Bridge to Catcher in the Rye

King Dork by Frank Portman (2006) 

King Dork by Frank Portman (2006) was a quick and exciting read. Tom Henderson (aka Chi-Mo) is a quick-witted (albeit "dorky") protagonist who is trying to discover the details of his father's death. With ample references to teen life and high school social strata, King Dork is a biting look at the adolescent pecking order with ascerbic social commentary. Tom's satire is perhaps most evident in his "glossary" of his quirky definitions for SAT words and his garage band chronology. I found myself snickering out loud as I read Tom''s definitions for "gifted and talented" and "Jimmy Buffet." Hysterical! This novel would be an excellent way to introduce the classic Catcher in the Rye (notice the book cover) which serves as an underlying theme throughout the text. Tom hates this classic novel, but discovers as King Dork progresses how similar he is to Holden Caufield. This is worth a look by teachers too!
My only problems with this book were the very things that I loved: Tom is a secret Rock God and makes multiple references to punk rock, classic rock, and garage rock. For me this was fantastic, but I worry that only a specific music loving teen would get Tom's underlying intent in these references. In addition to this, there were several references to a sexual act that weren't graphic in the least but I wouldn't be sure how a more conservative reader might respond. However, my final thoughts are that I would definitly reccommend this novel for it's quick dialogue, its social message, its connection to classic literature, and its fast moving plot.

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