im in 6th grade and honestly, kids hear worse things on the playground.
King Dork
(2006, Fiction - School, Written by Frank Portman)
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Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
Hilarious but dark view of high school. For teens.
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 15–18
The good stuff
What to watch out for
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Violence:
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Sex:
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Language:
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Consumerism:
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Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
What Parents Need to Know
This review of King Dork was written by Matt Berman
Parents need to know that this book is for teens only. Though not overly graphic or explicit, it is filled with references to sex, drugs, and (have to say it) rock 'n' roll. The main teen character experiences oral sex several times, as well as a couple of heavy make-out sessions.
Families Can Talk About
Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
- Families can talk about the depiction of high school life here. Are hazing, sex, and drugs as prevalent in your school as they are in the book? Also, there's the unresolved mystery. Based on the evidence in the book, what do you think really happened to Tom's dad?
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More on King Dork
Book Summary
Tom Henderson is a decent kid on the fringes of the high school from hell -- though it may, in fact, be just like most high schools. He's persistently tormented (by boys) and humiliated (by girls), and the teachers and administrators are little better. His father died years ago under mysterious circumstances, his mother is a distant self-medicator, and his stepfather a well-meaning but inane aging hippie.
Tom's only solace is his one friend, Sam, and their pastime of making up imaginary rock bands. Then he finds a set of books, including Catcher in the Rye (which everyone in the world except Tom seems to love) left by his father, which contain what may be clues both to his life and his death. Or maybe not.
Is It Any Good?
This debut novel by East Bay punk rocker Dr. Frank has so much going for it that it may be the literary find of the year. First, it's laugh-out-loud, still-chuckling-10-minutes-later funny, the kind of clever, sardonic, intelligent humor that will have your teens calling up their friends to read passages out loud. The humor, though, is set in high relief by the story's depth, complexity, and sophistication. There's a realism here that goes far beyond most books, either for teens or for adults. All the characters, major and minor, are more than meet the eye, the layers of their personalities don't always fit together as smoothly as they usually do in fiction. Their lives are as complex as their personalities.
Very few ends are neatly tied up, but unlike most books that try this, it isn't frustrating at all -- in fact it makes perfect sense. Interspersed with all the plot intricacies are Tom's, and the author's, musings, bits of philosophy, rants, and outsider observations, often wickedly funny and always interesting and thought-provoking. Together it all makes for a delightful read.
Publisher’s Details
Publisher: Delacorte Press, Publication date: 04/30/2006
Number of pages: 344, Price: $16.95 (hardcover)
Read Aloud: 15, Read Alone: 15
Number of pages: 344, Price: $16.95 (hardcover)
Read Aloud: 15, Read Alone: 15
Our Members Say
See all 11 member reviews
Most Recent Reviews
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I rate this title on for age 11 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Inappropriate sexual content
great
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I rate this title on for age 14 and give it
I love this book. It is so funny. Chi-mo (the main character) isnt always the best example for children but it is an honest discription of some kids are. It wonderfully describes all the hardships that teenagers to through. five starss!
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I rate this title iffy for age 15 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Inappropriate sexual content
- Inappropriate language
- Drinking, smoking, or drug use
Great book. But full of dark humor.
Great book! One of the funniest books I have read in a while. Absolutely great. It is more dark humor though, so be for warned. This book is great for mature teens. The is lots of language and sex. As well as some drug use. The sex aspect is described in pretty much full detail. And the language can get pretty strong. But still a great book.
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I rate this title on for age 15 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Inappropriate sexual content
- Inappropriate language
I found this book hard to understand
At times it was very comical, but there were so many inside jokes "King Dork" constantly brought up and extended to great length that if you missed a page you'd be like: HUH? It's totally surreal in the since of the school worshiping just one book, but it's ideals on bullying are not. This book is loaded with profanities and semi-graphic depections of sex. 15 and up is probably a good starting age to read this book.
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