lord of the Flies, etc.) and brings to life the reading habits of high school kids. I never like Catcher, so perhaps it hit home.

There is some drug use, some explicit (but not graphic) sexuality, and some language that is salty (but realistic). Students in my class thought they might not want it in their classrooms, but others thought some students could read it during independent reading time.