The Man Who Loved Clowns

by June Rae Wood

Overview

Delrita likes being invisible. If no one notices her, then no one willnotice her uncle Punky either. Punky is a grown man with a child's mind. Delrita loves him dearly and can't stand people making fun of his Down's syndrome. But when tragedy strikes, Delrita's quiet life—and Punky's—are disrupted forever. Can she finally learn to trust others, for her own sake and Punky's? This story captures the joy and sorrow that come when we open our hearts to love.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781101078082
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	04/21/2005
Sold by:	Penguin Group
Format:	eBook
Pages:	224
File size:	353 KB
Age Range:	10 - 14 Years

About the Author

June Rae Wood is a bestselling author of books for young readers. Her best-known novel, The Man Who Loved Clowns (1992), about a man with Down syndrome, was partly based on her much-loved younger brother, Richard, and has done much to further understanding of people with Down syndrome. The book was awarded the 1995 Mark Twain Award in Missouri and the 1995 William Allen White Award in Kansas. Ms. Wood is the 1999 recipient of the Edgar Wolfe Literary Award presented by the Friends of the Library in Kansas City, Kansas.

Table of Contents

1	The Invisible Girl	9
2	Out of the Frying Pan, Into the Fire	14
3	The Birthday Boy	20
4	Aunt Queenie	29
5	The Bratty Gregory Kid	38
6	The Whistle	48
7	The Moptops	58
8	Spirit Week	68
9	Silver Dollar City	80
10	The Master Woodcarver	87
11	Going Home	97
12	The Blank Wall	107
13	The Swan	115
14	The Tree Breaks Through the Rock	123
15	Aunt Queenie's Decision	130
16	Sitting on a Time Bomb	138
17	The Sheltered Workshop	152
18	Alone Again	163
19	Big Bucks	173
20	Herkimer	179
21	The Rock	189
22	The Invisible Shell	197
23	Heartache	204
24	Home	215
25	Flying	219

Editorial Reviews

In this potent debut, Wood displays a prodigious writing and storytelling talent. Delrita, 13, has recently moved to a small Missouri town with her parents and Punky, an uncle who has Down's syndrome. Delrita adores Punky, yet is also embarrassed by him. She easily accepts his childish ways at home, but avoids having visitors, and attending church in her new community causes the girl considerable anguish. Always a loner, Punky is befriended by the persistent Avanelle Shackleford (``a name that was almost bigger than she was''), a classmate who also has familial shame--and a fabulous older brother. When disaster tears Delrita's life apart, her new friends' support fortifies her as does Punky's enduring love. The skillfully crafted work, based on the author's memory of a brother who had Down's syndrome, is enriched by humorous touches and Delrita's involving, simply told narrative. This close-up view of a prevalent disease is more than a one-note novel: the author also artfully interweaves issues of loneliness, first romance and parental death. Both Delrita and Punky are complex, realistically drawn characters worthy of attention and admiration. Ages 10-14. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Gr 5-7-- Delrita Jensen, 13, has no friends, and she prefers it that way. She doesn't want anyone to meet her uncle, ``Punky'' Holloway, who has Down syndrome and lives with her family. Although she loves him dearly, she can't help being ashamed of him. Then, when her parents are killed in a traffic accident, and she and Punky must go to live with her aunt and uncle, everything changes. In the months that follow, Delrita learns many things: that others can come to love Punky and be proud of him, that she might have misjudged her aunt, and most of all, that she wants friends. Wood has created a realistic portrait of the problems that confront a child growing up in a family with a disabled member. But more than that, she has created an engrossing story with characters that readers come to care about very deeply. It's a story with a universal theme--the struggle to come of age and find a place in the world--and because of this, it will bring pleasure to many readers. Also incorporated are the joy of discovering and exercising a talent, the warmth that can come from finding a friend, the excitement and uncertainty of a first romance, and the conflict that is always a part of life. Wood's prose is strong and flowing, with a good balance of dialogue and narrative, and with several well-developed and memorable characters. It's a hard book to put down. --Constance A. Mellon, Department of Library & Information Studies, East Carolina Univ . , Green ville, NC

School Library Journal

Eighth-grader Delrita Jensen is one of those kids who have to survive adolescence and deal with tragedy at the same time. Midway through the novel, Delrita's parents are killed in an automobile accident, and her character is put to the test. She doesn't realize it, but she's a great girl and a perfect niece for her uncle, Punky, an adult with Down syndrome. Punky reveals himself as an impish angel whose joy in life elevates others' lives. His death at the end of the novel transforms Delrita's view of living and dying, appreciating and surrendering. The author's familiarity with Down syndrome is revealed in a touching author's note. A certain earthiness colors the universal themes pursued by Wood through the lives of Delrita and the man who loved clowns. This is a gentle yet strong story, reinforced by the cover art.

Gary Young