Dean Duffy

by Randy Powell Narrated by Jeff Woodman

Overview

Although he's only just graduated from high school, 18-year-old Dean Duffy thinks of himself as a has-been. Mired in an inexplicable and frustrating two-year batting slump, he helplessly watches as a once-promising baseball career fizzles when he strikes out to end his senior season. With his baseball career now seemingly over, Dean settles into a series of odd jobs as he tries to puzzle out his future. However, when a longtime mentor arranges a baseball scholarship to a private college, he is forced to make an adult decision for the first time in his life. A favorite of teachers and librarians across the nation, author Randy Powell has the uncanny ability to capture the attention of teenagers and parents alike. Narrator Jeff Woodman enlivens this absorbing story with the emotions and enthusiasms only Dean Duffy feels.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Powell (Is Kissing a Girl Who Smokes Like Licking an Ashtray?) wraps up this nifty coming-of-age tale in a baseball story-yet not a single game is played. Although he's only just graduated from high school, Dean Duffy thinks of himself as a has-been. An agonizing and inexplicable slump has cut short his promising career as a ballplayer; once considered a shoo-in for any number of athletic scholarships, he is at loose ends until a longtime mentor arranges a baseball scholarship to an exclusive private college, to begin the following spring. Dean spends the autumn mulling over the offer: he takes a lot of long drives in his '63 Volvo, embarks on a wryly recounted romance with the strong-minded waitress at his favorite coffeeshop and wonders if he has the nerve to play ball again. Like a string of firecrackers, a series of epiphanies explodes as the deadline for Dean's decision draws near. The ambiguous yet upbeat ending provides a fitting climax. With his effortless-seeming writing, Powell creates a recognizable world and peoples it with characters who are remarkably sympathetic and complex. Ages 12-up. (Apr.)

School Library Journal

Gr 7 Up-Dean, 18, is a baseball player whose glory days are behind him. At 15, he pitched for the world championship Little League team, and as a freshman he hit a game-winning grand slam. But after his arm gave out, he moved to first base and plunged into a two-year batting slump, losing any hope for a college scholarship. Since graduation he's been sliding sideways, wondering what his future holds. Interesting supporting characters, several of them adults, nudge Dean in various directions. Jack Trant, an affable supporter of college athletics who is estranged from his own son, finagles Dean a one-semester ``trial'' scholarship at a small private college. The young man realistically hesitates to commit himself to possible further humiliation playing the game he's loved. He meets a beautiful and enigmatic high-school dropout with a baby and they develop a friendly and supportive relationship, but it's Dean's encounters with several old baseball acquaintances that finally get him moving. In an exciting climax he survives a plunge down a ravine and is able to expunge some of his demons. The ending is delightfully ambiguous, as Dean is handed a pen to sign his letter of intent and readers are left to decide whether or not he will give baseball-and himself-another chance. Dean Duffy has stronger subplots and more likable characters than Powell's earlier YA novels.-Joel Shoemaker, Southeast Jr. High School, Iowa City, IA

Product Details

BN ID:	2940170997763
Publisher:	Recorded Books, LLC
Publication date:	03/22/2013
Edition description:	Unabridged

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