Dustin Grubbs: Take Two!

by John J. Bonk

Overview

After his breakthrough performance in last year's school play, Dustin Grubbs gets the taste of fame he dreams about. He's even recognized in the streets. (OK, so his hometown of Buttermilk Falls is small and everybody knows everybody... even so!) Fresh into seventh grade, he is ready for his acting career to take off in his school's upcoming musical production of Oliver! The twist is that phys-ed funds are being cut to do it, sparking grounds for an all-out war of the worlds: athletes vs. drama geeks. Even worse, Dustin discovers he's tone deaf and has two left feet! Just when things are looking grim, Dustin gets his big break when a field trip to Chicago teams him up with his wacky show biz dad for an opportunity of a lifetime--a shot at a national TV commercial! Will Dustin jump at the chance at all costs?

Dustin Grubbs: Take Two! is full of the same hysterical one-liners and slapstick middle graders saw and loved in Dustin Grubbs: One-Man Show. Beneath the "show" is deeper story--that of a boy who longs to reunite his parents and will do anything to see them together.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316086721
Publisher:	Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	10/31/2009
Series:	Dustin Grubbs , #2
Sold by:	Hachette Digital, Inc.
Format:	eBook
Lexile:	710L (what's this?)
File size:	728 KB
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

John Bonk's former life was devoted to musical comedy, working in New York and in Summerstock programs around the country. Dustin Grubbs is his first novel.

Editorial Reviews

Gr 5–8
Dustin Grubbs, 12, has show-business aspirations like his dad, who moved from Buttermilk Falls to Chicago to be a stand-up comic. Unfortunately, the seventh grader's school must use athletic-department funds to produce the musical Oliver!, dividing athletes from "drama geeks." With no musical talent, Dustin finds himself in the middle, estranged from his friends and bullied by the star basketball player. On a class trip to Chicago, he spends time with his dad, auditions for a commercial, and finds and administers CPR to the principal's lost dog, the team's mascot. The boy is able to see his quirky family and his belligerent classmates as they really are, giving up his reward money for saving the pup for the good of the team. This fast-paced sequel to Dustin Grubbs: One-Man Show (Little, Brown, 2005) has believable characters, witty conversations, and a satisfying conclusion.
—Mary Jean SmithCopyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

Comedy rules as seventh-grader and showbiz wannabe Dustin tries to grab a part in the school musical, live with his wacky family, cope with his wacky friends and enemies, and, maybe, get a part in a national commercial. Dustin's divorced dad now lives in Chicago, trying to make a living as a stand-up comic. Dustin tries to follow Dad's advice in his audition for "Oliver!" with disastrous results, and encounters more problems when the jocks in his school try to get the whole production cancelled. When he scores in the audition for the commercial, though, he's faced with a moral dilemma: Should he go to the call-back audition or to his Aunt's wedding? And, can he get his parents together again? The giggles never stop no matter what Dustin does, with snappy dialogue coming from every character. Great fun for kids who like to laugh. (Fiction. YA)

Kirkus Reviews