Dunc and the Greased Sticks of Doom

I really enjoyed this adventure. It is my first taste of Gary Paulsen's Culpepper Adventures. I really enjoyed it overall. I do have some contentions with the story, but overall it is a perfect choice for boys reluctant to read in the intermediate and middle grades. Dunc and Amos are best friends. They do everything together including get into trouble. Somehow Dunc escapes sparkling from every hairy situation while Amos almost always takes quite a beating. In the end the boys of course save the day. In this adventure, Dunc and Amos are on a skiing trip when they meet Olympic superstar Francesco Bartoli. Bartoli agrees to give them lessons, but not before Amos' one true desire Melissa shows up promising him humiliation and further despair over their imagined relationship. In an attempt to impress Melissa, Amos stumbles on a plot to destroy Bartoli. Can he and Dunc stop the destruction or will they cause more trouble if they are on the case? I think boys reluctant to read will absolutely LOVE this story. It's packed with action, adventure and impossible odds. Yet Amos and Dunc invariably escape every tight situation. I found the exaggeration a little silly, but I know boys will love these adventures because they are so full of suspense and fast action that it will be like watching a modern action movie. Paulsen uses visualizations like "bursting in a cloud of glass" and "explosion of fur like a hair bomb blowing up" as special effects throughout the story. This appeals to struggling readers because it makes the content more exciting and the story is easier to comprehend. Visualizing is an incredible reading strategy that many struggling readers need to develop. Paulsen helps them do that. The characters are animated too. Dunc is smart, bold and adventurous. He leads the duo into some really crazy situations, however his ability to emerge unscathed is hilarious. Amos on the other hand paints a picture of disaster, disorder, chaos and destruction before their investigation even begins. He appeals to young readers because he fills the story with slapstick comedy and loveable humor. He is reluctant to accept Duncs orders but always submits. Of course he always gets the worst beating, humiliation and situations, but he also makes their adventures possible. Without his willingness to comply, Dunc is just an idea guy without muscle. Eventually the fantastic impossibility of these adventures would get a bit old, but young readers will easily get hooked on these books long enough to become better readers. Hopefully this will lead readers into some of Paulsen's heartier novels. Highly recommended.