Product Description

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. "With its strong, realistic

characterization, Sachar's gracefully told story will please his longtime fans

and gain him new followers as well"-- Publishers Weekly.


An IRA/CBC Children's Choice.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #43743 in Books
• Published on: 1992-08-11
• Released on: 1992-08-11
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 224 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780679833727
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

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.

From Kirkus Reviews
Gary ``Goon'' Boone tells jokes instead of having conversations; almost everyone--parents, teachers, schoolmates-- is tired of him. When a talent show with a $100 prize is announced at school, Gary decides to make his stand-up debut memorable. His parents promise him another $100 if he stops telling jokes for three weeks. For Gary this is a minor struggle; he tries to understand why other boys his age collect baseball cards, and he gains gradual acceptance in their friendly football games. Their practical joke on Gary does help launch his career as a comedian, but it is his hard work and practice that lead to his overwhelming success at the show. Readers themselves may feel benumbed by the endless litany of bad jokes; even Sachar's talent for creating humorous situations (There's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom, 1987; Sideways Stories from Wayside School, 1985--which gets a plug in this book) can't shine through the too-familiar riddles. Still, Gary is a likable, completely good-hearted boy who turns out to be refreshingly frank about his own shortcomings. (Fiction. 9-11) -- Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Customer Reviews

A Funny review for a Funny Book
This book, written by Louis Sachar, was a very enjoyable book. It's a very easy book, but you won't be able to put it down. It's about a boy by the name of Gary W. Boone. "If you take the Oon from Boone and the G from Gary, it makes Goon!" Being the goofy kid he is on the inside, he tries to make friends, but being the comedian without any good jokes, he sees it's very difficult. His best friend, Angeline, moves to a new school, which makes it harder for Gary. Finding a sign for the school talent show, Gary finds this the perfect opportunity to gain popularity, and practice his jokes. As he practices day and night to find a nice order to put his jokes in and memorize them, he gets a call from Angeline. Angeline, who has always thought she was psychic, tells Gary not to enter the talent show. She senses something bad might happen. Gary wants to believe her, but this is his big chance to give the school a big opening BANG with his hilarity.
I would give this book four stars because its funny and it has a good story line.
Louis Sachar is a brilliant author that talks about funny things. I like him mostly because he's down to earth and he doesn't involve aliens or anything fiction. His stories are about everyday kids in awkward, hilarious situations. I'm not a good science fiction reader so this book is perfect for me, plus it's not as hard so I won't get confused on what's going on. This is why I like Louis Sachar.

Dogs Don't tell Jokes
I chose this book because of the title "Dogs Don't Tell Jokes." I thought this book would be about this girl that was telling dogs jokes. This book is about a kid whose name is Gary W. Boone, and he really wants to enter a talent show but then he finds out that he is the only one signed up for it. I liked this book because the boy is really funny, but I also liked this book because the boy is really lucky. He will get $100 from his parents if he doesn't tell jokes for two weeks. I recommend this book for 4th-8th graders.

Don�t Tell Anymore Jokes
Don't Tell Anymore Jokes
Dogs Don't Tell Jokes By Louis Sachar
This story is about a boy named Gary W, Boone. He wants to be a famous comedian. He always daydreams about being on a late-night TV show. When he tells a joke to kids in his class they all give him funny looks and call him a dork and all other mean names. They also laugh at him because they think the joke is so dorky. When Gary hears them laugh he think that they are laughing at the joke but they really are laughing at him.
The most interesting thing about this book is when the school talent show comes up.
Gary of course wants to be in the talent show and do jokes. He says that that will get him in
to the comedian stage. He tries everything he can and he goes through alot of stuff. One of the thangs he goes through is him finding out that people don't like his jokes. When he has to practice his jokes. He tries to make the jokes up but sometimes he doesn;t know what the joke should be. When he says the jokes to him self and they do not sound funny. After a while he gets tired of trying to make up jokes so he disides to change his whole idea and goes to a normal kid. He tries to hang out with other kids and not do the jokes anymore. Then he diside that no one else would really pay attention to him and that he really liked telling jokes.So he goes back to teling jokes.
People I think would like this book is kids who like to read life books about people's life.Also if you like funny stories!So I think that 4th or 5th graders would like it.If older kids like books like that or like kinda in the middle sized of stories might like it to.
Between the rating sacale of 1 being the lowest and 10 being the highest. I would give it a 9. Not that it is bad book it is a great book!!!